Skoda Auto India expands online sales platform, offers new features

Skoda Auto India on Tuesday announced expansion of its online retail sales platform, which will now include a live consultation suite and contactless virtual product demonstration option with an integrated network of its over 80 dealerships across the country.

The Czech carmaker had rolled out the digital sales platform last year.

The overwhelming response to the facility has prompted the company to broaden its scope, particularly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, thereby securing the health and safety of its employees and customers, Skoda Auto India said in a release.

It offers the flexibility to choose a Skoda Auto vehicle in a hassle free and convenient manner at the comfort of one's home as the venture supports a robust live consultation suite and a contactless virtual product demonstration option, available for sign up on the website, and accessible via video conferencing over smartphones, tablets and personal computers, the company said.

In doing so, Skoda Auto India has integrated its over 80 plus dealership touchpoints pan-India, it said.

'The contactless programme testifies our commitment to use technology as a tool to stay connected with our customers and deliver an uncompromised sales and service experience, more so in these unprecedented circumstances,' Skoda Auto India Brand Director Zac Hollis said.

'The latest initiative provides customers with an opportunity to explore and experience our exciting new range of products from the comfort of their home,' he added.

With its latest MySkoda mobile app, the company provides a single window interface between an existing or a prospective customer and the brand.

The app allows customers to locate the nearest dealership facility, book a service appointment at a convenient time frame, access service history, cost calculator, accessories shop and itemized billing record, as well as connect to Skoda customer care, the release said.

AN Bureau

'Developing own technology for EVs, will take 5-6 years to integrate into products': PEMSPL

Electric bus maker PMI Electro Mobility Solutions Pvt Ltd (PEMSPL), which has a technology partnership with China's Beiqi Foton Motors, is working to develop its own technology and integrate that into its products within five-six years, according to a senior company official.

The firm's promoters are also investing around Rs 15 crore on a battery assembling plant at Dharuhera in Haryana in order to localise more components for its electric vehicles (EVs) in India and reduce dependency on Chinese imports.

"When we went for technology selection, we had two options -- either go for the European technology or the Chinese technology. Chinese, as we all know, is the cheaper technology but a stable one as well. We chose to go with Foton back in 2017 basis the fact we wanted to get products quicker, suitable for India," PEMSPL Director Aman Garg told PTI.

He asserted that "everyone is dependent on Chinese technology (for EV) because that is the only cheaper solution available till now".

While admitting that the company enjoys the "technological advantage riding with Foton", Garg said, "The scaling up has to happen in India. That is what we are sure of. We don't consider ourselves dependent on Foton because we want to localise the manufacturing of the components."

When asked if PEMSPL is working to develop its technology to reduce dependency on the Chinese partner for future upgrades, he said, "It has to be because there is no sustainable business (if there is dependency)... In so far as technology is concerned, we are working on that front as well but yes that will take some time... I look at a horizon of five-six years and we would be able to integrate our own technology."

AN Bureau

Hiring activities up 33% in June: Report

The report said hiring in the hospitality, retail and auto sectors has been the most impacted due to the COVID-19 lockdown

Mumbai: Hiring activities in June remained muted on a year-on-year basis, but registered an increase over the previous month amid nation-wide relaxations of coronavirus-induced lockdown norms, a report said on Wednesday.

According to  Naukri JobSpeak Index for the month of June stood at 1,208, registering an improvement of 33 percent compared to May when it was at 910. However, on year-on-year basis, the hiring activity was still down by 44 percent.

The Naukri JobSpeak is a monthly Index that calculates and records hiring activities based on the job listings on Naukri.com.

The report further said hiring in hospitality, retail and auto sectors have been the most impacted due to the COVID-19 lockdown and functional roles in education/teaching with 49 percent growth, pharmaceuticals/biotech (36 percent) and sales/business development (33 percent) saw an uptick in month-on-month hiring.

Hiring across experience levels also grew by an average of 28 percent in June compared to May led by the entry-level executives' band (0-3 years experience).

AN Bureau

Electric vehicle startups hit hardest by virus outbreak

The Covid-19 pandemic’s fallout is likely to hit electric vehicle (EV) startups the hardest, according to a new report, as they had invested heavily on growth but have hardly been generating any cash.

EV sales, like sales of traditional petrol and diesel-powered automobiles, are expected to remain subdued in the current fiscal year, and startups and small and medium enterprises that make up most of the sector “will struggle for survival”, according to the report on the state of the EV sector by Avendus Capital.

“A significant portion of the EV industry in India is represented by SMEs and start-ups. The Covid-19 lockdown is expected to affect this part of the industry the most,” it said.

Traditional manufacturers that have entered EV sector are also expected to turn away from the segment -- which makes up just 0.01% of India’s auto market -- and focus on reviving sales of traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in the short term.

This would mean fewer new launches in the EV segment as manufacturers work to restore sales of their “bread-and-butter” ICE products.

Sales of three-wheeler and four-wheeler EVs will remain low, as consumer preference will shift towards personal mobility in the short term, hurting the market for cabs and auto rickshaws, which was expected to adopt EVs faster than retail consumers.

However, the two-wheeler EV segment could benefit from the pandemic, the report added.

Moreover, it said that while the pandemic might have pushed back EV sales targets by a year, the proposition for shifting to such vehicles could get stronger once the outbreak blows over.

ET Tech

Ola joins PhonePe to boost its digital payments experience

• Customers can avail up to Rs 200 cashback on the first two rides using PhonePe

New Delhi: Ride-hailing major Ola on Monday announced its strategic partnership with PhonePe to enhance its digital payments experience for its customers.

Ola users can now access experience on the Ola app. Currently, the feature has been rolled out on Android and will be available on iOS soon.

"As PhonePe continues to drive digital payment adoption across the country, we are excited to partner with them to drive this seismic change that will enable us to move a step closer to becoming a Digital India," Anand Subramanian, Spokesperson at Ola, said in a statement.

This partnership will also enable PhonePe to offer their services to millions of customers on the Ola platform.

"We are excited to partner with Ola, India's leading mobility services provider, to enable a seamless and convenient payment experience for our customers," added Ankit Gaur, Director, Business Development at PhonePe.

As part of an introductory offer, customers can avail up to Rs 200 in cashback on the first two rides when paid using PhonePe, said Ola.


AN Bureau

IIT Roorkee develops tech for smooth driving in foggy weather

• An efficient architecture and algorithm to enable better driving experience in low visibility conditions

Dehradun: The Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee has developed a system to facilitate smooth driving and minimise accidents in foggy weather conditions.

A team of researchers at the premier institute has developed an efficient architecture and algorithm to enable better driving experience in low visibility conditions, an IIT-Roorkee press release said.

Hundreds of road accidents are caused due to fog every year.

The research has been published in the journal IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems.

"The objective of this research was to design a system for real-time defogging that produces a clear image stream from the input foggy frames," one of the researchers Brajesh Kumar Kaushik said.

"The collision of vehicles due to poor visibility caused by fog leads to numerous fatalities annually. This advanced defogging system will aid drivers by providing real-time information and minimize the risks of road and train mishaps due to fog," IIT, Roorkee Director Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi said.

AN Bureau

CRISIL expects a decline in Tractor sales this fiscal

Mumbai, PTI: Tractor sales are expected to be slightly lower in 2020-21 as compared to the previous year level due to a well-distributed normal monsoon, rating agency CRISIL said on Monday. Around 7 lakh tractors were sold in the domestic market in 2019-20.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the south-west monsoon to be at 102 per cent of the long period average (LPA) in 2020 with rains expected to be well-distributed at 96-107 per cent of the LPA in all the four regions, as per CRISIL.

"Despite a 37 per cent year-on-year decline in April and May combined, tractor volume will likely be barely 1 per cent below last fiscal's level, in sharp contrast to a double-digit decline expected for the rest of the automobile industry," CRISIL said in a note.

Domestic tractor sales stood at 7,09,002 units in 2019-20 and CRISIL expects a decline of about 1 per cent over this base financial year, the ratings agency said.

According to the note, a favourable distribution of rains can even offset the adverse impact of a below-normal monsoon, such as in fiscal 2019 when domestic tractor sales volume grew a strong 8 per cent on a high base and despite monsoon being 9 per cent below the LPA.

In 2019-20, on the other hand, poor month-wise distribution and large state-wise variation in rains, despite an above-average monsoon season overall, contributed partly to a 10 per cent decline in tractor sales volume, it stated.

"Apart from overall adequacy, monsoon needs to be spatially well-distributed - by geography and timeliness (June-September) - to propel farm incomes and stoke demand for tractors. IMD's forecast is very encouraging for tractor volumes this fiscal," said Manish Gupta, Senior Director at CRISIL Ratings.

The monsoon's approach so far has been timely with rains 21 per cent above normal in June to date, the ratings agency said. The forecast for July and August, which are crucial months for kharif crops, is also encouraging at 103 per cent and 97 per cent, respectively, over LPA.

Additionally, agriculture will be supported by high reservoir levels, seen at a massive 94 per cent higher than last year's and 71 per cent above the average of the past decade.

Also, the recent hike in minimum support prices for major crops by 3-8 per cent this kharif season also augurs well for rural incomes - more so as this follows a bumper rabi crop, CRISIL said.


AN Bureau