THIS CAR IS AUTOMATIC, IT’S SYSTEMATIC - NEW REVA

What makes this vehicle interesting and unique is the control interface for the vehicle, which can be made available on any smartphone device by merely downloading an application

AGNI Energy, a subsidiary of Agni Incorporated and the sole authorised distributor of Mahindra Reva in Nepal, is all set to introduce the next generation allelectric car in the domestic market, the Mahindra (Reva) e20. The new vehicle, planned to be rolled out by mid-October 2013, will cater to the demand of people looking for an electric car with a powerful engine that offers good mileage and is comfortable to ride, said the company. “We are excited about the e20 as it boasts more attractive features compared to the current batch of Reva,” said Gyan Chamling, head of operations and marketing at Agni Incorporated. “Apart from technical superiority, the vehicle looks stylish and sporty, and will appeal to electric vehicle lovers.” Chamling added that the new e20 has a huge scope in city markets as petrol prices have been increasing significantly. “For city rides, it is the perfect vehicle. We are hopeful that this vehicle will take the market of electric vehicles one notch higher in the domestic market,” he said. According to Agni Energy, Mahindra e20 is an Electric Vehicle (EV) which has been designed as an urban mobility solution for a sustainable zero-emission society and gains relevance in the face of issues like environmental degradation, pollution- related health concerns, climate change, energy security and rising oil prices, all of which plague communities globally. The e20 is powered by next generation lithium-ion batteries and a three-phase induction electric motor. According to the company, the car is fully automatic and designed for city driving which will release the tension of shifting gears in bumper-to-bumper traffic. The other factor which makes the e20 the perfect choice is its small turning radius, which makes every sharp turn a delight. Likewise, the vehicle comprises a unique hill-hold feature which frees customers of any anxiety when driving up inclines. Special ABS body panels make the vehicle dent and scratch resistant. According to Agni Incorporated, all these features are coupled with enough interior space to accommodate four adults and a driving range of 100 km per charge. What makes this vehicle interesting and unique is the control interface for the vehicle, which can be made available on any smartphone device by merely downloading an application. The application then gives the customer the power to remotely manage several functions of the Mahindra e20 like locking it by simply sending it a lock command or activating the air-conditioning, among others. Likewise, another application— the trip planner—integrates the distance to empty information from the Mahindra e20 into the maps and helps plan each journey with the current charge. Another interesting feature the vehicle possess is that the charging option has been made easier, compared to the preceding variant. Customers can now literally plug in their Mahindra e20 to charge, like a cell phone, laptop or tablet. It is as easy to charge the vehicle as it can be charged from any 15 A power socket available. The vehicle can be charged fully within just five hours. The automobile is also handy and easy to service as it provides real time feedback of all the functions with the help of 10 onboard computers. Apart from telling the driver that your Mahindra e20 is locked or that the cabin is at a pre-set temperature with the air-conditioning turned on, it is also capable of telling that users have forgotten to switch on the mains to charge the car after plugging it in. Furthermore, this intelligent EV is capable of monitoring how efficiently one’s drive is and can even provide details of their drive efficiency over the past six days in graphical form. Agni Energy, however, hasn’t revealed the price of this machine. The company has stated that the vehicle will be available in six colour options.

Honda shifting focus to developing countries

SHIGERU Yamazaki is the director and senior vice-president - sales and marketing at Honda Cars India Limited. He was last week in Kathmandu for the launch of Honda Amaze, an entrylevel sedan from the Japanese auto major. Sanjeev Giri of the Post caught up with Yamazaki to talk about the new Honda car and the company’s strategies for Nepal. Excerpts With the Amaze, Honda has entered the economy car segment. Except for the Brio, Honda has so far been in the Nepali market only in the premium segment. Will this change the company’s strategy here? Definitely, we have strengthened our presence in the entry-level car segment. With the Amaze joining the Honda family in Nepal, the business here will get new dynamics. As for the strategy, we are actually not changing it, but expanding it. While our focus so far was just limited towards the premium segment, we will now be looking at the entry-level market as well. Since the Amaze boasts of several excellent features, it will also appeal to the premium segment car buyers. Now, we will slowly expand towards medium-income people. I am sure they will be delighted to own a Honda motor at such an affordable price. What makes you confident that Amaze will work in the Nepali market? The main factor that makes us confident about its (the Amaze’s) good run in the Nepali market is the customer profile similar to India. People from both India and Nepal have numerous similarities. Also, the car has been manufactured at our Indian plant and it boasts of facilities as per the requirement of customers of this region. How is the Amaze performing in India? The Amaze has done a brilliant job in the Indian market. The sales figure is better than what we had expected. The situation is such that we are already worried about waiting customers. We are also trying to increase our production capacity and looking forward to opening a new factory in Rajasthan within the next spring. Based on the current enquiries, we have to expand the current manufacturing facilities by 100 percent. Since the sales volume in Nepal is low compared to India, how important is the Nepali market for Honda? Honda is shifting important markets from the United States to Asian and Indian markets. We are now shifting our focus on developing countries. So that makes the Nepali market a key. The Amaze and the Brio have been exclusively manufactured for these markets. Sensing the huge potential of this region, we recently opened an R&D facility in India. So this shows we are focused on this market. And to grow here (the region), the Nepali market will definitely play an important role. The Nepali market is dominated by the likes Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki.What are your plans for increasing the market share here? Definitely, both these manufacturers are big in Nepal, and in India too. We are trying to localise our products so that we can reduce costs. This is a price sensitive market and reduction in the price will help us compete. Tell us about the new products the Nepali market can expect in the near future? Our President has already announced publicly that Honda will be having four new models launched in the Indian market within the next two years. So these models have high potential of being introduced in Nepal. However, I cannot assure all these products will be here in Nepal. Shigeru Yamazaki Director and Senior Vice-president Honda Cars India Limited

Explore Asia unveils new IT products

Explore Asia Pacific, one of the prominent names in the domestic information technology (IT) market, has unveiled new IT products from Jetway, Genius and Panda.

The company has introduced three motherboards from Jetway—the MIH61M-D, the MIH55T-M and the I41M. According to Explore Asia, these motherboards are compatible with both PC and gaming series and are priced from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,100.

The company has also brought in four variants of desktop mouse, nine variants of wired as well as wireless mouse for laptops and notebooks. They are available for Rs 379 to Rs 4,140. Other new products include six variants of normal, multimedia, combo normal, combo (Keyboard monitor + speaker), slim multimedia and slim multimedia wireless combo keyboard sets which are priced between Rs 483 to Rs 1,932. Similarly, there are eight varieties of headsets, 10 varieties of gaming devices and 11 varieties of speakers priced between Rs 414 and Rs 1,242, Rs 621 and Rs 2,553 and Rs 1380 and Rs 6,762, respectively. From the Genius stable, there are three variants of tablets priced between Rs 4140 and Rs 5,520 and three variants of web cam available for Rs 1,242 and Rs 2622. There are also netbook and AGAMA accessories.

According to the company, Taiwan-based Genius is one of the most popular peripheral manufacturers of the world with more than 100 products under its portfolio. “Genius devices are perfect for those who seek branded products at nominal prices,” said Neeraj Sharma, managing director of Explore Asia Pacific. “We aim to grab 30 to 40 percent share in the domestic peripherals market by marketing devices from Genius.”

The company has unveiled four Panda software which are priced between Rs 975 and Rs 3,975. The Spanish brand, according to Explore Asia, has earned high reputation in the European market. “We have launched the software in different categories. Panda’s software is useful for individuals to big corporate houses,” said Sharma, adding that this is the first software available in the domestic market that supports cloud computing.

Narayanghat-based Explore Asia started its operation in 2009. In 2010, the company started marketing its products aggressively by opening a corporate office in Kathmandu. It aims to introduce more brands and expand its retail stores throughout the country. “Our main goal is to market branded IT products at reasonable prices,” said Sharma. “Most of the motherboard companies give a three-year warranty on their products, but domestic importers only offer one year’s. We have maintained a policy of supplying same products, same level of services and warranty that the parent company delivers.”

Besides, the company also markets IT products from A-Data Technology, Simmetronics and it is the associate partner of HP and Dell.

TATA Nano rolls in

First 100 buyers of Nano who booked the car almost a month ago received the much-awaited world´s cheapest car on Saturday.

Representatives of Sipradi Trading, the authorized distributor of Tata vehicles for Nepal, handed over the keys to the customers at a function.

Although Sipradi had announced that 352 Nanos have already been booked, its officials said remaining 252 buyers are yet to complete formalities to receive the car.

“We will deliver them Nano once they furnish the final set of bank documents,” said Sambhu Dahal, chief executive officer of Sipradi Trading.

He disclosed that the customers will now get the car directly from the showroom on first come first serve basis. “Booking will be taken from other customers soon as we have about 50 units of the vehicles in stock,” he said.

The booking of car is available at Rs 10,000 for Nano standard, Rs 20,000 for Nano CX, and Rs 30,000 for Nano LX. The company is planning to sell Nano from 14 distribution points around the country. It is also providing exclusive warranty offers to its customers of four years or 90,000 kilometers, whichever comes first.

Nano boasts of giving a mileage of 23.6 km per liter and a ground-clearance of 180 mm, the two most attractive features of the car. Three versions of the car will be available in the market - Nano, Nano CX and Nano LX. Nano is available in colors like Racing Red, Ivory White and Summer Blue. Nano CX is available in colors like Racing Red, Ivory White, Summer Blue, Champagne Gold, and Lunar Silver. Similarly, Nano LX is available in colors like Sunshine Yellow, Champagne Gold, and Lunar Silver.

Tata Nano
Rs 7,98,000 (Standard)
Rs 9,98,000 (CX)
Rs 1.17 million (LX)
Displacement: 660 cc
Mileage: 23.6 km per liter (under tested conditions)
Ground Clearance: 180 mm

M-Audio in the market

Human Click Enterprises and Multronics International along with Pulse Incorporate has launched the M-Audio -a business unit of Avid Technology -in Nepal.
The products launched are Delta 1010, Delta 1010 LT, PCI virtual studio and Audiophile 2496, according to a press release. Delta 1010 is a recording system with MIDI and digital I/O and Audiophile is a lighter version of audio card used for professional audio recording.
These products are designed to form an integral creation system so the user can focus on music. They will be available at reasonable rates.

Timex watches in town

Timex wrist watches are now available at Him Electronics Pvt Ltd outlets here. Him Electronics is part of the Golcha organization.

Timex, a US brand founded in 1854, designs, manufactures and markets innovative timepieces and jewellery.
Timex Group is one of the largest watchmakers, globally.
"It will soon be a fashion symbol in Nepal," said managing director Shekhar Golcha.
Timex watches are available at outlets of Him Electronics in United World Trade Center , NLIC City Center and Kathmandu Mall.

Timex Group India Ltd vicepresident V D Vadhwa said Timex would be a hit. The watch is available in all series and cost from Rs 1,800 to 30,000 with a two-year warranty, said Golchha .

LilacNepal brings lab equipment

LilacNepal Pvt Ltd, a joint venture with Lilac Group India, has brought medical laboratory equipment in the market on Saturday.

Lilac is one of the prominent medical testing equipment manufacturer in 53 countries.

Lilac has unique product ranges like Lumax (hormone, cancer, infertility testing analyzer) Genio (electrophoresis analyzer), Rida X Screen (Allergy testing analyzer) , HPLC (diabetes testing analyzer). These products are designed and customized based on local needs with high-end technology and cost effective price. A special VAST (versatile Analyte Se lection Technolo gy kit is intro duced that has the capability to test 30 parameters from one single master kit.

This is first of its kind in the history of diagnostic business. The facility will support Nepali medical personal to find out best results at cheap cost. Currently, around Rs 16-18 lakh Nepalese currency goes out of the country for lab testing facilities abroad. LilacNepal has been able to fulfil the growing need for medical lab equipment here.

LilacNepal will also train to lab-technicians to operate the equipment.

Colors'Matrix,Atom

Teletalk Pvt limited, sole au thorized distributor for Colors mobile phones in Nepal, has introduced Matrix, Atom and Star model phones in the market. Matrix is ul tra thin in design, with qwerty key- pad at Rs 5,999. It has dual SIM, Bluetooth, Expandable Memory up to 2 GB and 2-megapixel cam- era with both MP3 and MP4 compatible. Atom has longest battery life up to 45 days along with 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, 3D loudspeaker, wireless FM, expandable memory and MP3 player. Atom mobile's range is tagged at Rs 4,199. The Star range G102 comes with FM radio, 300 phone book memory, calendar, large SMS storage, BL-5C battery, multi-charger, built in 3D loudspeaker and games at Rs 2100.

Sony cyber-shot cameras

Nepa Hima Trade Link Pvt Ltd, the authorized distributor of Sony brand electric appliances for Nepal, has introduced two new models -- DSCTX1 and DSC-WX1-- of cyber-shot cameras in Nepali market. This new model integrates Exmor RTM, CMOS sensor and Handheld Twilight function Taking camera style and function to the next level, Sony Singapore has brought two new cybershot models, DSC-TX1 and DSC-WX1, designed to give compact camera users new photo experiences. Combining Sony's exclusive lens, image sensor and processor technologies, the new cybershot cameras will deliver faster image processing and higher quality images. These cameras feature 10.2 megapixel resolution and up to 5x Optical Zoom. Sony's new memory stick PRO Duo 32GB can store up to 5,600 photos and seven hours and 25 minutes high quality video. DSCTX1 is available in gold, blue, pink, grey and silver colours whereas DSC-WX1 is available in silver, black and g o l d colours.

G Five Cell Phone

G Five Mobile has introduced its range with TV facility. The models available are K300, K600, Mini E71 and N79. They are enabled with all modern features like bluetooth, HD camera, MP3/MPS, FM radio and support memory cards. Call Mobility Pvt Ltd -- sole authorised dealers of G Five mobiles in Nepal -- has launched these phones in the valley. Users can also use two GSM SIM cards in this phone series. The company is giving a one-year warranty on both the hardware and the software and a six-month warranty on the battery. The series is priced at Rs 6500.

BG Vehicle Care Products

BG Nepal Pvt Ltd has introduced BG brand vehicle care products in Nepali market on Sunday. According to BG Nepal, BG prod increasing mileage, reducing emission and made easy start up. BG products are made in USA since 1971 and it is also popular in South Asia. Motor companies like General Motors, BMW, Ford, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, TATA and Maruti are using BG products because of its quality.

LG-GM 730 Mobile in Market

LG Electronics has launched LG-GM 730 mobile sets in Nepali market with a smart slogan, Joy, now in a smartphone. The all new LGGM730 is LG's exclusive S-Class UI and makes Windows Mobile's capabilities more intuitive, faster and easier to use.

With effortless access to functions, easy mail and networking that puts you on the map and cascading windows for convenient multi-tasking, Joy is in your hands.

The mobile is available in Nepali market for Rs 46,900 along with a 2 GB Memory card, data cable and stereophonic headset worth Rs 4,500 free.

Celebrate, Great Wall Motors here!

Himchuli Auto International Pvt Ltd, Basundhara, has launched a new brand of Great Wall Motors (GWM) in the market. The company has recently introduced Great Wall Motor Hover 2.5 TCI CC6460KM75 in the market.

According to the company, with the growing demand for Chinese cars and consumer attraction for them the company has brought Hover CUV 2.5 TCI with both luxury and super luxury models at a very competitive price.

Both the models have 195 mm ground clearance, tiltable column steering and power steering. Hover CUV has a two-year warranty/50,000 km run and 12 free servicings.

It has the characteristics of high power and low fuel consumption.

Its engine has max power (kw/rpm) of 80/3600 and max torque (nm/rpm) 300 +_ /1800~2400. Hover CUV 2.5TCI is available in six colours -- Noble Grey, Milky White, Universal Blue, Sky Silver, Rose Red and Pearl Black.

Hover CUV in super luxury has special features like sunroof, leather seats and electric seat adjusting.

The outside rear view mirror defrosts and is electrically adjustable.

The Hover CUV is equipped with a GW2.5TCI Germanymade Bosch diesel engine. The model has combined crystal diamond headlights. The showroom for Great Wall Vehicles is located at the automobile hub at Thapathali with its service station and spares parts at Basundhara in Dhapasi.

Beko Range Launched

The international household appliances brand of the Acrelic Group -Beko was launched today. Orbit International -- a subsidiary of MC Group -- is the sole authorised dealer of Beko products in Nepal.

Beko products are produced by Acrelic Group, which is the thirdlargest appliance producer in Europe, said the company. Its products are sold in 107 countries worldwide and supported by an international network of 367 authorised distributors and 18,000 employes across the globe.

Having won several prestigious European quality awards and various design and feature awards, Beko intelligent products are ideal for the quality and style concious customer. All Beko products are covered by the industry standard warranties from the date of invoice.

"We believe in providing quality aftersales service and have a toll free number where our customers can contact us for any servcie requirements," Beko officials said adding that the service requirements would be attended within 24 hours of the call received.

Provogue - Indian Apperal Brand Now in Nepal

Provogue -- a leading Indian apparel brand -- opened its showroom Provogue Studio at City Centre in Kathmandu on Saturday. It is the first exclusive store of fashion and lifestyle outside India, a press statement read. Deputy managing director Sali Chaudhary hoped the new store would provide a thrilling and joyful shopping experience. According to the company, Provogue Studio will provide footware, accessories and an extensive collection of personal care products.

Yishion's Fashion Range for Youths

With the core philosophy of bringing value, fashion and design through an integrated system of design, sourcing, manufacturing and sales to customers, Hong Kong-based Yishion fashion house has already made its presence felt in Nepali fashion market. Introduced in Nepal in 2008, the celebrated fashion brand has over 3,000 franchised stores in China and other parts of the world.

Yishion enjoys a wide following in Asia from Hong Kong to Jordan and Malaysia to Saudi Arabia because of the credibility that it derives from its integrated system of design, sourcing and manufacturing. With China´s prestigious titles ´Famous Brand´ and ´Well-known Trademark´ already in its bag, Yishion is famous for its chic style created by more than 200 fashion designers from Asia and Europe that work round the clock to come up with something new every season.

Like youths in other international cities, Nepali youths can also indulge in the modish designs of this illustrious clothing brand and unleash their fashion freedom by making one´s own statement. UFO has brought Yishion to local market as its official franchisee for Nepal. Simple yet stylish, Yishion wears can now be festooned in one´s wardrobe through UFO stores in Kathmandu, Patan and Pokhara. One can also check out the extremely unique designs and the highest quality Yishion fabrics at a newly opened Yishion flagship store at The Kathmandu Mall.

UFO has been selling ranges of Yishion clothing namely casual, basic and urban clothing lines. Yishion´s urban collections stitched with quality fabrics blend elegantly with urban lifestyle and its magical collection of casual wear will definitely turn out to be cool enough for fashion lovers.

“Yishion´s collection targets youths between 16 to 35 years who carve for latest in international fashion trend,” said Sachin Shrestha, the brand manager at UFO.

Yishion´s trousers, be it jeans or cotton or those stylish looking cargos, have been priced at in the range of Rs 1,298 to Rs 2,398. Yishion´s wide range of winter wears -- from jackets to sweaters to long coats -- are just not for warmth but also to create a style statement while walking down the streets. Chic winter wears are priced between Rs 1,900 to Rs 5,500.

As the festive season is not yet gone, one can even walk away with a cash discount of five percent at this store of international repute.

“A buyer will know the true value that lies in brand only when one buys it, wears it and feels it”, Shrestha concludes.

Action in The Market

Gorkha Lahari Pvt Ltd has launched a new product in cigarette category `Action'.

This cigarette -- made with international quality tobacco and HL pack -- is priced at Rs 52 per pack.

Gorkha Lahari produces different brands of cigarettes like Golf Flake Plain, Sahara Filter, Bahar Plain, Winner Filter, Bigul Plain, Gorkha Filter, Style Filter, Yeti Filter and its flagship brand Brown FTK.

In line with its varied products, the company assures of providing satisfaction to the consumers and has also assured of coming up with new and quality products in future.

Established to provide quality cigarettes to its consumers, the company has an authorised capital of Rs 800 million.

In the last fiscal year, Gorkha Lahari paid Rs 670 million tax to the government. Directly and indirectly, 400 people are working for the company while externally it provides employment to thousands including retailers and wholesalers.

Spice Brings New Mobile Set Kathmandu

Teletalk Pvt Ltd -- the sole authorized distributor of Spice Mobile phone in Nepal -- has launched yet another amazing, feature and surprise packed product M 4580, in their multi- SIM series.

The new handset with its simple outlook has been created keeping in mind the continuous customer demand, said the company. It gives a freedom of loading as many songs and images with big expandable 4GB Memory, can store up to 1,000 contacts in the phone with the big and flexible Phone Book. With holiday planner, it also has a SMS scheduler that sends SMS automatically once a particular date, event and time is saved.

"Users can be free of worry about losing their phone because the handset is equipped with Mobile Tracker," claims the company. With `One Touch Currency Checker' that helps users check currencies it has Ultra Violet Light Feature also.

Made in Nepal Readywear

A clothing brand owned by Posak Int'l Nepal Pvt Ltd -- has launched its range of ready-to-wear casual garments. POZAK is a Nepali brand produced with the expertise of various partners who have been in the garment industry for more than 15 years and worked for renowned brands of the world, read a press release.

The made-in-Nepal brand is in its first phase of market launch with the launch slogan `Support Your Local Brand' and has a long-term vision of expanding in various parts of Nepal. This brand targets to fulfill the requirements of the meticulous. POZAK's aim is to provide people comfort, style, quality and above all affordable ready-to-wear casual garments made in Nepal. It targets today's generation with its products range -Tee-shirts, pullovers, sweat shirts, jeans and many more.

Shahnaz Husain's Make-up Kits in Market

The Shahnaz Husain Group has launched make-up kits in seven major cities across Nepal on the auspicious occasion of Dashain and Deepawali.

Vishwonath & Sons -- the authorised distributor of Husain Group in Nepal -- has launched different make-up kits in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Dharan, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Butwal and Nepalgunj.

The products include Sha Colour Magic Kit -- Blusher, Eye Shadow, Eye Pencil and Compact priced at IRs 1,360; Sha Facial Kit -- Life 40 gms, Tex 100 gms, Moon 100 gms, Moist 100 gms priced at IRs 2,025; Sha Facial Kit -- Life 40 gms, Mask 1100 gms, Moon 100 gms, Moist 100 gms priced at IRs 2,025, Sha Gold Kit -- Mask 100 gms, Gel gms, Mois 30 gms priced at IRs 1,960 and Sha Chocolate Kit -- Scrub 40 gms, Nourishing Cream 40 gms, Mask 100 gms priced at IRs 1,050.

Mukesh Bhanot, national manager of Shahnaz Husain Group said that the group -- a leading company in the field of natural beauty, herbal products and antiaging treatments -- has 40 years of history in India.