India’s major two-wheeler market leader, Hero Honda has launched an upgraded version of its popular motorcycle, Hero Honda Super Splendor in India today. The new version of Super Splendor is available with attractive price tag of Rs 45,950 (ex-showroom-Delhi). The existing model of Super Splendor launched in 2005 in the 125cc segment along with Quantum Core engine capacity and enhanced features to give excellent fuel economy. Anil Dua, Senior Vice-President (Marketing and Sales) of Hero Honda Motors,” The 125cc segment has been stagnant or even declining in the past one year, but we believe that we can grow the market. Our own expectation is to grow our own sales by about 15-20 per cent in the 125cc segment. With consecutive months of four lakh-plus sales since the month of May, our sales are moving at all-time high levels. We are looking to build on this momentum with a slew of new launches leading up to the festive season.” After launching an upgraded version of Super Splendor , the company will discontinue the old Super Splendor. Hero Honda Motors is targeting to grow the 125cc segment sales with the launches new bike. Presently, the company stood at 20 percent market share from the total 75 lakh units yearly.

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Opera recently released its monthly State of the Mobile Web report for July, offering up in-depth insight into all facets of mobile Web usage worldwide. There is a remarkable discrepancy in the male or female split when it comes to mobile data usage. Only four percent of Indian users are female , which is very low compared to the worldwide average of 23 percent. The study thus revealed the gender gap in Indian mobile web usage is the widest in the world. As usual, this month’s report has some other surprising data too. In terms of growth worldwide, Asia showed the most substantial gains. From July 2009 to July 2010, page views in the top 10 countries in Southeast Asia increased by 238%, unique users increased by 205% and the amount of data transferred increased by 227%. Most interesting, however, is the finding that the number of woman surfing the mobile Web has grown more than 575% in the last two years, with South Africa and the United States having the highest percentage of female users. 44% of all South Africans on the mobile Web are women, compared to 36% of all U.S. mobile Web users. Shockingly, South Africa is the country having the highest percentage of female mobile web users. Of course, as with anything involving statistics, the Opera report must be taken with a hefty grain of salt. The survey methodology is rife with opportunities for sampling and reporting biases—namely, it only surveyed Opera Mobile users (leaving users of other mobile browsers out of the equation), and was conducted among 300,000 users who had to voluntarily opt in. Generally speaking, males are likelier than females to respond to opt-in surveys, which can further skew the samples. Clearly it is not unreasonable to say that the survey results may be inaccurate. Perhaps it has to do with the lower literacy rates among females in India (76.9% for men against 54.5% for women). Or perhaps it has to do with the number of Indian males employed in IT, which makes them more likely to be avid mobile gadget users. Or perhaps it is simply an inexplicable cultural phenomenon. . Even with these limitations in Opera’s survey methodology, we can still reasonably infer that the gender gap in Indian mobile web usage is the widest in the world. Undoubtedly whoever seizes this opportunity and unlocks the enormous potential of India’s 600 million women will reap spectacular benefits. Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts Facebook’s Hyderabad Office Inaugurated – Google vs Facebook Battle Comes To India Opera 10.60 Released : Claimed as the World’s Fastest Stable Browser! Nokia , Opera Extends Support To Adobe’s Flash Vodafone Adds Opera Mini Browser For 2G Handsets Opera Acquires Admarvel – To Monetize Its Mobile Browsers

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Government has allocated 3G spectrum to mobile service operators including Vodafone Essar, Reliance Communication and Tata Teleservices. The operators are excited to rollout the 3G services to the Indian customers. We can expect the world class 3G service which will redefine the telecom experience in India to be introduced in the next few months. Roll out of 3G mobile services in Punjab and Chennai by Idea Cellular and Aircel respectively could be a bit delayed due to a technical glitch with respect to licensing. Under the old cellular services, Chennai and Tamil Nadu were two separate circles. Thus, Aircel had got two separate mobile licenses. However, in case of 3G auction, the DoT is considering Tamil Nadu and Chennai as a single unit. Idea Cellular has a case of overlapping licenses. They may have to surrender one of their licenses in Punjab. Idea had got its own license for Punjab, but also acquired Spice Cellular which had operations in the same circle. The company has been seeking a refund for surrendering the license. Let us just hope that no more delays come in way of the 3G rollout.  We are sure to expect a spectacular change in the telecom experience with 3G services. Moreover, buying the latest 3G enabled tablets (iPad, etc) would become more meaningful for the Indian customers once the service is activated in India. PWC has expected 3G subscribers to cross 107 million users in India by 2015. So, we can surely expect a new price and features war to start off amongst the telecom companies in their bid to acquire the greatest share of the 3G users. All goes in the interest of the consumers. Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts 3G & MNP Get Feb, March 2010 Deadlines Bharti Airtel To launch 3G By October 2010 – The Heat Is On! TRAI Introduces Administrative Charges – Delays 3G Auctions DoT Makes Player Specific Changes To The 3G Policy ? DoT’s New Policy to Permit International Telecom Firms to Bid for 3G License

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A survey has revealed that those with eReaders now frequently read more than they did with traditional printed books. The survey, carried out by Marketing and Research Resources Inc. , showed the impact that portable eReaders are having on reading habits. The results revealed that 40 per cent of eReader owners now read more than they did with printed books, while 58 per cent read the same amount and just 2 per cent read less. The survey looked at owners of three leading eReaders : A mazon Kindle, Apple iPad and Sony Reader . All three have seen sales success and, according to Amazon, eReaders are contributing to a steady increase in book buying. The online book shop says customers purchasing 3.3 times as many books following buying a kindle. Fifteen per cent of all US book sales are now ebooks, giving a clear indication of the rapid success of the devices. Click here to view the embedded video. Portability The survey was published online in a Wall Street Journal story that explains the effect eReaders are having on the American market. Their size and portability are enabling people to read in places they never before thought possible; the gym or even in the bath (inside a waterproof cover). A 2007 study by America’s National Endowment for Arts had revealed that nearly half of all Americans aged between 18 and 24 read no books for pleasure. Wall Street Journal hopes that the recent eReader success might be a sign America is departing from these worrying 2007 figures. New eReaders A series of new launches have also seen a terrific response from consumers. Amazon too launched a new model of Kindle. Smaller, cheaper, faster and better connected than its predecessor, the new Kindle is to the old what the paperback is to the hardback, and on Friday it’s finally officially available in the UK. Prices start at an affordable £109. Amazon’s Kindle eReader has sold out before it was supposed to ship to the public. Sony has unveiled three new ebook readers to compete with Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle. The Japanese consumer electronics giant also announced plans to launch a Kindle-style “app” for iPhones and Android-based smartphones, which would allow people to download and read Sony’s ebooks on their mobile device. Sony said the Reader Mobile Edition would be released “later this year”. India saw a new eReader in the market too with the launch of the Wink . Good Marketing eReaders are providing publishers with new and more exciting ways to get people reading. The digital market is expanding rapidly as eReaders become ever more user friendly. From new launches to celebrities endorsements every trick in the book is used by companies to woo buyers. When Oprah told her audience she loves Amazon’s electronic book reader, search traffic for the word “Kindle” went up 479pc. The gadgets has become a firm favourite of celebrities, from Jennifer Aniston to Cameron Diaz and has spawned an industry forecast to be worth more than $1bn (£628m) in the US within the next few years. The future of e-books is one of the most contentious subjects in technology at the moment. David Kohn of Waterstone’s points out: “eBooks and eReaders mark the biggest revolution in the way we read since the introduction of Penguin paperbacks in the 1930s”. Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts Annual Apple iTunes Event May Reveal New iPod, iTunes Or Apple TV Organize Your Gmail Inbox Through Google Priority Inbox Are Smartphones The Future of Mobile? Facebook Places Goes Live – India Will Have To Wait Yet Again Indian Company Onward Mobility Has An Offline App Store

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When you get a SMS these days, in most likelihood it will be something like the one I got today morning which said “ Best Buy for Property in Pune: Laburnam Park. Pls Call 26****00 “. As much as I want to build an empire in Pune, such messages annoy me to the core.  Spam messaging have almost become a part and parcel of our daily lives. With over 150 million marketing SMSes being sent each day, no one is spared. The problem is compounded with service providers giving spammers a great rate of 3 paise per message with some promising to drop the rates even further. Bulk SMS business in India rakes in an estimated INR 20 crores every month giving providers all the more reason to make bulk SMS rates better. However, Bharti Airtel have gone the other way by dropping out of the bulk SMS business. Airtel’s reasoning Airtel is making this move after putting the customer above anything else. According to the CEO, Sanjay Kapoor , Bharti Airtel would like to take leadership in the effort to avoid this big menace of annoying  calls and SMSes. Mr. Kapoor believes that TRAI can help towards this by keeping a mandatory price of 5-10 paise per SMS in order deter companies from spamming customers. Customers who subscribe to the Do Not Call Registry (DNCR) at times end up getting such calls and SMSes and according to Mr. Khanna a heavy fine should be imposed on such companies. In the US, such calls are penalized with a fine of $11,000 per call with the fines increasing for subsequent violations. Will other service providers follow suit? Bharti Airtel have taken a bold step keeping the customer in mind. However, considering the high revenue in the business, it seems unlikely that other service providers will take the high road. Unless regulators take a firm step towards this issue, customers will continue to suffer. What do you have to say about Bharti Airtel’s decision to move out of the bulk SMS business? Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts Google Urges TRAI For Network Neutrality Will India Be Digitized By 2013? How Will It Help Consumers? TRAI Says, “Minimum Broadband Speed = 2 MBPS” Telecom Numbers Show Record Growth Of 15.4 Million While Broadband Still Lags Behind – TRAI Figures. BCG Reports 237 Million Internet Users In India By 2015 – Possible?

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Bajaj Automobiles India Limited, one of the largest two-wheeler market leader, is mulling over to create an potential powerhouse along with its two new joint ventures such as KTM and Kawasaki . Both companies are the most popular sports motorcycles manufacturer brands wordwide. Rajiv Bajaj now wants to do more for company by the jointly developed super-bikes in the Indian auto market. The company is currently discussing for three-way alliance with KTM and Kawasaki. Bajaj Auto is targeting to take the Research & Development and Global Distribution strengthen jointly with KTM and Kawasaki . All three players will be sharing their products and marketing strengths for getting beneficial result of huge cost saving. The low-cost manufacturing models of the company will be offering benefit along with Kawasaki and KTM in the Indian market. Bajaj Auto India is presently selling bikes through Kawasaki network in South East Asia and Latin America. In India, Kawasaki Ninja 250R model is selling through Bajaj’s outlets. Bajaj Auto is also planning to launch an upgraded versions of its world’s largest sports motorcycle, Kawasaki Ninja soon in India.

[via Tech News India]

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International travelers from India can heave a huge sigh of relief courtesy WorldSIM. The UK based global SIM card was launched in India yesterday in Chennai. Despite not being an international traveler, I cannot seem to stop my excitement at the new service. While the local telecom market in India has come down to very competitive rates, international roaming is still a cause of concern with rates almost brutally attacking pockets of subscribers. According to Mr K. Vaidhyanathan, CEO, Hash10 Telcom Pvt Ltd , savings from the new service might be upto 85%. Hash10 is the exclusive distributor for WorldSIM in India The card comes with a US and a UK mobile number and will feature multiple local numbers in the future. The pricing is attractive at Rs 2,750 which includes talk time of Rs 500. To top it up nicely, subscribers to the service can get free incoming calls from almost 80 countries and make calls to over 200. WorldSIM’s launch in India might just pave the way for high quality international mobile services with competitive pricing to make a consolidated entry in the sufficiently lucrative market. Mr. Vaidyanathan summed up the potential neatly, “Nearly 45,000 people travel abroad daily but a single global roaming SIM card is not available”. This will definitely give WorldSIM a first mover advantage and other players looking at this sector should be making their move very soon. Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts Telecom Roundup: RCom – GetJar, Bharti WorldSim & Uninor Prepaid GPRS On SMS Volumes, Interconnect Charges & Impact On Bulk SMS Players Mobile Social Networking – It’s Not a Fad! Telecom Sector Analysis for June Quarter – Severe Decline In ARPU, MOU But Growth Continues

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India’s population and the number of mobile phone connections in the country seem to be growing at similar rate. Ok maybe, just maybe, the mobile revolution is growing much faster. A recent report by Boston Consulting Group concluded that India will reach 237 million internet users by 2015. Considering the increasing mobile connections, and the soon to be launched 3G services, the number definitely seems achievable through mobile devices, or it is? Problems in mobile internet growth According to the report, India’s internet usage is concentrated in the urban and metropolitan areas, while the rural neighborhoods are more or less oblivious to the existence of mobile internet. If mobile internet usage in India has to increase, having only the developed areas increase usage will not help mobile internet growth in the country. However, a bright spot is the that 3G is set to penetrate rural India by 2012 and this, along with some awareness on the advantages of mobile internet should help reach the expected milestone. Social Networking on mobile phones Craze for social networking in our country is another craze that might just push the mobile internet users to the 237 million mark. The BCG report says that an Indian user browses the internet for an average of half an hour, and this will just increase to 0.7 hours a day on average by 2015. With more and more people joining, and getting addicted, to social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter, one might just argue that this average number might just increase. Mobile phones for rural India Smartphones are key in taking mobile internet forward. However, not everyone can afford these phones. People in rural India need a substitute that can help them access the internet at affordable price. IBM and IIT recently joined forces to create mobile devices for semi-literate and illiterate folks so that they can harness the power of the mobile internet. Service providers too will play an important role in taking this movement forward by providing affordable browsing. According to us, India has the potential to reach 237 million mobile internet users by 2015, if not surpass it. What is your take on this? Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts RCom 3G Lab Starts Work – Looks To Partner With Sony, Intel, Motorola, HP Product Review: Trill – Free Twitter Client For Nokia WWW: WAT Weekly WrapUp 1st August– 8th August 2010 Mobile Web For All – IBM and IIT Combine For Research Mobile Social Networking – The New Socializing Mantra

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The Zen M20 mobile phone is launched in India at Rs. 3200 recently. It comes with 1200 Li-Ion battery which provides up to 5 hours talk time and 200 hours of standby time with full charge and is available in select cities across India with one year warranty. One can fill in 500 phonebook entries and 300 SMS in its memory expandable to up to 2GB via a microSD card slot. Zen M20 allows one to experience true music bliss with MP3 playback,wireless FM Radio,standard 3.5 mm audi-jackand in built powerful speakers.This dual SIM GSM handset with 2.2-inch QVGA display screen has Bluetooth and all-purpose micro USB for local data transfer. WAP and GPRS enables browsing on Zen M20 and extend its messaging capabilities to MMS besides basic SMS feature. There is an in built 1.3MP camera with zooming feature and video recording at 15fps speed in Zen M20 . Also, these files may be saved in memory card for future. Mobile Tracker, Blacklist call and applications like world clock, alarm clock, calculator, calendar and stopwatch etc. makes it one really good choice and being budget friendly also will really be sought after.

[via Tech News India]

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You think you have a good idea for a business? Here is an opportunity for you to present it to Mumbai Angels , a company that enables startups to meet successful people in the industry and more importantly businesses or companies that have funds to invest in the startup, and in the process maybe win INR 21 lakhs! The entrepreneurship cell (ecell) at IIT, Bombay has been organizing Eureka! , a business plan competition that was declared Asia’s largest B-plan competition in 2001 by CNN , since 1999. Previous Winners About Eureka! If CNN has declared it to be Asia’a biggest B-plan competition there has to be something unique about the competition. Eureka! has definitely has a unique format in terms of the competition with the competitors getting free legal and financial consultancy, mentoring, and also an online platform where participants can find answers to the queries/problems. Also, the competition is not restricted and sees participants from fields as diverse as Medical School to IITs to Banking. Last year, the competition got around 2000 entries all around the world. Whats at stake? If you are looking to get a piece of the pie for yourself, then believe you me it is quite a big pie. With 21 lakhs ($50,000) at stake, it is not surprising that Eureka! is expecting about 2500 participants this year. Previous Winners Winners of this competition through the years have definitely been in the limelight with some making Business Asia’s Top 5 list, while there are over 35 other successful startups, with some big names including Myzus . How do we judge this? It is a great initiative and a perfect platform for budding entrepreneurs to present their ideas to panels of judges who will give them valuable feedback on whats good and whats bad in their plan. Competitions such as these are increasing and it shows that the country is interested in  moving forward and are giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to do that. Do you have a business plan? If so, what are you waiting for? Looking for a Social Media Agency? Try WATConsult – India’s Leading Social Media Agency Related Posts Funding Updates: Quikr – Norwest | Mumbai Angels – Onward Mobility Yet Another Search Engine In The Making – But You’ll Like This! A Plus K Crosses a Million Users: The Math However Adds Up to a Lot More – Was This All a Marketing Strategy 5 Must Read Books for Entrepreneurs Accel India’s New Fund Of $60 Million For Seed and Early Stage Fund

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