Olympus aligns creative and media business with Percept's Mash Advertising

The size of the business is estimated at Rs 12-15 crore.

Mash Advertising, a subsidiary of the Percept Group, has won the creative and media duties of Olympus Imaging India. The business will be managed by the agency's Mumbai office. Mash Advertising won the business following a multi-agency pitch in Mumbai. The pitch involved several Mumbai-based creative agencies.

Sources from the industry have confirmed the news to afaqs!. The size of the business is estimated at Rs 12-15 crore. It is learnt that Olympus plans to use a mix of TV, print, outdoor and digital media. The company also plans to increase spend on on-ground activities, and digital and social media.

It may be recalled that in March, afaqs! carried a report on Olympus Imaging India scouting for a creative agency in Mumbai.

For the record, the Olympus Camera business moved to Mudra (now DDB Mudra) in 2004 as a result of DDB's global alignment.

Olympus Corporation was established in Tokyo, Japan in 1919. The company has its Indian head office in Mumbai. The India office of Olympus is principally involved in the marketing of digital still cameras, Olympus pen, DSLRs, accessories, binoculars and voice recorders. Olympus stores are already functional in Bengaluru, Kochi, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida and Pune.

India, Japan reach agreement on social security contributions

India and Japan have sealed a social security pact that will ease the economic burden on their nationals working in each other’s country.

Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday announced that the pact has been concluded during the fourth round of negotiations between the two sides in Tokyo.

Japan's Foreign Minister Gemba shakes hands with his Indian counterpart Krishna during a photo opportunity ahead of their meeting in New Delhi. Reuters

The pact will exempt employees sent from Japan to India and those from India to Japan from making any social security contribution in the country of employment, provided they continue to make these payments in the country of their origin.

The conclusion of the agreement is expected to reduce the burden imposed on the employees and corporations, and promote human and economic exchanges.

Both sides will continue necessary work for an early signature of the agreement, the ministry said.

When Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba visited India April-end, the two sides had decided to accelerate the conclusion of this crucial pact.

Yamaha's CHEAPEST BIKE at Rs 27,500?

Japanese two-wheeler maker Yamaha Motor Co Ltd is looking at scaling up research and development (R&D) operations in India, with an aim to designing the country's cheapest motorcycle indigenously and shoring up volumes in the fast-growing domestic market.

Until this year, basic development of products was being done by Yamaha at our headquarters in Japan. We have an R&D centre to make minor changes on models in India. In future, our R&D team should be independent and capable of developing a new motorcycle in the commuter segment," said Hiroyuki Suzuki, chief executive officer and managing director of India Yamaha Motor.

The company is working out the investment required for stepping up R&D activities in the country.

Yamaha's new low-cost bike is expected to be priced at around $500 (Rs 27,500), cheaper than the entry-level motorcycle 'Crux', tagged at Rs 38,365.
Market leader Hero MotoCorp Ltd's 'CD Dawn' is the cheapest product in the category, starting at Rs 36,300 (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Yamaha, at present, has marginal share in the low-cost commuter segment with the 'YBR110' and 'Crux', which together sells 5000-odd units every month.

The move to develop a low-cost motorcycle comes close on the heels of compatriot Honda Motor Co Ltd (HMC) launching its cheapest motorcycle, the 110 cc 'Dream Yuga', in India.
Priced at Rs 44,642 (ex-showroom, Delhi), the bike is expected to shore up Honda's market share in the seven-million strong commuter segment in the country.

We will have production volume of two million units in 2016. Scooters will contribute 30 per cent to our overall sales, the 150 cc models will account for 40 per cent and the remaining numbers will come in from entry-level motorcycles," Suzuki said. Overall, the company is eyeing a 10 per cent share in the Indian two-wheeler market by 2016.
Yamaha recently announced plans to invest around Rs 1,500 crore to set up a new plant in Tamil Nadu and enhance capacity across its existing units. The new low-cost bike will be manufactured at Chennai and exported to markets in Africa.

Fujifilm unveils 16 digital and interchangeable lens cameras

Fujifilm India Pvt. Ltd., the wholly owned subsidiary of Fujifilm Holding Corporation, Japan has finally made its foray into interchangeable lens cameras by introducing its product, along with an all-new spring collection. The company also announced the appointment of Bollywood actress Minissha Lamba as its new brand ambassador, who will be a part of the company’s marketing and consumer-connect initiatives.

New cameras announced!

Ranging from hi-tech pro-level models to point-and-shoot compacts, the spring collection has a series of models, which aim to satisfy the needs of photo enthusiasts. The collection, includes the following cameras: HS25EXR, F660EXR (EXR Series), T350 (T series), JX500, JZ100 (J series), AX550 (A series), SL260, S4200, S2980 (S series), L30 (L series) and C25 (C series). While the X Series model X100, X10, X-S1 and X-Pro1 launched, earlier this year, they were on display at the conference as well. Keeping in mind the need of Indian customers, this year’s collection has a new range of digital cameras in cool colours and features with a competitive price tag.

According to Mr. K Tanaka, Managing Director, Fujifilm India, “We are very delighted to launch our latest 16 digital cameras in Indian market and specially excited to take the step of introducing Interchangeable technology. At FUJIFILM, our effort is always to bring the latest and innovative technology in our product with the support of R&D team. With our latest addition X-Pro1 we are entering into the Professional and semi-professional camera market.”

On the appointment of Minissha Lamba as Brand Ambassador, Mr. Sriwant Wariz, National Marketing Manager said, "We feel that apart from an instant recognition the right brand ambassador who matches the brand personality can create lot of trust and aura around the brand. Fujifilm as a company is extremely quality conscious, is young (In Indian digital camera business) and with diverse offerings, is trying to carve a niche for itself. We found Minissha with similar value system and hence decided on her as our brand ambassador. Minissha Lamba is a fine actress of new generation who in a short span of time has created a reputation for being very quality conscious and professional, evident from her choice of meaningful movies. Beside this she is a very popular face today and we are sure this association will help us enhance our brand equity greatly."

The newly appointed brand ambassador, Minissha Lamba said, “It is a proud moment for me to be associated with the one of the world’s largest photographic solutions company. I have grown up using FUJIFILM cameras, as I am very passionate about photography.It’s great to see the wonderful new cameras of Fujifilm with great features and cool looks. I am eagerly looking forward to using my new Fujifilm JZ100.”

Brand ambassador

All the models launched for this season have High Definition (HD) capability to shoot movies. Features like Digital Image Stabilization, Motion Panorama mode, Face Detection technology, and Picture Search, Scene Recognition Auto, Blink Detection, and Smile & Shoot mode have been included as well.  

With XPRO1 Fujifilm has entered the prestigious league of Interchangeable lens cameras as well. The X-Pro 1 body, includes a 16 megapixel APS-CMOS image sensor with Fujifilm’s EXR processing technology. X-Pro sensor gives a clearer image with the 6x6 colour array, as compared to standard 2x2 array. The hybrid multi-viewfinder allows the users to instantly switch between an electronic and optical viewfinder. Three newly designed fixed ‘X mount’ lens, equivalent to a 27, 53, and 90 lens in a full sensor D-SLR camera, are available as an addition feature, along with X-Pro 1. These interchangeable lenses have 18 millimetre f2, 35 millimetre f1.4 and 60 millimetre f2.4. The X-mount featured on the X-Pro 1 has a thin profile and quick shutter time lag.  

They have also launched the new JZ100, which is a very beautiful and slim camera that comes in five colours – Red, Black, Blue, Silver and Purple. The 14 Megapixel camera has got 8x optical zoom, which is the highest in this segment. It also has a 25MM wide angle lens with an LCD screen. Scene recognition and motion panorama has been included as well. For more details on pricing and availability, stay tuned to this space.

Yamaha to scale up R&D ops cheapest bike on the cards

Japanese two-wheeler maker Yamaha Motor Co Ltd is looking at scaling up research and development (R&D) operations in India, with an aim to designing the country’s cheapest motorcycle indigenously and shoring up volumes in the fast-growing domestic market.

“Until this year, basic development of products was being done by Yamaha at our headquarters in Japan. We have an R&D centre to make minor changes on models in India. In future, our R&D team should be independent and capable of developing a new motorcycle in the commuter segment,” said Hiroyuki Suzuki, chief executive officer and managing director of India Yamaha Motor.

The company is working out the investment required for stepping up R&D activities in the country.

Yamaha’s new low-cost bike is expected to be priced at around $500 (Rs 27,500), cheaper than the entry-level motorcycle ‘Crux’, tagged at Rs 38,365.

Market leader Hero MotoCorp Ltd’s ‘CD Dawn’ is the cheapest product in the category, starting at Rs 36,300 (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Yamaha, at present, has marginal share in the low-cost commuter segment with the ‘YBR110’ and ‘Crux’, which together sells 5000-odd units every month.
The move to develop a low-cost motorcycle comes close on the heels of compatriot Honda Motor Co Ltd (HMC) launching its cheapest motorcycle, the 110 cc ‘Dream Yuga’, in India.
Priced at Rs 44,642 (ex-showroom, Delhi), the bike is expected to shore up Honda’s market share in the seven-million strong commuter segment in the country.

“We will have production volume of two million units in 2016. Scooters will contribute 30 per cent to our overall sales, the 150 cc models will account for 40 per cent and the remaining numbers will come in from entry-level motorcycles,” Suzuki said. Overall, the company is eyeing a 10 per cent share in the Indian two-wheeler market by 2016.
Yamaha recently announced plans to invest around Rs 1,500 crore to set up a new plant in Tamil Nadu and enhance capacity across its existing units. The new low-cost bike will be manufactured at Chennai and exported to markets in Africa.

Kerala to fetch 10% of 2-wheeler sales: Suzuki

Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, has said that it plans to increase its share of two-wheeler sales from the Kerala market to 10% of national sales in fiscal 2013 compared with 6% last fiscal. Speaking at the launch of the company's new mass segment motorcycle Hayate in the Kerala market on Tuesday, Suzuki Motorcycle India national head - sales Anand Thakur said Suzuki Motorcycles will target sales of 4.5 lakh two-wheeler units in the Kerala market in 2012-13, up from 3.6 lakh units in 2011-12.

"Kerala is a growing market where two-wheelers are an indispensable lifeline.

With Hayate's entry in the Kerala market, we are looking at exploring new opportunities and a larger market share of 10% in fiscal 2013. The Hayate presents an opportunity to address emerging markets in small towns and semi-urban and rural perpheries," Thakur said. Hayate will be available in two variants - the Hayate KS, which will be priced at Rs 41,021 (ex-showroom Kochi), and the Hayate SS, which will be priced at Rs 43,021 (ex-showroom Kochi). Atul Gupta, VP (sales and marketing), Suzuki Motorcycle India, said the 100-110 cc motorcycle segment currently contributes 52% of the company's two-wheeler sales nationally. The company currently has 300 dealers across India, which it plans to expand to 400 by the end of March 2013 and 600 by 2014.

Though two-wheeler sales growth slowed down in fiscal 2012, Suzuki expects it to grow up to 8% in fiscal 2013.

Suzuki Motorcycle India has its manufacturing plant in Gurgaon with an annual plant capacity of 4,50,000 units. Total land area of the facility at Gurgaon is 37 acres, out of which the present plant is constructed in an area of 7 acres. The remaining area is left for future expansion.

Groupon India tries to make the best of Snapdeals slot

Crazeal, the India unit of Nasdaq-listed American daily deal site Groupon, is like the last man standing in the online format its parent popularised in the US, its chief executive Ankur Warikoo told Business Standard. He was referring to the industry leader in daily deals, Snapdeal, changing its business model recently to turn itself into an e-commerce company, allowing Crazeal to occupy the top slot. Crazeal (for crazy deals) cannot use the Groupon name in India due to domain name litigation, but is hopeful of doing so sometime in the future.

Snapdeal chief executive Kunal Bahl had recently told this newspaper Snapdeal was an e-commerce company, not a deal site. The company made the transition a few months earlier to expand its horizon and focus on a range of products and categories.

Without naming the competition, Warikoo said three deal sites had gone under in the past three months. According to industry information, Taggle.com, Dealivore and Vamoose are among Indian deal sites that decided to wind up businesses in their current avatars. However, a few pure deal sites are still going strong in the Indian market, Deals & You and Mydala being the notable ones

STRIKING A DEAL Groupon, a popular coupon site in the US, is in India as Crazeal, a site which offers deals. Here is what the competition looks like
* Snapdeal, which used to be the leading deal site in India, turned into an e-commerce company recently
* Deal sites which folded up included Taggle.com, Dealivore and Vamoose Vacations
* Deal sites going strong include Dealsandyou.com and Mydala
Who buys what on Crazeal
51% buy food & beverage items	11% buy fashion products
20% spa/salon treatments	9% buy travel packages
* In revenue terms, the maximum (30%) comes from the F&B category
* While F&B is top of the charts in Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata, Mumbaikars opt for spa as the top choice
* ‘Unreal’ deals bought on the Crazeal site include helicopter ride, real estate and laser eye treatment
Source: Industry, Crazeal

Despite their share of controversy and investor scrutiny, daily deal sites like Groupon, which use collective buying power to offer huge discounts to consumers, have many takers. Recently, Crazeal was able to sell as many as 23 laser eye-correction deals in just five days, Warikoo said. Treatment for Rs 40,000 was being sold for Rs 20,000! Other out-of-the-box deals popular on the site are a 10-minute helicopter ride over the city of Bangalore, an aerial Ganapati Visarjan trip in Mumbai and a short Valentine’s Day party in the sky. A cruise dinner is another “unreal” deal bought on Crazeal.
An in-house survey shows the site gets the most revenue—as much as 30 per cent—from food and beverages deals, followed by spa and healthcare services, and travel and hotel packages . In terms of volume, about 51 per cent of its customers opt for food and beverages deals, 20 per cent for spa and salon ones, 11 per cent for fashion products and nine per cent choose travel and hotel packages. Though the site does not sell standalone air ticket deals, it often packages these with deals for hotels etc. “We are like bestselling agents for most hotels,” Warikoo points out.
Launched in October 2011 in India, Crazeal operates in 78 cities across the country. Groupon acquired SoSasta.com in India in January 2011, before rebranding itself as Crazeal. What differentiates Crazeal/Groupon from the rest? “We recognise this market is all about merchants, not customers. Customers love you because of merchants,” says Warikoo.
Warikoo refuses any comment on the controversy linked to Groupon’s alleged non-disclosure of adequate information during its initial public offering in November 2011 and the subsequent losses in its first earnings release. He, however, says, “We, as a company, have made mistakes and then rectified these.”
The company did not share its financials, though Warikoo said the India market had potential for future growth. While the US and the UK are the biggest contributors to Groupon’s global business, Japan is the most significant player for the company in Asia. Malaysia is also growing well, while China was emerging, he said.
On merchant complaints on deals not yielding promised results, Warikoo said, “In 12 months, there’s been one such case.” Fighting competition in the short term was the biggest challenge for the company, he added. Also, opposition from merchants who didn’t understand the format was a hurdle. Of about 35 merchant deal offers Crazeal receives everyday, it accepts an average of just one or two.
Emphatic that “we are not an online retail store, but a marketing platform”, Warikoo says the company must become the preferred option for local e-commerce. And, there’s much catching up to do, as “India is the youngest country in the Groupon family.”

Toyota Kirloskar to up exports to counter rupee fall impact

Car major Toyota Kirloskar Motor is planning to rev up exports from India in order to partly offset losses, which has touched Rs. 60 crore in the last four months due to rupee depreciation.

The company, which is a joint venture between Japan's Toyota Motor and Kirloskar Group, has just started exports last month to South Africa.

"The rupee fall is hitting us badly. To counter this, we are planning to increase our exports from the country. We will look for new markets," Toyota Kirloskar Motor deputy managing director (Commercial) Shekar Viswanathan told agencies.

The company entered into the export market with the first consignment of its Etios cars, which were shipped to South Africa in April 2012.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) had planned to export 20,000 units of the Etios series per annum.
"These are all right-hand drive cars. We will look for such markets. We will have to check if these cars are suitable for selling in other markets as well," Viswanathan said without specifying other new markets.
The company is currently ramping up the production of the Etios cars from the current annual capacity of 1.2 lakh units to 2.1 lakh units by early 2013.
When asked about the impact of the rupee depreciation, Viswanathan said: "For a fall of every rupee against dollar, we lose about Rs. 90 crore on a yearly basis. In the last four months, we have lost an average of about Rs. 15 crore every month, totalling to about Rs. 60 crore."

He, however, said the company does not have any immediate plans to increase the prices of its cars.
The company imports many critical components engines and transmission for its different models in India.
The rupee has fallen over 13 per cent since early March due to a combination of deteriorating global risk sentiment and weak domestic fundamentals.
Last week, rupee had touched an all-time low of 56.38 against the dollar.
On Friday, the Indian currency gained 27 paise, rising for second day in a row, to close at 55.37 against the dollar after RBI intervened on currency breaching the 56-level in early trade.

Agrochemicals industry to cross $5b by 2017

The market size of Indian agro-chemicals industry is expected to more than double to $5 billion by 2017 on rising farm production and increasing awareness among farmers.

“Currently, the market size of the sector is at $2 billion. In the wake of increasing agricultural production and awareness among farmers about the use of insecticides and pesticides, the demand is bound to grow. It will cross $5 billion by 2017,” according to Insecticides India managing director Rajesh Aggarwal told.

He said in India, per capita pesticide consumption of less than 500 gm of per hectare is far below the world average of about three kg per hectare.
“Because of low level of consummation, the usage is going to increase dramatically. Huge demand is there in the Indian market,” he said adding his company is organising awareness programmes across the country with farmers.

“We are planning to organise about 2,000 farmer meetings across the country and aiming at training about one lakh farmers,” Mr Aggarwal said. Companies are increasing their marketing efforts to train farmers about the right use of agrochemicals in terms of quantity to be used. With increased awareness, the use of agrochemicals will also increase, he said.

According to experts, currently, crops lost due to non-use of pesticides is estimated to be around $17 billion every year.

“With increasing focus on scaling up of productivity and preventing crop losses to feed a billion plus population with limited land resources, the reliance of pesticides is only going to rise,” he added.

India is the fourth-largest producer of agrochemicals in the world after the United States, Japan, and China.

Globally, North America, European Union and Asia Pacific consume more than 75 per cent of the world's agrochemicals.

Insecticides India Ltd is a leading agro-chemicals company and plans to invest Rs 125 crore in the next two years to expand production capacity.

Citizen mulls assembling watches in India

With the Rupee depreciating against the Dollar, it has become quite a challenge for companies to keep down the prices of the goods they import for sale in India. The Japanese watchmaker, Citizen Watch Co. Ltd, has been feeling the pinch of the falling Rupee as imports are getting very costly and the company imports all its watches.

It is hence being forced to mull sourcing many parts or even assembling many of the watches in India. The import duty of about 40 per cent, VAT and other local taxes add up to about 65 per cent to the price of the watch. The company hence feels it would be worthwhile to manufacture watches, especially its lower-end ones under the Q&Q brand here, and also source many a part like the case, dials and other non-critical parts of its watches. “The movements will come from Japan,” said Shuji Takahashi, Managing Director, Japan CBM Corporation, a subsidiary of Citizen Watch Co.

As of now the company has been absorbing the input cost increases due to the falling Rupee.

It on Monday imports the watches whole, from China. “We even import the boxes in which the watches come packed in,” said K Chandrahas, vice-president, Japan CBM Corporation, the subsidiary of Citizen which owns the Q&Q division that will sell the lower end range of watches in India.

The rising cost of production in China too is being a dampener to the company’s plans in India.

The company, which on Monday has only a miniscule share in the country’s watch market, selling around 200,000 watches per annum, it hopes to double the sales in an year or so. The company probably has a tough fight in hand with about two-thirds of all watches sold in the country being spurious or of questionable make with most of them imported from China or assembled locally. Many of them carry the Citizen tag.

Pesticides Market in India, China and Japan Expected to Reach 16.2 Billion by 2016

Global Information Inc. would like to present a new market research report, "Pesticides Market : India, China And Japan Industry Analysis, Size, Share & Forecast (2009 - 2016)" by Transparency Market Research.
India, China and Japan pesticide market revenue (collective) reached USD 11.7 billion in 2011 and is expected to reach USD 16.2 billion by 2016, growing at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2011 to 2016. Japan is expected to be the second largest pesticide market after China by 2016.

Based on type of pest control the pesticides market is segmented into herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and other pesticides that include nematicides, fumigants and other miscellaneous conventional pesticides, and other chemicals used as pesticides such as sulfur, oil, and sulfuric acid. The pesticides market is highly dynamic with a large number of pesticides products available for use in crop protection.
The pesticides market in India is highly dynamic as price remains the foremost standard for pesticide adoption. Moreover, lower level of mechanization of farming activities results in higher utilization of manual and traditional pest control methods, which interns lowers the pesticide adoption in India. Unlike China, the insecticides segment is the largest pesticide segment both in terms of volume and value.
China is the largest pesticides market among the three Asian markets, both in terms of revenue and volume consumption. Herbicides segment is the highest contributor towards the China pesticides market and volume consumption and will continue to be the largest segment in China pesticide market throughout the forecast period. Fruits, vegetables and nuts crop segment was the largest consumer of pesticides and will remain so in coming years.

Increasing urbanization has resulted in faster erosion of arable land in Japan. However, increasing demand for food requires higher yield of crop per hectare. To meet the demand, farmers have started using larger volumes of pest control chemicals, resulting into faster growth of pesticides.
This report identifies the driving forces behind the India, China and Japan pesticides market and its sub-markets over the next five years. The report provides extensive analysis of the pesticide industry and also includes current market trends for better understanding of the pesticides market.

Panasonic buys majority stake in India's Firepro

Panasonic is planning to acquire majority share in Firepro Systems, an Indian company providing security and building protection products to grow the Japanese company's business in the country beyond just consumer electronics.

According to a report by the Times of India, Panasonic will be acquiring 76.2 percent of the Indian company via two avenues. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Anchor Electricals, will buy into the company through a fresh issue of shares, while Panasonic will also purchase a portion of shares owned by financial investors.

The acquisition is aimed to grow the Japanese company's presence in India beyond consumer electronics to emerge as a "top electronics company by 2018", the report stated. It would allow Panasonic to venture into both housing and non-housing markets.

This deal comes after the company reported that its net income forecast for 2012 will probably be 50 billion yen (US$627 million), more than 50 percent less than the 106 billion yen average estimated by 18 analysts, according to Bloomberg.

The Japanese giant had earlier forecast 780 billion (US$10 billion) net loss for the year due to the global economic slowdown and financial instability due to the European debt crisis, extensive supply chain disruption from the Thailand floods in October last year, and a strong yen.

Yamaha's supersport YZF-R15 bags maiden India Design Mark Prize

India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd. (IYM) has bagged the maiden edition of the coveted India Design Mark (I Mark) prize, awarded by the India Design Council, thanks to its ultra-modern and innovatively designed 150cc sport model YZF-R15. This award recognized Yamaha’s continuous endeavour to spread ‘design awareness’ and fulfilling its pledge in the direction of ‘value of design’ concept in the expanding domestic market.

The India Design Council is associated with India’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Eminent personalities from the worlds of education, design and several other industry houses comprise its brain. The India Design Mark (I Mark) awards program was conceptualised in collaboration with the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, organisers of Japan’s Good Design Award (G Mark). Ground works for this mega award program was initiated two years ago. It toed the same line of high quality benchmark as adopted by its Japanese equivalent. After gruelling phase, the Yamaha YZF-R15 was conferred with the I Mark award among a long list of 71 applicants. The interesting point to note is that among the 31 ‘I Mark’ recipients, this sport bike was one of four products from three Japanese companies.

While sharing his satisfaction on receiving the Indian design awareness award, an ecstatic Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO & MD, India Yamaha Motor, said, “I am very pleased with this recognition that our flagship bike YZF-R15 has received. The bike which was introduced in 2008 has witnessed tremendous fan following and the upgraded version launched in 2011 only added more to an already great performing bike. This award not just realizes our efforts but also motivates us to continue creating more new and innovative products.“

YZF-R15 hit the Indian market four years back. The underlining point is that this out-and-out supersport bike along with its “fun of riding” concept transformed the Indian concept of utilizing two-wheelers as utility conveyance. Moreover, its upgraded sporty look in the 2011 version added value to its aesthetic and masculine appeal. Yamaha supersport YZF-R series is known for its sporty outlook, enhanced power, comfortable driving experience with special focus on urban areas.

Etios Series Clocks One Lakh Unit Sales in India

Etios - ‘World First, India First, My First’ is Toyota’s first product made especially for the Indian market. TKM forayed into the export market with the first consignment of   Etios shipped to South Africa in April 2012. The company plans to export 20,000 units of Etios series per annum. To cater to the growing demand, the company also plans to ramp up the production of the Etios series in its second plant at Bidadi , from the current production capacity of 1,20,000 units to 2,10,000  units in early 2013. The domestic production of engine and transmission for the Etios and Etios Liva will be carried out at Toyota Kirloskar Auto parts. Approximately 100,000 engines will be produced per year starting in the third quarter of 2012 and approximately 240,000 transmissions per year starting in early 2013.  With the production of these critical parts, the localization ratio for Etios, currently around 70%, is expected to cross 90%.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor  (TKM) today announced that the Etios series - Etios and Etios Liva - has clocked sales of one lakh units. The company has achieved an important milestone since they entered the mass volume market in India. The Etios was launched in December 2010 followed by Etios Liva in June 2011. Etios  sold 50,157 units in the financial year 2011 - 2012 , making it the third largest selling sedan in its segment.

In its endeavor to reach out to maximum customers after the launch of the Etios and Etios Liva, the company has expanded its dealer network from 97 dealerships in 2009  to 175   outlets currently. The company further plans to expand it to 220 dealerships by early  next year. TKM is looking at improving its reach and is targeting at setting up 25 additional outlets out of the targeted outlets in semi urban and rural areas this year. Commenting on the occasion Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director, TKM said “With the launch of Etios, TKM embarked on a very important and challenging journey and this is an important milestone. We thank the one lakh happy customers who have trusted the brand and also appreciated it. Despite unforeseen and unfortunate events like tsunami in Japan and the floods in Thailand, we have been able to achieve the One Lakh mark.

We wish to give the common man an opportunity to drive a Toyota vehicle and we look forward to serving the Indian society by making more quality vehicles.” Mr. Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director, Marketing, TKM added “We are delighted to touch the One Lakh mark. The number reflects how the Etios family has grown and how Etios and Etios Liva has become a household brand in India. Customers have owned and appreciated the vehicles and we are constantly incorporating their feedback to be able to serve them better.   This is a small yet very important milestone in this large project that will place TKM on a higher pedestal in the global operations of Toyota.”

India Has Highest video conferencing Infra Mkt Growth Rate

The Asia Pacific video conferencing infrastructure markets posted a remarkable growth rate of 27.1 percent in 2010 despite tough economic conditions, largely due to the impressive showing by Greater China. While this region accounted for 62.3 percent, or US$96.8 million of the total US$154.8 million revenue, it is India that has the highest growth rate at 39.6 percent. By 2017, Greater China’s revenue share is expected to decrease to 51.4 percent, while India’s will increase to 11.8 percent.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Asia Pacific Video Conferencing Infrastructure Markets, finds that the market earned revenues of US$154.8 million in 2010 and estimates this to reach US$491.2 million in 2017. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following products: multipoint control unit (MCU)/gateway and others (gatekeepers, management and scheduling tools, network address translations (NATs), firewall traversals, border and security elements, and other related devices). It covers the regions of Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Greater China, India, Japan, and South Korea.

"Total solutions, including telepresence, desktop video, executive systems, and room-based video conferencing systems for multi-party video calls via different devices, will help vendors gain a competitive edge,” said Frost & Sullivan Senior Industry Analyst Jessie Yu. "In some countries such as China, integration with audio-visual (AV) peripherals is also important to attract customers."

Large enterprises comprise the bulk of revenue streams in the market, but the contributions from SMEs are steadily rising. These market drivers notwithstanding, intense competition and ‘solution-oriented’ offerings of video conferencing products (endpoint and infrastructure) caused a dramatic decline in the price points of high-definition (HD) MCU in 2010, especially in Greater China, Japan, and India.

The lower price points can be offset to a large extent by the rise in the popularity of IP networks and the escalating number of video conferencing endpoints.

"A steady demand for MCUs is expected to be the main market driver; however, auxiliary systems such as management software and gateways will also need upgrading if enterprises wish to fully utilise their investment in HD video endpoints," noted Yu. "Further, globalisation and a growing demand for inter-company video will fuel the adoption of videoconferencing infrastructure, giving vendors an opportunity to improve their revenue shares."

Toyota Motor Corp to roll out 8 compact car models for emerging markets by 2015

Japan's top automaker Toyota Motor Corp has announced its plans to introduce eight compact car models especially designed for emerging markets by 2015 in an attempt to catch up to front-runners such as Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co.

The car maker is also looking to reduce its dependence on the mature North American, European and Japanese markets. It intends to shift more of its weight to growing markets such as China, India and Brazil, the markets which are dominated by Volkswagen, GM and Hyundai Motor Co.

The Japanese automaker targets to sell half of its vehicles in developing markets by 2015, higher from nearly 45 percent last year and 18.6 percent in 2000.

Toyota Executive Vice President Yukitoshi Funo said, “In emerging markets, there are four or five automakers vying to take the lead in sales volumes. Particularly in the Southeast Asian region, Volkswagen and others are looking to challenge our lead so we can't be resting on our laurels.”

The upcoming cars will be priced around 1 million yen or higher and produced in local markets such as India, Brazil and China. The company would aim to procure 100 percent of the cars' components locally to lower costs.

Toyata hopes that by next year, the production capacity in emerging markets will increase to 3.1 million vehicles a year, from 2.38 million in 2010, matching the level in Japan.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Release Date In India Revealed; Priced at Rs 42,500

Here is good news for the ardent Indian smartphone lovers. A report from IBN-live has confirmed the much-awaited release date of the Samsung Galaxy S 3 in India.

According to news reports, Samsung Galaxy S 3 will be officially launched in India on May 31 in New Delhi with a speculated price tag of Rs 42,500. However, there is no official word from the Korean electronic giant on the price of its latest offering.

The Samsung's flagship Android smartphone, Galaxy S3, was one of the most-anticipated launches this year. It was first launched on May 3 at Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012 in London at the Earls Court Olympics venue.

The Samsung has already started taking pre-booking orders for the Galaxy S3 in India on its product websit, with assured gifts for the customers on every pre-order. The pre-booking orders reportedly crossed 9 million in few days, worldwide.

According to the Carphone Warehouse, the Galaxy S3 went on to become the "most pre-ordered Android device."

The Indian customers can palace their order beforehand by paying a fixed amount Rs 2000 in advance, which is non-refundable. As part of the online booking process, the customers will get a coupon containing a code number of their pre-orders, which should be utilized at the time of the purchase.

However, the pre-booking orders coupon should be used within 15 days of the launch of the Galaxy next. If the purchase is not made within the given timeframe, the validity shall expire.
This would mean that the pre-booking orders comes with an expiry date. Failing to redeem within the timeframe, the validity of the order would stand cancelled and the amount paid in advance will not be refunded. The same terms and condition are also applicable even in the case of a change of mind of customers about buying the Galaxy S3.

So eager to buy one, but before you make your purchase know about Galaxy S3, which will be available in three variants- 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.

Here are the specifications of the new Samsung Galaxy S3:

Display: Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 720 x 1280 pixels, 4.8 inches (306 ppi pixel density), multitouch, Corning Gorilla Glass 2, TouchWiz UI v4.0.

Size and Weight: 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm dimensions, weighing 133 grams.

OS: Android OS, v4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

Processor: Exynos 4212 Quad chipset, Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, Mail-400MP GPU.

Sony Launches New Xperia NXT Smartphones in India

Popular electronics products manufacturer Sony launched its new Xperia NXT smartphones in India last week.

Xperia NXT smartphones that includes Xperia U and P, and the Xperia Sola will now be available in India.

"The Xperia phones are made up of imagination, that means what you believe you can make it happening," IBNS quoted P. Balaji, Managing Director, Sony Mobile Communications India, as saying.

Balaji said at the launching event that Indian consumers will love the new smartphones.

"After the Xperia S, these three new smartphones will appeal to Indian consumers. Each Xperia smartphones come with a distinct user experience and set of features available at different price points, so that the consumers have more to choose from," IBNS quoted Balaji as saying.

"Xperia Sony smartphones are designed based on consumer experiences of Listen, Watch, Play, Create and Share," he added.

Sony Mobile Communications announced Xperia Sola in United Kingdom on March 13, 2012. Complete with Sony technology, premium entertainment and innovative floating touchTM navigation, the NFC enabled Xperia sola comes equipped with Xperia SmartTags, allowing consumers to change their smartphone's settings and applications to fit their lifestyle in an instant.

"Xperia sola comes with the power of Sony and a sense of magic with floating touch, giving consumers a fun new way to browse the web and latest technology to show off. With Xperia SmartTags out of the box and access to the latest content through Sony Entertainment Network, Xperia sola is perfect for consumers looking for ease of use and the best in entertainment in a smart and innovative smartphone," said Calum MacDougall, Head of Xperia Marketing for Sony Mobile Communications.

Key Features of Xperia Sola

-Floating touch navigation for an easy web browsing experience

- NFC enabled and Xperia SmartTags in the box to enable quick app loading and easy content sharing

- 3.7" Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity

- Powered by a 1GHz Dual Core Processor for super fast browsing

- xLOUD and 3D surround sound audio technology for crisp and loud listening

- Direct access to Sony Entertainment Network* with pre-installed Video and Music Unlimited   apps

- Launched on Android platform 2.3, upgraded to Android 4.0 during summer 2012

Japan likes to be a partner in national manufacturing policy: JETRO India chief

Japan wants to be a partner while rolling out India's national manufacturing policy which aims at creating 100 million jobs and enhancing the country's share in the GDP to 25 per cent in 10 years.

Japan External Trade Organization ( JETRO), an arm of the ministry of economy, trade and commerce is likely to propose to Indian government that Japan should be declared a partner country while promoting India's manufacturing policy.

N Noguchi, JETRO's chief director general in India told ET that most of 820 Japanese companies which are active in India are in manufacturing sector, and many more such companies are willing to shift their bases to India. Hit by economic downturn, the Japanese market is shrinking every day and most of the Japanese companies want to shift bases outside the country.

"After the disastrous flood in Thailand last year, many Japanese companies realized they should not concentrate their manufacturing centers only in one place. They want to set up manufacturing facilities in India so as to minimize risks", Noguchi said.

Noguchi who had an earlier innings in India between 2005 and 2010, said many Japanese companies were also enthused by the success story of the newly developed Neemrana industrial area in Rajasthan. Over 30 Japanese companies including Daikin Air-conditioning, Nissin Brake, Mitsui Chemical etc. are setting up their plants in Neemrana area.

"Japanese companies are already contributing to manufacturing sector in India. But if we officially partner with India's national manufacturing policy, the process will get a momentum," said Noguchi.

Japan keen to bring better technology to India

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said that the country is ready to bring better technology to India by means of collaborations on various projects to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two nations. The pace at which India is growing combined with Japan’s skill in the technology segment may prove to be a mutually beneficial combination, so feels the Prime Minister.

There is a potential to further strengthen the bilateral relationship, and the private sector in both the countries is working on building stronger ties in trade and investment.
Bilateral trade between India and Japan was USD 13.82 billion in 2010-11. India’s exports to Japan mainly includes petroleum, gems and jewellery, transport equipment and machinery, while imports include iron and steel, electronic goods, chemicals and metals.

The two countries have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Both the sides expect that it would boost bilateral trade to USD 25 billion by 2014. There is a potential to further strengthen the bilateral relationship, and the private sector in both the countries is working on building stronger ties in trade and investment.

Bilateral trade between India and Japan was USD 13.82 billion in 2010-11. India’s exports to Japan mainly includes petroleum, gems and jewellery, transport equipment and machinery, while imports include iron and steel, electronic goods, chemicals and metals.

The two countries have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Both the sides expect that it would boost bilateral trade to USD 25 billion by 2014.

India seeks further cooperation with Japan in urban transport

India has sought cooperation from Japan in areas like Urban Monorail projects, intelligent transport systems and Regional Rapid Transit Systems (RRTS).

Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, who is on a two- day visit to Japan, has in his meetings with its Minister of Infrastructure, Land and Transport Takeshi Maeda and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yukio Edano acknowledged the contribution of Japan in the development of India's infrastructure.

Nath also sought further co-operation from Japan in areas related to urban transport including Urban Monorail projects, intelligent transport systems and Rail based RRTS, the Ministry said in a statement.

"Explaining the need for safe, reliable, economical, quick, comfortable and effective mass public transit system, monorail projects were discussed as feeders for metro rail in bigger cities as well as stand alone systems in tier II cities," the ministry said in its statement.

Nath also spoke to his Japanese counterparts about high speed rail based RRTS would enable people living in the suburbs of metropolitan cities, say within radius of 100 kms, to commute for work thereby easing the pressure on the infrastructure services within the metropolitan city.

The other issues discussed included the need for closer co-operation and sharing of knowledge in the areas of Transit Oriented Development along Mass Transit Corridors, the Urban Development ministry said.

Capacity building including design of Metro Stations to do multimodal integration and revenue generation and aspects of urban infrastructure such as water supply, waste management and sewage disposal also formed part of discussion, the ministry said.

Japanese firms can offer technology to India and collaborate: Yoshihiko Noda

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda today said companies here can offer technology to Indian firms and collaborate on various projects to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two nations. "India is growing rapidly, while Japan has technology which it can contribute," he said at the India-Japan Business Summit jointly organised by CII and Japanese industry chamber Keidanren here.

There is a potential to further strengthen the bilateralrelationship, and the private sector in both the countries is working on building stronger ties in trade and investment. Bilateral trade between India and Japan was USD 13.82 billion in 2010-11.

India's exports to Japan mainly includes petroleum, gems and jewellery, transport equipment and machinery, while imports include iron and steel, electronic goods, chemicals and metals. The two countries have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Both the sides expect that it would boost bilateral trade to USD 25 billion by 2014.

Talking about Japan's collaboration in Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) which envisages the establishment of several industrial cities across seven states, Noda said, "We have a great wish to cooperate in Dedicated Freight Corridor." Japan is now looking at closer economic ties with the world's second-most populous nation to revitalise its economy after the March 2011 earthquake that triggered a massive tsunami causing widespread devastation. Noda said in Japan's economic reconstruction, iron-ore is an important raw-material. "We import iron-ore from India and also we are able to see renewal of it (contracts for exports from India)." India's state-owned trading giant MMTC has inked pacts with five Japanese companies including Nippon Steel Corporation, JFE Steel Corporation and Nisshin Steel to supply 2.3 million tonnes of iron ore per annum for a period of three years. Besides, the company would export iron-ore to South Korean major Posco.

The supply of iron ore, although in smaller quantities, has been a core element in the bilateral ties with Japan which would further strengthen the relations. MMTC's earlier contract to supply iron ore for five years to Japanese firms had expired on March 31, 2011 and was pending as price negotiations had not taken place. India, the third-largest global exporter of iron ore, had shipped 97.64 MT iron ore in the 2010-11, down from 117.3 MT in 2009-10

Toyota denies plan for $6k cars in India

Toyota on Thursday denied a press report that it was to begin selling cars in India priced at around $6,000 as the Japanese auto giant looks to boost its share of the country's growing affordable car market.

"There are no such plans," a Toyota spokesman said after the Asahi Shimbun report.

The Asahi said the company would create a new brand for the low-price vehicle in a bid to avoid devaluing the Toyota name, the daily said, without naming sources, adding Toyota was eyeing a 2016 entry to the sector.

Japan's biggest automaker began selling its low-cost sedan Etios in India in 2010, but with a price tag of $10,000 it is still expensive compared with cars made by rivals such as Tata Motors, whose Nano sells for as little as $2,900.

Toyota has said it wants to achieve 50 percent of its worldwide vehicle sales in emerging markets from 2015 compared to 40 percent in 2010.

Mitsubishi surprises Biyani, wants stake in Big Bazaar

Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation has sprung a surprise on Kishore Biyani by asking for a piece of Big Bazaar, Future Group's flagship retail business.

Sources familiar with the development said the Japanese giant had made it a pre-condition to invest in Future Group's food sourcing and back-end infrastructure.

The two sides discussed the issue in the US last week and the Japanese company even suggested a convertible structure that would allow an equity exposure in Big Bazaar, as and when foreign direct investment was allowed in multi-brand retailing.

Sony plans to increase India sales by 30%

Japanese consumer electronics major Sony expects India to join the company's top five markets by next year, sharing space with the US, Japan and China. At present, Sony India is at the sixth position.
"India contributes a mere 5% of the total revenue generated by Sony," said Masaru

 

Tamagawa, managing director, Sony India. "We are eyeing 10%  revenue contribution from India operations in the next 3-5 years."

 

"The company plans 30% sales increase by next fiscal year," said Tamagawa while announcing its sales achievement of Rs.6,313 crore in 2011-12 fiscal, up by 16%.

Despite ballooning losses globally, the company expects growth from sales of Bravia televisions, Vaio laptops and cameras. 

"India is an important market for the company," Tamagawa added. "To drive the sales here, we will add 1,800 distribution networks this fiscal, taking the total number to 12,200."