Friday, September 28, 2012


Nitin Gadkari gets second term as BJP president


The Bharatiya Janata Party national council on Friday approved an amendment to the party’s constitution to allow a second consecutive term for its president.
Hitherto, a BJP president could only serve a single three-year term.
The amendment to Section 21 of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s constitution says that any eligible member can hold the post of the president for two consecutive terms of three years each.
However, former BJP chief Venkaiah Naidu, who moved the amendment, clarified that this does not mean that the term of any president will automatically be extended for a second time.
He said this was only an enabling provision.
The amendment was adopted during the party’s national executive meeting in Mumbai in May this year and was ratified by the national council here, said a party functionary.
The amendment is likely to benefit the current BJP president Nitin Gadkari, whose term ends in December
Nissan’s innovative new Urban-Class Utility Vehicle becomes third locally-produced model in India
 NEW DELHI, September 25, 2012: Nissan Motor India Private Ltd (NMIPL) today announced the commercial launch of its first 7-seater Multi Utility Vehicle (MUV) in India – the new Nissan ‘Evalia’.

Evalia, packed with a generous range of practical and customer-focused features brings fresh thinking to the MUV segment and provides an exciting and uniquely-modern twist to urban mobility in India.

As well as offering typically bold and distinctive Nissan styling, Evalia boasts unrivalled spaciousness and flexibility, outstanding drive quality and fuel economy significantly better than any of its rivals.

These features combine to provide customers with a convention-busting take on adaptable and multi-functional urban transport, developed and built exclusively for the Indian market.

Evalia joins the Micra and Sunny on the world-class production line at Nissan’s Oragadam Plant near Chennai, expanding Nissan’s home-grown line-up to three in just two years.

The all-new model will be available to order from September 26th at Nissan’s growing network of 75 Indian dealerships. The vehicles will be available in time for the festival season.

The Chennai-built Evalia is aimed at urban-class professionals, meeting and then surpassing both their business and weekend needs.

Surprisingly compact for a big car, Evalia comes packed with several utility features giving great driving comfort, while its new exterior styling features a clean and modern design.

The front end and corners are rounded, with larger surfaces used for the body sides. The new layout and extended wheelbase helps ensure maximum cargo space and utility while the small turning radius is perfectly suited to maneuvering in busy cities.

Announcing Evalia’s launch, Mr. Toru Hasegawa, Corporate Vice President, Africa, Middle East & India, Nissan Motor Company Ltd. said, “We are extremely pleased to launch our third ‘home-grown’ model in India.

Evalia will redefine the MUV segment in India with a new innovative category of passenger vehicle. We have been able to aggressively position it thanks to localization in excess of 80 per cent, which also reaffirms our long-term commitment to India and our Indian customers.”

Introducing the vehicle to the media, Mr. Takayuki Ishida, Managing Director & CEO, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd, said, “The introduction of Evalia demonstrates that Nissan has once again challenged convention to offer our customers something different and completely in-tune with their needs. Evalia is a fully-fledged, highly versatile car packed with practical features & technology built to Nissan’s world-class quality standards.”

Announcing the price of the four variants Mr. G.M. Singh, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Hover Automotive India (HAI) said, “The Nissan Evalia is the first MUV in the country that packs excellent drivability, class-leading fuel efficiency and dynamic performance at a truly attractive price. We are offering our customers all the practicality of a big car with all the comfort of a sedan.”

This generous and attractive all-round package comes at a very compelling and accessible price across the entire range.

Evalia’s XE entry grade starts at just 849,000 INR, the mid XE+ and XL variants are priced at 892,000 and 949,000 INR respectively, with the feature-packed top of the range XV grade available at 999,000 INR.


Diesel
Grade
XE
XE+
XL
XV
Ex- Showroom
New Delhi Price
849,000
892,000
949,000
999,000


Making a strong, smart and bold presence – Evalia in detail:-

Premiered at the 2012 Auto Expo in India, Evalia is based on Nissan’s globally proven ‘B’ platform and incorporates a range of innovative features responding to the needs customers. These include:-

  • 1.5 L 4 cylinder engine, with intercooler and a 5 speed gearbox, engineered to enhance the emission performance and fuel efficiency
  • ABS+EBD, Electric controlled ORVM & Follow me headlamps as standard in all variants
  • An ultra short turning radius of 5.2m to ensure easy maneuverability and convenient parking into tight city spaces
  • Reverse parking camera with Color monitor in Instrument panel, first time in India
  • Ergonomically placed gear lever on dash
  • Fold-down tables with built-in cup holders for those en-route snacks
  • Less than 1.9m high allowing easy entry to most multi-storey and height-restricted car parks
  • Wide frontal visibility and high driving position
  • Sliding doors with entry step and grab handles, providing easy entry and exit
  • Attractive and easy-to-clean seat fabric
  • A 12V electrical outlet to plug in games or laptops
  • Intelligent Key: doors are easily locked/unlocked without inserting a key and smart start mechanism
  • Flexible and multi-folding seat options for versatile use

All of Evalia’s four grades have high levels of active and passive safety and advanced features that are designed to enhance both the driving and ownership experiences. These include Anti-Lock Breaking System (ABS), Electronic Break-force Distribution (EBD), Break Assist (BA), Engine Immobilizer and Airbags. The sliding doors reduce the risk of pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists getting struck by doors opening unexpectedly.

Owners also have a wide range of colors to choose from as Evalia is available in
Brick Red, Aqua Green, Blade Silver, Twilight Grey, Onyx Black, Storm White and Pearl White.

Class leading efficiency and economy

The all new Nissan Evalia is powered by the globally-proven K9K straight-4 turbocharged diesel from Renault Nissan’s engine family, which can churn out 85 PS of power @ 3750 rpm and a maximum torque of 200 Nm @ 2000 rpm. With a smooth-shifting five speed manual transmission, the Evalia delivers a fuel efficiency of 19.3 kmpl of diesel (ARAI certified).

Evalia’s new layout gives maximum cargo space and stable, functional proportions. The dramatic front end design with a three-dimensional, imposing angled strut grille and the character line on the body side add to the dynamic view of the vehicle.

About Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd.
Nissan Motor India Private Ltd. (NMIPL) is a 100% subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. Japan. The company was incorporated in 2005 and offers innovative and exciting products across hatchback, sports, SUV and sedan segments in India. Nissan together with its global Alliance partner Renault set up a manufacturing plant and a Research & Development Centre near Chennai. Nissan has appointed Hover Automotive India Pvt. Ltd. as a sole distributor for India to handle sales and marketing, dealer development, customer relationship management and after sales. NMIPL registered sales over 33,000 units in FY 2011. For more information, visit www.nissan.in.

About Hover Automotive India Pvt.Ltd.
Hover Automotive India (HAI) is the national sales company (NSC) of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (NML), Japan, and therefore holds the distinction of being the sole and exclusive distributor to operate the sales, after-sales service, parts, and marketing, training & dealer development functions in the Indian market for the entire Nissan range of automobiles
HAI functions as an independent company with an exclusive distribution agreement with NML to accelerate the sales and build customer touch points across India for the Nissan brand of cars.

HAI was formed by three global entrepreneurs. Mr. Moez Mangalji who owns and operates global hospitality chain Westmont Group, Mr. G.M. Singh, Chairman Mumbai based GMS group with very high level of domain expertise in automobile retailing & real estate and Mr. Kevin Whalen, founding member of the US based ‘Group One Automotive’ a publicly held fortune 500 company. Together, these eminent entrepreneurs form HAI’s board of directors and bring with them world class expertise of aligning with global brands to deliver unmatched speed to market and unparalleled customer service.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Ms. Savita Samuel
Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd.
Mobile: +91-8939684422
Email:savita.samuel@email.nissan.in

MTV FORAYS INTO PERSONAL CARE


MTV FORAYS INTO PERSONAL CARE-
Global Fragrances Launches ፔV Body Sprays& EDTs⼵>
A VIBRANT RANGE COMPRISING 14 SKUS FOR MEN & WOMEN
New Delhi, September 26 2012After foraying into footwear, innerwear, lingerie, adventure bikes, eye-wear and other consumer products categories, MTV India, in association with Global Fragrances,today announced the launch of MTV Body Sprays and EDTs (Eau De Toilette)The range comprises six distinct fragrances (3 each for men & women), with each fragrance available inBody Spraysas well as EDTs format. Packaged distinctly in vivid & vibrant colours, the range is priced from Rs. 150 (for body-sprays) to Rs. 499 (for EDTs) and is available across more than 100,000 retail outlets in both conventional and modern retail.
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The womenⳠrangecomprises three fragrances Lovesta, Groovstaand Rocksta, while the menⳠrange offers Sportsta, Groovstaand Rocksta. The range, finalised after extensive research to offer something distinct for everyone was launched in Delhi by popular host & dance divaShibaniDandekar, IndiaⳠtennis sensation Yuki Bhambri, VJ & DJ Nikhil Chinappa and MTV VJ Rhea.
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Commenting on the launch, Sandeep Dahiya, Sr. Vice President Consumer Products, Viacom18, said, 㔨e launch of MTV range of fragrances marks our entry into a serious and significant category personal care. Weⲥ excited to partner with Global Fragrances to launch a range that truly embodies the MTV attitude as well as the aspirations of Indian youth.伯i>
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Speaking about the range, Somesh Choudhary, Managing Director – Global Fragrances, commented, ㍔V is a cult brand that resonates strongly with the youth. Given our manufacturing & distribution capabilities, and MTVⳠcreative strength, weⲥ confident of this range doing exceptionally well. It has already received a great response from the trade.
Packaged in bold colours devil redpitch blackflagrant yellow, glaring green and bold blue, the MTV range stand out with its innovative packaging, including a 3-dimentional MTV logo, placed inside the transparent cap. Another distinct design element is the strong, visual ᳴ar⊴hatⳠpart of the front design across all fragrances in different forms. This is symbolic of the star that is inside all of us waiting to be unleashed.
Introducing the MTV Groovstafragrance, popular host and dance diva Shibani Dandekar, said, 㼩>ItⳠa gentle floral fragrance with a slight musky aroma. ItⳠinvigorating and long-lasting and it suits my long active schedules.Yuki Bhambri, International Tennis player who unveiled the MTV Sportsta fragrance said, 㼩>MTV Sportsta bursts with Spice & Freshness.ࠉ can actually feel the wave of extreme freshness, adrenaline and energy itⳠperfect for anyone into vigorous lifetyle.
Commenting on the MTVRocksta fragrance, Nikhil Chinappa, MTVⳠmost loved VJ and DJ commented,㉠like fragrances that are bold & electrifying and Rocksta is definitely my kinda fragrance. With a mix of citrus & musky notes, Rocksta truly rocks.MTV VJ Rhea who unveiled the MTV Lovesta fragrance, said, ㉠think this perfume is inspired by me – ItⳠfun, itⳠsubtle, and very mushy.Packed with sweet and fruity notes this fragrance indeed captures the joy and purity of being in love.
Over the next few months, both MTV and Global Fragrances will invest across platforms retail, television, online, print, mobile, on-ground and films, to create excitement around the range. The campaign will break sometime mid-October.

Golftripz Announces the Ballantine’s Team-Am Golf Challenge 3

Golftripz Announces the Ballantine’s Team-Am Golf Challenge 3
The largest international competitive tournament organized for Indian club golfers
Delhi, September 27th 2012 – Ballantine’s and Golftripz, India’s leading Golf Travel Company announces the kick off of its third amateur international tournament for club golfers. Supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the event is being held between 18 -22nd October 2012, in the cultural capital of the country, Chiang Mai. The premier series known as “Ballantine’s Team-Am Golf Challenge 3”brings together 200 amateur golfers, to compete in a challenging team format.  This is the largest international competitive tournament of its kind to be organised ever for Indian club golfers.
50 teams, 3 rounds of golf and 3 top golf courses
Spread over four days, the Ballantine’s Team-Am will play 3 rounds of golf in teams of four competing against the other. 50 teams will gather to play in 3 of the finest golf courses Chiang Mai offers, including Alpine Golf Resort, Chiangmai Highlands Golf & Spa Resort and Chiangmai Inthanon Golf Resort.  The third edition of the Ballantine’s Team- Am series marks yet another milestone in Ballantine’s success in enabling Indian golfers to experience tournament golf abroad. Previous events were held in Kuala Lumpur in Feb 2012 with 110 participating golfers and in Hua Hin, Thailand in October 2011 with 92 golfers.
Bikram Basu, Vice-President, Marketing Pernod Picard India says “Ballantine’s Team-Am Golf Championship is an excellent concept to bring the best of Golf amateurs to play at trained courses from around the world. Their passion for golf bridges the teams to make for moments which leave an impression.”



“This is third and the largest edition of the event and each time responses suggest an increasing trend amongst HNIs to find gratification for their passion for golf” said Madhav Misra, Director, Golftripz. He additionally stated that “We are committed to the search for “Golfing Zen” every time. With a committed partner like Ballantine’s, we are focused on taking our roster of enthusiasts to the most exotic, challenging, and beautiful courses in various parts of the world.”
“We are extremely excited about the Ballantine’s Team-Am Golf Challenge being held in Chiang Mai. Thailand offers some of the finest golf courses in Asia. In our three year association with Golfpritz, our partnership has grown to becoming more and more focused in enabling Thailand to become a premier golf destination globally” said Sethaphan Buddhani, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand.

About Ballantine’s
Ballantine’s is the No 1 ultra-premium whisky in Asia Pacific and the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe, selling over 70 million bottles a year worldwide. Ballantine’s has won over 80 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the iconic 30 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827.
Ballantine’s association with golf can be traced back to at least 1960 when the Ballantine’s Tournament took place at Wentworth golf course. More than fifty years later, Ballantine’s is the title sponsor of the high-profile Ballantine’s Championship, Korea’s first and only European Tour event and the country’s largest golf tournament, to which the brand is committed until at least 2013. Ballantine’s has been official supplier to the Scottish Open since 2007. The first Ballantine’s sponsored golf tournament was played in 1960 at Wentworth Golf Club, England, and Ballantine’s has been an Official Sponsor of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in 2009 and 2011. It recently added BMW Masters to its Global Golf Platform.

About Golftripz ( www.golftripz.com )
Golftripz is the first Indian golf travel company to conceptualize the “tournament golf holiday” and the series has garnered sustained interest from golfers across. With  Golftripz’s customized golf holidays, golfers  can choose to play in over 20 destinations worldwide and combine it with the local experience. The selection is large – from India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia to South Africa, the Mediterranean courses in Spain, Italy & Turkey and the old classics in Scotland and Ireland.  New destinations are constantly vetted and some of the recently featured countries have been Dubai, Mauritius, Morocco and Bulgaria.

Panasonic enters the water purifier segment in India with Blue!

Eyeing 10% market share in the electric water purifier category by 2015 in India
Also launches its new range NanoeTM Air Purifiers for the 1st time in India
26th September 2012, New Delhi: Panasonic, the global leader in innovation and technology, today, launched its range of water purifiers equipped with advanced features to provide clean and healthy drinking water to Indian families. In addition to Panasonic BLUE water purifiers which are customized and developed especially to suit the Indian environment keeping in mind the different levels of hardness and impurities, Panasonic also introduced its NanoeTM Air Purifiers. Aiming to address the water contamination and air pollution in India, with this launch Panasonic reiterates its commitment towards its customers by understanding and catering to their specific needs through innovation in technology.
In India, the drinking water scenario is very intense with growing concern of water contamination. Understanding this need of the hour, Panasonic has introduced its range of water purifiers– ‘BLUE’: a name that embodies pure water. Also Air- the most important element of life, which is unconsciously and continuously ingested, is affected with the soaring problem of pollution across the country. The polluted air thus becomes a cause for various problems like asthma, influenza virus, viral growth, sore throat and house dust. Panasonic air purifiers launched today, have a very unique nanoe function that can make safety, clean, and healthy air. As the demand for air purifiers in India is getting bigger, Panasonic’s target is to promote the importance of Indoor Air Quality by NanoeTM technology more. This product line is more than just for air purification as it can even penetrate into fabrics and deodorize unpleasing smell embedded in clothes like tobacco odor etc. Being water in nature, NanoeTM also hydrates skin to prevent dryness.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Daizo Ito, President, Panasonic India said, “With this launch we are entering the water as well air purifier industry in India which is growing at a much faster rate, offering potential business growth opportunity for Panasonic in the Indian market. Panasonic water purifiers are India specific products with latest technology not just for convenience of our customers but also for healthier life and contribute towards building a greener and sustainable society. This launch brings us another step closer towards our vision of becoming the No.1 Green Innovation Company in the electronics industry by 2018.”
Panasonic recently undertook an initiative to facilitate clean and safe drinking water for underserved section of the society by partnering with 50 city schools to install 200 water purifiers. The first installation event was graced by honorable Chief Minister of Delhi Smt. Sheila Dixit. Panasonic has been enthusiastically engaged in corporate citizenship activities to develop a sustainable society in line with its global policy.
Speaking about the launch Mr. Manish Sharma, Managing Director, Consumer Product Division, Panasonic India said, “Increasing awareness about health and primary concern about purity of water and hardness of water has triggered the demand for clean and safe drinking water. Keeping this in mind, we designed the stylish range of BLUE water purifiers for Indian homes which ensure pure and healthy drinking water irrespective of the harsh water conditions in different regions. Also, backed by superior technology and the 50 years long standing history for air purifiers in Japan, we are confident of building this category with our new range of NanoeTM Air Purifiers in India. He further added, “Being a new entrant in this segment, our strategy is to establish a robust after sales infrastructure as this category requires frequent customer interaction and after sales service. We are currently looking at consolidating operations in metro cities initially and getting close to our customers.”
The water purifier models available fall in 3 different categories:
UV category with pure UV purifier model priced at Rs. 7,990
“Advanced ECO RO” category with RO+UV purifier models priced at Rs. 16,990
· Top of the line, “Alkaline Ionizer” model which is the new category is priced at Rs. 25,490
The 4 new models of air purifiers launched in India are:
The Entry Model Nanoe Air Purifier is priced at Rs.19,995
Nanoe Air Purifier with Humidier is priced at Rs.25,995
· Middle Model Nanoe Econavi Air Purifier is priced at Rs.31,995
· Top Model Nanoe Econavi Air Purifier with Humidier is priced Rs.47, 995
Panasonic BLUE water purifiers will be available in Delhi NCR initially and will be rolled out in Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai starting next month. The air purifiers will be available in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai from 15th October, 2012.
Panasonic Corporate Vision
Panasonic has a vision to become the No. 1 Green Innovation Company in the electronics industry by 2018 (fiscal 2019), when Panasonic will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Panasonic aspires for global excellence as a Green Innovation Company and encompasses two goals: Green Life Innovation to realize green lifestyles to enrich people’s lives and Green Business Innovation to bring forth innovation in our business styles.
About Panasonic Corporation
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for three business fields, consumer, components & devices, and solutions. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 7.85 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2012. It aims to become the No. 1 Green Innovation Company in the Electronics Industry by the 100th year of its founding in 2018.The company’s shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE:PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company’s website at http://panasonic.net/
About Panasonic India
Panasonic makes available in India its wide range of consumer electronics and home appliances like LCD & Plasma TVs, DVD players, home theatre systems, cameras, camcorders, car audio systems, air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, microwave ovens, automatic cookers, vacuum cleaners and the like. The Company has a workforce of about 12,650 in India and estimated to do a turnover of Rs 10,000 crore in FY 2012. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand in India, please visit http://panasonic.co.in.
Issued by Panasonic India | For media queries, please contact:
Panasonic India | Richa Sethi | +91 9560498765 | richa.sethi@in.panasonic.com
Genesis Burson-Marsteller | Malvika Sinha | +91 987338255 | malvika.sinha@bm.com

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