Tata Motors announces new IMPACT design language for its upcoming passenger vehicles

Tata Motors is making appreciable progress in terms of design, something that’s very evident with the Zest, Bolt and more than ever with the new Zica. The company plans to transform its image of a maker of average, and sometimes boring looking cars to one that makes exciting cars. In that context, the company today announced its new IMPACT Design language for its upcoming passenger vehicles. The recently unveiled ZICA, that we test drove a few weeks back is the first new product under this design language. According to an official release by the company “the IMPACT design forms the over-arching design brand which stands for ‘Immediate IMPACT at first sight and lasting IMPACT over time.’

In case of most reputed international carmakers, the family look of the cars is expressed by a design philosophy which more or less defines how the cars from the stable will look like. For example, Hyundai has tasted immense success with its Fluidic Sculpture design philosophy; another example would be Ford’s Kinetic Design philosophy. According to the brand, the ZICA truly embodies the IMPACT Design. It distills the fine points of auto design with styling and lines that accentuate modern India and its global citizens.

Here’s what Tata Motors have to say about the definition of their new IMPACT design language.

It is after keeping the media-saturated customer in mind that a new design language had to be created. Something that could break the clutter and reinvent the wheel every time it was applied. And thus, the IMPACT design philosophy was created.

IMPACT Design further distills the design elements that can be expected from all Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles. It will be achieved through key design elements on the Exterior and Interior.

The Exteriors design will be defined through ‘EXciting’, ‘EXpressive’ and ‘EXtraordinary’ features:

1. Exciting architecture and pleasing proportions will be standard e.g. best in segment size & location of the wheels, perfectly proportioned cabin to body ratio and hood to cabin relationship
2. Expressive surfaces and graphics e.g. front face framed by the Humanity Line; dynamism amplified by the Slingshot line; movement created by the Diamond Window
3. Extraordinary: Details inspired by Indian Architecture

According to Mr. Pratap Bose, Head, Design, Tata Motors, “You can either win or lose a potential customer within the first 20 seconds of them seeing a car. However, the customer stays with you based on the long-term experience they have with the product or service. IMPACT DESIGN is exactly about an Immediate and a Lasting Impact, Design has in our lives, and environment. From ‘INtelligent’ use of space, ‘INviting’ interiors and ConnectNext features that make you feel ‘INtouch’ with the world inside to EXpressive, EXciting’, and EXtraordinary exterior features. With the ZICA we have started this journey.”

According to Mr. Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors, “Today, the automakers are developing innovative technologies to cater to the needs of the new generation of customers. Design is among the key factors for car purchase decisions. Tata Motors recognizes this and presents IMPACT Design – as a key focus for the company’s passenger vehicle strategy.  The new, youthful, energetic and bold character of the passenger vehicles by Tata Motors is sure to make a lasting impact on our customers and on the Indian roads.”

While all of that sounds good and a tad optimistic in out opinion, the Zica does look like an evolved product in terms of design. Would you agree that the ZICA is a true embodiment of Tata Motors’ IMPACT design philosophy? Do share your views with us via comments or through one of our social channels.

India’s Nexus Venture Partners Announces New $450M Fund

Nexus Venture Partners — the top-tier Indian VC firm which counts Snapdeal, Etsy-like Craftsvilla and medtech startup Lybrate in its portfolio — has reloaded for more deals after it announced its newest $450 million fund.

The fund, which is the nine-year-old firm’s fourth to date, takes it to over one billion in capital under management — becoming the first Indian VC to reach that milestone. Nexus, which has invested in more than 60 companies to date, said the capital will be used for seed and early stage deals once again. In particular, the firm is looking closely at retail, financial services, health and education in the consumer space, in addition to promising companies in the enterprise space.

Nexus’ previous fund — its third — closed at $270 million in 2012, but now it has ramped up in line with increased interest and activity in India’s startup space.

“We are thankful to our investors that continue to back us and believe in our investment philosophy,” Naren Gupta, cofounder and managing director of the firm said in a statement. “Most significantly, the Nexus team is fortunate to have exceptional entrepreneurs partner with us on their journey to build market leading companies.”

Other firms to raise new funds this year include Helion Ventures, Accel, and Qualcomm. New York-based Tiger Global, the hedge fund that has been among the most active investors in India, closed $2.5 billion in new capital last week, while Japan’s SoftBank has pledged to spend more than $10 billion on deals with India-based startups.Sequoia, SAIF and Lightbox are among other well-funded and active VC firms in India.

When And How To Pick Your Next Launch Country

International expansion is a challenge any globally ambitious company will face — some sooner than others.

As a long-time investor in both the U.S. and Europe, I often get asked by the venture community about the difference between the two. In my opinion, one of the key elements is the market fragmentation, which is something that European companies tend to come up against sooner than their U.S. counterparts.

While both the U.S. and Europe are consumer markets of more than 300 million people, grasping this potential in Europe is more challenging — and few companies have managed to do it successfully, given the region’s many diverse, distinct markets. As a result, I’m going to talk about international expansion using European examples and context for this piece — hopefully with takeaways that are universally relevant.

Can you go big without going home? Sure you can — if you give enough thought to the dynamics of expansion, starting with when and where to go next.

Is There Such A Thing As The “Right Time” To Launch In A New Country?

The first question the founding team of a consumer service needs to address concerns the timing of the launch in a new country. At McKinsey, and in most books on strategy, you will read that you can only replicate something successful, so you need to wait until your home country is cranking before starting abroad.

This is sound judgment. Unfortunately, it does not play out very well in the startup world. Why? Because by the time you have proven your model is a success in your home country, you already have other startups doing the same model in other key European markets, and competition gets fierce.

On the other hand, if you do a full roll-out with something that is not working or tuned enough, you will waste a lot of resources, which can sink the company.

So when is the right time? Every company will have a different answer. In my view, given the current competitive environment, the sooner the better. However, it is critical to do it gradually and in a controlled manner.

Here’s how I advise startups to approach expansion:

Nail your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) first. You need to have a service with a clear value proposition that works in different markets. You don’t need bells and whistles, just something simple but effective.

Field test your product with a meaningful amount of customers — typically a few thousands or tens of thousands. This should give you a good idea of what to expect.

Complete your initial marketing playbook. You need to have identified acquisition channels (SEM, Facebook, offline…) at a reasonable cost with payback typically in less than nine months. Make sure your approach is scalable.

How To Pick Your Next Country?

Once you’re clear on the ideal time to launch in your next country, the question becomes “where to go next?”

While every business and situation are different, the following three elements should always be considered when choosing your next market:

Market Potential: The “market potential” is a mix of different elements that must be weighted specifically for each business. It includes the market size, of course, but also the competitive dynamics, your network in the country (or your investor network) and the similarity with your home country. For example, in my experience, what works in France tends to also work well in Italy and Spain, but the U.K. can be an outlier.

Cash Requirements: Be clever with your resources. It is very important to assess your cost of capital and how much burn you can afford. If you raised €20 million in your Series A, you can take more risks and launch abroad sooner than if you raised €3-4 million. Picking a large market is attractive, but if it requires a level of investment that would reduce your runway considerably, you may be better off picking a smaller market. I have seen too many companies go big, burn big and then have to retrench, which is not a good position to be in.

Human Capital: Money is not everything; it is reasonably easy to get. The real challenge of international expansion lies in finding the right team, both at HQ to support the local launch and locally to scale the activity.

I typically encourage companies to start their expansion with one country and digest it to the point where it is scaling before launching a new one. It does not mean you need to wait a couple of years — a few months may be enough.

You can then accelerate the number of launches over time if you are successful. It’s key to remember that most technology markets are winner-takes-all — or at least takes most. It is, therefore, much better to be the leader in three countries than No. 5 in 10 countries.

Also, the more countries you support, the higher your cash burn and the fewer resources you can allocate to win in a given market — this is something that needs constant evaluation.

In summary, taking a thoughtful and considered approach to scaling internationally is key — and the sooner the better. First-mover advantage can offer a decisive advantage over competitors — and accelerate a company’s ability to become the global category leader early on.

While there may not necessarily be a perfect time for launching in a new market, preparing your business for expansion early on will support your continued success in a world where scaling internationally fast has become a requirement for any founder with global ambition.

HCL Tech to Buy Volvo's External IT Business

Global truck maker Volvo said on Tuesday it signed a letter of intent (LoI) with HCL Technologies to sell its external IT business in a deal seen boosting operating earnings by about 900 million Swedish crowns ($108.5 million) on closing.

The Swedish company said in a statement that about 2,600 Volvo staff would be affected by the transaction and offered employment at HCL.


The deal was expected to close during the second quarter of next year.

"Not only will our cooperation with HCL Technologies provide significant cost-savings. We will also make a capital gain when the contract is signed," Volvo's acting chief executive, Jan Gurander, said in a statement.

The sale of Volvo's external IT operations is part of sweeping efficiency measures aimed at cutting 10 billion crowns of structural costs at the truck maker.

What Do You Need To Be A Bill Gates?

If you’re reading this, then I’m sure you’ve heard of Bill Gates and the phenomena that he is.

One of the pioneers of tech-era and still ruling the world of richest men, he needs no introduction!

Obviously, he is the role model for so many youngsters who want to live a success-story like his. However, just looking at his riches wouldn’t be the right benchmark to understand his success. It goes deeper than that and one needs to imbibe certain traits of his to be really a Bill Gates!

Let me share with you some basics that you either need to have or you got to acquire, learn or adapt to even come closer to the success that Bill Gates is.

1) Idea

When Bill Gates started his career, the world was evolving at a very slow pace, technological advancements were not happening on a daily basis and even he didn’t visualise the enormous success when he started. All he had was an idea of something that might work and fulfil the needs of people. Nowadays, the world is changing really fast and solutions for yet to be found problems are coming out on a daily basis. With this background, you got to observe life around you closely, see what is it that people really need and are not getting from anywhere and how you can help them get it at an affordable cost! The idea, the vision has to come from you and then it all falls in place if you’re able to communicate that idea to the right kind of people.

2) Eagerness To Work

Just having an idea is not enough, but the urge to work for it with minimal resources is what is going to make you stand out. Don’t wait for the proper office, high-end computer, a secretary and the likes! Get your hands dirty, beg or borrow your requirements, work with anyone and everyone who can help you achieve your goals and start walking instead of waiting for things to happen.

3) Luxuries Of Life

This might sound like the really hard part, but to achieve something as big as something that Bill Gates achieved, you’ll have to let go of all the comforts and luxuries of life. Your workplace might become your home or vice versa. You might get sleep on the floor or on the couch. You might eat once a day or once in two days. You might have a social circle or might not! What remains and should remain though are your goals and targets!

4) Love For Uncertainty

It’s a world of cut-throat competition and what works today may fail tomorrow. Even with Microsoft, Bill Gates’ company, it is now struggling to stay relevant in the changed technological environment. That doesn’t mean that they have given up. Instead they are finding new ways to sustain and grow and find new avenues of doing business finding new needs of their customers to fulfil! In short, you got to love the uncertainties that come with any business. Only then can you grow and rise higher.

5) One Step Ahead

For the longest possible time Bill Gates, as an individual, has remained a step ahead of competition and even his own followers with his ability to look into the future and bring out products that catered to a future generation. One has to keep evolving and learning and ensuring that knowledge base is constantly updated to have that edge over others. Even with setbacks, the eagerness to bounce back and keep your head up should be the driving force.

6) Vision

While conducting a day to day business and going through the routine of daily work, you have to still look at the larger vision of where you are and where you got to go. While being involved in the nitty-gritties of work, you still need to be able to take a step back and have a bird’s eye view of how things are running and where do they need to go from here. You should be able to look at the future with your analytical skills and conduct your business for future while retaining the present!

7) Love For Failure

Success and failure are part of anything and everything in life. There is no success story, which didn’t have its own share of massive failures. Same goes for Bill Gates, but did he sit disappointed after every failure? No, he worked double hard to bounce back in a big way! You got to do the same!

Try following these tips and reach the pinnacles of success you only dreamt of till now!

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Want to look like a beauty diva? Try their gorgeous goddess deluxe collection. It has all the makeup you need to complete your entire beautification routine without looking caked. This mineral makeup range contains micro-pulverized earth based minerals and mineral pigments that allow your skin to breathe while still protecting it from pollution. They are preservative and chemical free. The gorgeous goddess deluxe collection formulation doesn’t block pores and controls oil and hydrates your skin. 

These cosmetics are made up of antioxidants. They are sweat, water and tear resistant and hence stay long and rarely require touch ups. They are known for their anti-aging properties. The formulation contains ingredients including light reflecting Mica that minimizes fine lines and wrinkles. 

Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are powerful broad spectrum UV filters and sun blockers, as well as soothing the skin. The nano particles are absent so minerals are not absorbed in the blood stream making them extremely safe to the human system. Mineral Makeup comes in a variety of tonal hues and so it is easy to find a shade that suits you.
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Franchising A Carpet Cleaning Business

Moving from a single, stand-alone carpet cleaning company into a national or global franchise business is the means to extract maximum profit from years of hard work in constructing your business. Franchising is a tough activity in itself, full of possible mistakes as well as bad moves which could effortlessly lose months of your time. 

Furthermore franchising is a highly regulated environment in many countries, in which legal fees can easily reach tens of thousands of dollars, so there's no point embarking on this path unless you have a solid foundation in place.

In order to franchise you must have developed an effective brand name and industry leading business which provides high quality household as well as business carpet cleaning outcomes using cleaning techniques which result in excellent quality and profitability. The cost of labor in your part of the world can also prove a significant hurdle when looking at growing from a one-person owner/operator into a business that can remain profitable while employing others to do the actual cleaning work. 

Developing a business model that allows you to scale your business through employees while remaining profitable is crucial to franchising, and shows possible franchisees that you have actually developed a scalable business, which is mandatory if you desire to franchise your business.

Next you'll need an education program in place, composed of both oral and written materials to provide to your franchisees, such that they could be taught how your business model works and brought up to speed quickly, to get them working and making you money as soon as possible! This consists of everything from carpet cleaning techniques to marketing as well as customer list building, consumer relationship administration, brand understanding and profitability tracking. 

Remember that potential franchisees might be completely brand-new to the carpet cleaning industry as well and will need your help throughout the process of establishing their successful franchise business of your brand name - if they fall short, then the months and cash you've invested in franchising your company won't pay off.

You should aim for a franchise model that is lasting for both yourself as the master franchisor, and also for your franchisees. Numerous carpet cleaning franchises give really little region slices to their franchisees, which makes it impossible to develop a sufficiently large business to make the franchise well worth the franchisee's investment. 

Such franchises ask for a constant weekly franchise fee and their company design is based on offering as many franchise businesses as possible, which is why their franchisee areas are tiny.

Consider providing your franchisees an area of up to 100km from their home or business location, which will allow them to develop a profitable as well as large franchise business. This allows you as the master franchisor to charge a portion of franchisee income as your franchise business cost, in addition to their initial investment. 

This model enables your franchisees to increase their business and grow their customer base, and scales your earnings as the franchise business owner with their company growth to maximize your economic gains.

Remember that as the master franchisor you will have to invest considerable quantities of time as well as money assisting your franchisees in constructing their company, so your franchise business must make sure that you are awarded in proportion to just how large and successful your franchisees end up being.