Polaris Experience Zone launched in Bhopal

Making its presence more available to the adventure enthusiasts and let the bikers enjoy dirt racing on uneven terrain, Polaris India Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries Inc, the world leader in off-road and All-Terrain Vehicles, today announced the launch of off-road track (Polaris Experience Zone) in RPM, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, according to a company statement.

Situated just a kilometer ahead of Ratibad town on Bhadbhada road, RPM offers the thrill of Polaris vehicles and a sense of discovery with bikers manoeuvring through dirt track with slush pit, humps, sand and stones all on a complete dirt terrain.
Spread over a huge area, RPM offers two tracks, one for adult and the other for kids. The adult track covers a stretch of 300 meters and has nine obstacles including two slush pits. The kid’s track on the other hand is 200 meters long. Offering terrains of thrill and excitement to adventure lovers, RPM also has other activities such as go-karting, archery and paintball.
Speaking on the launch Pankaj Dubey, Managing Director, Polaris India said: “With changes in lifestyle, people are leaning towards adventures sports. Amongst all, off-roading experience is gaining traction in India. Bhopal is a strategic location with Madhya Pradesh being a popular tourist destination. We foresee huge interest and growth prospects in Polaris Experience Zone.  We also plan to introduce more off-road tracks in other locations all over the country. With -such PEZ adventure lovers can now experience the real off-road thrill”.
The owner of the RPM, Sanjay V Shinde said: “We are thrilled to be associated with Polaris India. RPM was created with an ultimate aim to offer and serve maximum entertainment to people. It is an adrenaline-boosting place, where you will be exhilarated to ride the fast-paced Polaris ATVs on the muddy irregular un-levelled terrain. Taking care of adults and kids, the place offers different types of activities”.
Polaris India has on offer a diverse range of its models for the lovers of off-roading. The Phoenix 200 is a proven and reliable ATV. It comes with 200cc four-stroke single cylinder, air-cooled engine and Automatic Transmission (PVT) with forward, neutral and reverse.

The Sportsman Touring 500 HO has integrated front storage and Lock and Ride compatible rear rack making it easy to carry gear and comes with Engine braking system for smooth, controlled descents. The ultra-comfortable seat and backrest are fully padded and contoured for full support, with a slightly raised for clear visibility of the trail.
Trail Boss 330 is an entry level ATV. Combination of 329cc air-cooled engine and automatic transmission provides enough confidence to rider. Sportsman 90 with a four-Stroke Engine is a youth ATV which comes with Parent-adjustable speed limiter and includes instructional DVD.
RZR S 800 is a proven true-sport long-travel suspension package straight from the factory. The 12″ of front and rear suspension travel soak-up the roughest terrain. The 800 EFI high-output engines combined with a low vehicle weight delivers fast acceleration at 0 to 60 kmph in just four seconds.
Apart from the newly launched PEZ in Bhopal, Polaris also has 20 other such PEZ spread all over the county to reach out to more people and in turn give the participants a chance to experience the off-road racing experience within their city. Polaris India earlier launched Experience Zone (PEZ) at Dharuhera, Haryana.
Polaris India was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries Inc, the US, which designs, engineers manufactures and markets innovative, high quality Off Road Vehicles (ORV’s), innovative All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), the Polaris Ranger®, (for recreational and utility use), Snowmobiles, Motorcycles and Electric powered vehicles. Polaris India Pvt. Ltd. launched its flagship products including ATVs, Polaris Ranger RZR®, Side x Side Vehicles and Snowmobiles in India on 24th August, 2011.The iconic Indian® Motorcycle, America’s first motorcycle companywas launched in New Delhi , India on 22 January,2014 and the entire range of the all-new 2014 Indian® Chief® was revealed.
Polaris India, has taken one giant step to revolutionise the Indian market for catering to very culture of the Indian Territory with a wide array of diversified off-road vehicles designed exclusively for our elite customers and various utility use. Polaris India has a strong network of 16 Dealerships, 10 PRS (Polaris Riderz stop) and 20 Polaris Experience Zones (Off Road Tracks) to take the off road riding culture way ahead. They are state of the art and offer a workshop for service. These dealerships located at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Dehradun, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Srinagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Dimapur and New Delhi. Information about line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available at polarisind.in or from authorised Polaris India Dealers.
Polaris is a recognised leader in the powersports industry with annual 2013 sales of $ 3.8 billion. Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets innovative, high quality off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris RANGER® and RZR® side-by-side vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles.
Polaris is among the global sales leaders for both snowmobiles and off-road vehicles and has established a presence in the heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycle market with the Victory and Indian Motorcycle brands. Additionally, Polaris continues to invest in the global on-road small electric/hybrid powered vehicle industry with Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), Goupil Industrie SA, Aixam Mega S.A.S., and internally developed vehicles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Polaris Engineered parts, accessories and apparel and Klim branded apparel.
Product Line
Sportsman® ATVs   Polaris Sportsman range of ATVs is the best way to enjoy the outdoors. They are affectionately called quad-bikes. Through rain or snow, flat or hilly terrain, our ATVs perform at optimum levels no matter what the region or the season. It is available in premium (high quality performance), 2 – Up (double seater) and value (more affordable) ranges.
Polaris RANGER RZR® Side by Side: Polaris Ranger RZR® Side by Side is the only sport utility off-roader which is exclusively built for off-road activities. Polaris off-roaders deliver a razor sharp performance every time. There are four variants available: Only Trail (exclusively for hilly/mountain terrain), only Sport (for dune-surfing and riding in open spaces), only four Seat (world’s first four-seater Side by Side) and Only Xtreme (Premium performance under all conditions).
Snowmobiles: Polaris snowmobiles promise to generate much excitement in India. They are available in Adventure, Crossover, Performance, Deep Snow, Trail Luxury and Utility ranges.
Polaris Range of Multi Utility Vehicles: The range of off-road vehicles offered by Polaris is undoubtedly one of the best in the market. It is designed to perfection for providing the maximum power, durability, higher loading capacity and superior manoeuvrability. The easy to use, hardworking multi-utility range of vehicles by Polaris is built specially for extreme performance and sturdiness. They are used in various industries such as:
Defence & Police:
Polaris Military vehicles are the solution for easy movement of military personnel in tough off-road terrains like hills, forest, snow, water, marshy land, desert, rocky land etc. Built to match the tough working of the Defence and Police, reaching the unreachable, achieving the impossible has become easily attainable with the range of Polaris Vehicles. Polaris “Light Tactical Vehicles” are most suitable for anti-insurgency, anti-terrorist and anti-naxal operations for quick movement in guerrilla war operations.
Agriculture:
More ploughing power, tougher built, higher loading capacity, better manoeuvrability, and easy to handle, the agriculture range provides the option of achieving the maximum and best results for all farming needs.
Construction: The versatile, dependable and durable construction range helps in making the difficulties of construction easy. Designed for extreme conditions, these workhorses are available in a range of models to suit every requirement.
Tourism:

Explore the unexplored, create new possibilities and enjoy the beauty of nature with the maximum comfort provided by the tourism range of Polaris.
Forest Patrolling:
Ideally suited for deep jungles, marshy lands and rough terrain, Polaris range of vehicles will easily go in such areas. Forest Patrolling Range of Polaris will make sure that the journey is filled with possibilities and comfort.
Mining: Specialised designs, extreme power, higher loading capacity and easy to use Polaris Mining Range helps you in utilizing the available resources to give you maximum productivity with ease.
Adventure: Explore what few dare to explore, make the impossible possible, Experience the new definition of adventure created by the adventure range of Polaris.
Coastal Patrolling and Beach Rescue:
Safety sees a new high with the Polaris range of beach rescue vehicles, which dare to go into the marshy lands reaching out to the aid of the needy right on the spot, in a faster and more efficient way.
Ambulance Service:

The Ranger 6×6 800 modified ambulances are built with unmatched traction and capacity and have six wheels drives available on demand with simple switch. This is the ideal vehicle to move heavy loads over the harshest terrain. With an engine capacity of 760cc, this vehicle is perfect to manoeuvre on treacherous terrains as well as narrow strips, to supply medical help and assistance to places of difficulty. Polaris off-road ambulances are apt for supplying medical supervision in rural India and calamity stuck regions.

Healhcare at Home is aimed at making a difference in women’s lives: Dr Gaurav Thukral

The buzz for Women’s Day gets louder with each passing year, but it is yet to be seen what all has been done to make woman safer, especially health wise. There is a need that women undergo preventive health check-ups to avoid ailments like cancer, diabetes and cardio vascular diseases from happening.

Home health check-ups provided by HealthCare at Home is aimed at making a difference in women’s lives, says Dr Gaurav Thukral, Head Medical Services, HCAH. In an interview given to Jayashankar Menon, Dr Gaurav Thukral speaks about HealthCare and the bringing the concept of preventive check-ups at women’s doorsteps. Excerpts:

JM: Are women taking care of their health, while juggling with innumerable roles they play?
GT: Single handedly she takes care of everything – home, family, parents, kids and their multifarious demands without any complaints. No matter what role she is in — mother, sister or a wife, she is just at her best in taking care of your needs. For a woman, family always comes first than her own self. She can compromise and sacrifice anything or everything for the sake of her family members. Women have also come of age and they now even lend financial support so that their families can lead a comfortable life. In meeting with all the demands and pressures, what gets a beating is her health. A woman takes enough pains to keep her family members in shape, but her own health is always the last thing on her mind. A family, which runs flawlessly when the charge is in the control of a woman, goes haywire when she is down with any health issue. The sheer ignorance of her health many a times turns fatal when a minor disease, which could have been avoided with simple health check-ups, turns life threatening. Time constraint and dependency on others to visit a doctor for check-ups usually become the common issues for most of the women.

JM: Can you talk about HealthCare and the concept of Home thought preventive health check-ups to women?
GT: Understanding that ‘Healthy Woman Makes Healthy Families’ and how important it is for them to stay in good shape, we at HealthCare at Home thought to plug this gap. We decided to provide preventive health check-ups to women in their comfortable confines of home. Realising that ignorance on the part of women is the main reason for not getting check-ups done HCAH brought the concept of preventive check-ups at the women’s doorsteps.
The home care provider of specialised services saw that women were not careful about their illnesses and skipped seeing a doctor for the same, until it did not reach frightening levels. Anemia and lack of vital nutrients was another issue that bogged women down as they overlooked their diet in the hustle bustle of their daily lives and made no conscious efforts for consuming nutrient-rich food. Lack of awareness, we realised, about preventive health check-ups was another problem area. Chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes and cardiac ailments remained unnoticed in women as they either ignored or delayed the check-ups.

JM: Can you elaborate the kind of check-ups you do?
GT: HCAH provides comprehensive health check-ups at home under which cancer screening is also done for breast cancer and cervical cancer, the two common forms of cancer with which women are mostly afflicted with. It is advised that after the age of 40, women should get themselves checked for cancer every six months and they should particularly undergo for Pap smear and breast examination after mid 30s.
It is seen that women are not very comfortable getting these two tests done as it involves the private parts of the body. The home health check up provided by HCAH addresses all the concerns of women. The tests are conducted by women nurses in the privacy of home. The tests take only five minutes and the service saves the person from visiting a doctor as well.
Besides that, the nurses of HCAH are skilled to collect samples of blood, urine and even do ECG at home. Full body examinations are also done by them, under which the physiotherapists also look after the wear and tear of women’s body. They check the pain points like on the back, shoulders, neck and ankle — areas which are under constant pressure. The physiotherapists guide the women about the right posture they have to follow as also how to prevent the pain from recurring.
The nurse and nutritionists impart knowledge to women about the importance of being healthy and eating right diet. After the check-up, the health data of the woman screened is shared with her doctor concerned through video and telephonic consultation. After a review, the doctor prescribes the medication and health plan to be followed, which is shared with the woman by HCAH. Women play varied roles in our lives and compromise on various things to let the engine of our homes running. If they fail to take care of their health, the demand of the time is that family members, especially the male, do something about it. A timely check-up can ensure that various health ailments remain at bay.
HCAH took one step to ensure health safety of women by providing check-ups at home and it is for the woman and family members to take the next. Just one thing has to be kept in mind that ‘all will be fit if only she is fit’.

HMSI, Reliance General Insurance kick-start National Safety Week with a special initiative for school children

As a leading two-wheeler manufacturer, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd (HMSI) – the Only Honda in Indian two-wheeler industry today announced the commencement of a special road safety initiative for kids during the National safety week, March 4-10, 2014.

According to a company statement, the inaugural activity was held at Ramjas International School, Pusa Road, New Delhi where students in the age group of 9-12 years were provided road safety education through innovative activities and practical training on specially imported Honda CRF 50-kids training bike making them learn the ‘fun way’. Uniquely designed kids helmets were also provided to kids which will help spread the awareness with greater impact and inspire parents and society at large to follow ethical road safety practices.
The event took place in the august presence of Prabhu Nagaraj – General Manager- Customer Service-HMSI, Rakesh Jain, CEO- Reliance General Insurance, Mr JC Pahuja, Education Coordinator- Ramjas Foundation and Ms Mohini Bindra- Principal- Ramjas International School, Pusa Road, New Delhi.
Honda believes that educating Young Minds on road safety is an effective way of spreading the message to the entire family. Their sincerity and willingness to learn and explore is unquestionable. Moreover, as the road users and 2wheeler riders of tomorrow, the objective is to educate them on how the Freedom of using roads comes with Responsibility – not just of self but also for other road users. This joint Road Safety Education Campaign in association with Reliance General Insurance will cover schools across North, West and Central regions of India.

Commenting on this unique initiative, Yadvinder S Guleria, Vice President- Sales and Marketing, HMSI said: “Road Safety is an important concern for Honda and we have been actively creating awareness and educating people since the inception of our operations in India. Recently we partnered with most famous kids character Chhota Bheem to reach out to families and society at large. We are happy to partner with Reliance General Insurance for the special initiative and wish for the success of this campaign”.
Rakesh Jain, CEO- Reliance General Insurance said: “As an insurance company we are into the business of managing risk. We want people to be safe while on the road by influencing their behavior towards road safety. Kids in particular do not wear helmet when they ride pillion on two wheelers. Therefore, our effort is towards making children aware on road safety. We are really happy to associate with Honda in this initiative as it would inculcate road safety awareness in kids and convert them into messengers of road safety”.
Globally, road safety promotion has been Honda’s top priorities worldwide since 1970. Under the “People Come First” philosophy, Honda follows Safety as an integral part of all its business activities. Honda is committed to make Safe Riding an everyday habit of two-wheeler riders and promotes Road Safety through ‘Lifetime Safety Education’ starting from five years young children to females, new riders and even big bike customers. Honda has already trained more than 40,000 people at its two traffic training parks in Jaipur and Delhi.
Reliance General Insurance Company Limited, subsidiary of Reliance Capital Limited, is one of India’s top private sector general insurance companies with a private sector market share of eight percent, in terms of gross written premium, of the private sector general insurance industry. The company has an asset under management of more than Rs 3,732 crore and an extensive distribution network of 127 offices and over 14,500 intermediaries (as on December 31, 2013). Reliance General Insurance offers an exhaustive and customized basket of insurance products that include motor, health, travel, student travel insurance etc. Reliance General is ranked amongst top 10 best BFSI brands in India as per prestigious BAV Insights 2013 survey by Rediffusion Y&R.

Car-pooling major FolksVagn forge alliance with Hindustan Times for Green Gurgaon Campaign

FolksVagn, a dynamic and India’s largest car-pooling service for corporates has collaborated with Hindustan Times’ ‘Green Gurgaon’ campaign as their car-pooling partner, according to a statement. The campaign which started in mid of January this year is all about spreading the green message among the corporates. One of the components of the campaign is following the idea of car-pooling to save fuel, pollution, traffic and hence, saving the environment.

Being their car-pooling partners, FolksVagn promotes the idea of going green in Delhi/NCR. Car-pooling to be rightly practised in India needs a formal system where the whole community can be connected through a single platform, keeping in mind each individual’s needs and their flexibility. FolksVagn provides that convenient option for the corporates that eases their lives. Through the Green Gurgaon campaign, FolksVagn has successfully been able to influence hundreds of people to register, who have already started using their service. The system is thereby playing a big role towards serving the nature by effectively reducing the traffic, saving parking spaces, reducing fuel cost, and stress for passengers and most importantly increasing safety for passengers. It is a much safer, convenient and economical option.
FolksVagn has already added thousands of members to its database in the first 2-3 quarters, with hundreds of users using the system daily. The system has successfully managed to associate with huge corporates and plan to actively participate in green campaigns in many other corporate hubs, where there are more than 50,000 cars on a daily basis, and where their service can hugely contributing in reducing the traffic by around 75 percent.

Launched on November 13, 2012 FolksVagn is a dynamic ‘car-pooling system’  that helps one share their travel with friends, colleagues or other like-minded people. Each user is verified and there is an automated payment system from the passenger to driver. FolksVagn allows flexibility of time and co-travellers, and basically supports two kinds of users- passengers and drivers. One can also connect with FolksVagn on Web, Apps and SMS.

Volkswagen Polo will have new standard fitments of airbags in India

Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, announced a significant enhancement in driver safety, with the introduction of dual front airbags as standard fitment on variants of Volkswagen Polo. In keeping with its ethos of offering best-in-class build quality, technology and safety, Volkswagen is now the first automobile manufacturer in the country to offer dual front airbags as standard equipment in the premium hatchback segment, says a media statement.

Building further on enhancing the safety aspect of its cars, Volkswagen is now also offering anti-lock brakes (ABS) as standard fitment on the Comfortline version of the Volkswagen Polo.
Price revision
In an apparent move to partially offset increased inputs costs and changes in the exchange rate, Volkswagen has announced a 2.7 percent price hike on all variants of the Polo and Vento. This price hike, of up to Rs 22,700 for the Polo and up to Rs 26,800 for the Vento, will be effective from February 1, 2014.

Commenting on new safety features on the Polo, and on the price hike for the Volkswagen Polo and Vento, Arvind Saxena, Managing Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India said: “We are proud to be leading the cause of driver safety, and we believe the introduction of airbags as standard fitment across all variants of the Polo is a major step forward in the context of safety. Once again, this step underlines our commitment to producing better cars – and better-equipped cars – for the discerning Indian consumer. Input costs have steadily increased over the last few months, and exchange rate movements have not been favourable. We have tried our best to absorb some of these, but in order to be able to continue to offer best-in-class quality and technology to our customers, we have now announced a 2.7 percent hike in our car prices.”
Airbags
Airbags can be invaluable in the event of a collision. Programmed to deploy instantly in the event of a collision, airbags prevent a car’s occupants from coming into contact with hard materials in the cabin. Hence, airbags lead to a significant reduction in the probability of a car’s occupants sustaining severe injuries in case of an accident.
ABS
In an emergency situation, ABS allows a driver to brake extremely hard, without there being any risk of the car’s wheels locking up, which can subsequently lead to loss of control. ABS works in all weather conditions as well as on wet, slippery tarmac, and is hence an important safety feature.

Continental, celebrating a decade of making a breakthrough in double-clutch transmission

Automatic transmission and a sporty driving style were once terms you would not necessarily link. But we are now celebrating the tenth anniversary of the wide-scale launch of a technology that dispelled this apparent contradiction: the double clutch transmission (DCT).

Increasing numbers of motorists, particularly in Europe and China, are thrilling to the combination of fun-filled driving and a fully automatic transmission – while using five percent less fuel than with a manual transmission. It is hardly surprising that the DCT is one of the most significant innovations in the transmission sector. Continental is one of the pioneers of this technology, says a company statement.

“We’ve been involved in double-clutch control since the end of the 1990s. From the outset, we have used our expertise in managing stepped automatic and continuously variable transmissions. This meant that in 2003, we were able to make a crucial contribution to a breakthrough in this transmission technology,” explains Rudolf Stark, head of the Transmission business unit.
Milestone
Continental’s expertise is used in almost every DCT on the market. In 2013 the international automotive supplier produced approximately 14 million control units worldwide, over two million of them coming from the pioneering plant in Nuremberg alone. Continental set milestones for this technology right from the very start: firstly with a control unit fully integrated into the transmission for the world’s first six-speed wet double-clutch transmission, the Volkswagen DQ250, and from 2007 on with the control unit for the first dry version of a gearbox of this type with seven speeds.
Only a year later, in an electro-mechanically actuated Getrag DCT, Continental presented a mechatronics module combining for the first time the transmission control unit and two brushless DC gearshift motors. The unit also contained sensors that record the position of the gear actuators. This made the gearshift processes even quicker and more accurate. A further advantage of this high level of functional integration was a significant reduction in the module’s weight and development cost.
Vital importance
In actual fact, the systematics and construction of a double-clutch transmission date back some 70 years. At its heart is a geartrain divided into two sub-transmissions. One is responsible for the even-numbered gears and the other for the odd-numbered ones. Each sub-transmission is connected to the engine flywheel via its own clutch. The clutch that lies in the flow of force of the gear that has been selected is engaged, while the other one remains disengaged.
Generally two multi-disk clutches, coated with transmission fluid, are used for the “wet” double clutch transmission. The fluid cools the clutch and also lubricates the wheel set. Conversely, “dry” DCTs operate with two dry-running friction-disk clutches. These are chiefly used solely in combination with engines with up to approximately 250 Nm torque. This is because without cooling fluid, it is difficult to dissipate the heat given off at higher levels of performance when the vehicle is shifting gear and pulling away.
With the one clutch disengaging in the same measure as the other one engages, it is possible to shift gears without any interruption in traction. The transmission control unit is crucially important in this process. Depending on what the driver’s performance requirement is, the control unit selects the right gear stage at lightning speed and manages the clutches and corresponding gearshift actuator so that the gear change is carried out promptly yet comfortably. This requires electronics that are not just high-performance but also heavy-duty. They must, after all, ensure that the gearshift processes perform with consistent uniformly throughout the service life of the vehicle.
Investments
Continental has succeeded in meeting such demanding requirements on a sustained basis. The control unit and its fully automated production process were developed at Continental’s main plant for transmission control in Nuremberg. Up to 100 different semiconductor components are used per module – in addition to many other sensor and mechatronic components. These components are positioned on a gold surface and connected by means of gold wires. One wire is three times thinner than a human hair. As it is not possible to process such fine structures manually, Continental employs bonders that carry out more than 100 work steps per second. The plants in Romania, Mexico, China, and Korea making up the global production network all use exactly the same manufacturing process.
Continental has once again stepped up advanced development of control unit technology, putting a new test and development center into operation in Nuremberg at the beginning of last year. The new facilities make it possible not only to test the functioning of the control electronics but also to test how they interact with the hydraulic or electro-mechanical actuator. This enables even more precise fine tuning of the system.
Ideal for use in hybrid drives
Until now mainly passenger cars were fitted with a double-clutch transmission. Such transmissions are, however, increasingly being installed in commercial vehicles and agricultural implements as well. It has even made inroads into two-wheeled vehicles. The DCT is an ideal teammate for an electrified drive system: Thanks to the system design with two sub-transmissions, it is possible not merely to position the electric motor between the engine and transmission; it can also be connected to one or both wheel sets with a switchable coupling. With this versatility, a further chapter in the success story of this innovative transmission type is sure to be written.
With provisional sales of around € 33.3 billion in 2013, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires, and technical elastomers, Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has more than 177,000 employees in 46 countries.
The Automotive Group with its three divisions Chassis & Safety (sales of around € 7.0 billion in 2012, 34,500 employees), Powertrain (sales of approximately €6.1 billion in 2012, 31,000 employees) and Interior (sales of approximately € 6.4 billion in 2012, 33,000 employees) achieved sales of about € 19.5 billion in 2012. The Automotive Group is present in more than 170 locations worldwide. As a partner of the automotive and commercial vehicle industry, it develops and produces innovative products and systems for a modern automotive future, in which cars provide individual mobility and driving pleasure consistent with driving safety, environmental responsibility and cost-efficiency.
The Chassis & Safety Division develops and produces electronic and hydraulic brake and chassis control systems, sensors, driver assistance systems, airbag electronics and -sensorics, washer systems and electronic air suspension systems. Its core competence is the integration of active and passive driving safety into ContiGuard. The Powertrain Division integrates innovative and efficient system solutions for vehicle powertrains. The comprehensive range of products includes gasoline and diesel injection systems, engine management, transmission control, including sensors and actuators, as well as fuel-supply systems and components and systems for hybrid and electric drives. Information management is at the very heart of the Interior Division, which provides a range of products that includes instrument clusters and multifunctional displays, control units, electronic car-entry systems, tire-monitoring systems, radios, multimedia and navigation systems, climate control systems, telematics solutions and cockpit modules and systems.

Gartner 2014 Magic Quadrant names Kaspesky Lab a ‘Leader’

Kaspersky Lab has been named a ‘Leader’ in the Gartner 2014 Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms for the third year in a row.* Kaspersky Lab believes this latest Gartner report honour once again confirms the company’s status as a top provider of endpoint protection solutions, according to a company statement.

The Gartner Magic Quadrant is an annual market research report based on complex analysis of the endpoint protection platforms of 18 IT security vendors. It can be utilized as a benchmark for companies seeking to evaluate vendors and products in the IT security industry, and can play an important role in the purchase decisions of enterprises on a global scale. Gartner evaluates vendors in two categories: “completeness of vision” and “ability to execute”. “Completeness of vision” includes 8 evaluation criteria: market understanding, marketing strategy, sales strategy, offering strategy, business model, vertical/industry strategy, innovation and geographic strategy. The “ability to execute” criteria include factors such as the vendor’s overall viability, market responsiveness/record, operations, sales execution/pricing, marketing execution and customer experience.
The Magic Quadrant categorizes the included vendors of the research into four groups: “Leaders”, “Challengers”, “Visionaries” and “Niche Players”. “Leaders” demonstrate balanced progress and effort in the execution and vision categories. Their capabilities in advanced malware protection, data protection and/or management features raise the competitive bar for all products on the market, and they are shaping the course of the industry. Kaspersky Lab was included in this “Leaders” group for the third consecutive year based on these criteria. The company has continued to improve its position on the graph and was positioned second furthest for “completeness of vision” among the other companies in the Leaders portion of the Magic Quadrant.
The company’s flagship security solution – Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business – has been recognized by businesses and IT leaders as a solution that not only delivers rapid and accurate malware detection, but also integrates numerous client management tools into a single management console. Some of these security management functions include vulnerability analysis, patch management, application inventory, application control, MDM, and centrally managed file-level and full-disk encryption, with preboot authentication for hard drives and removable devices.
Commenting on this recent achievement, Nikolay Grebennikov, Chief Technology Officer of Kaspersky Lab, said: “Our ambition is to see a safe and secure cyberspace by providing the ultimate protection to our clients, and we believe our latest position within the Gartner Magic Quadrant shows that we are on the right path. This is a great achievement for us and I think it shows that our long-term strategy of investing heavily in technologies and expertise continues to bring great results. It’s very encouraging to see that our efforts are being acknowledged by the leading IT market researcher.”
*Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms, Peter Firstbrook, John Girard, Neil MacDonald, January 8, 2014.
About Gartner Magic Quadrant Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organisation and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.Kaspersky Lab is the world’s largest privately held vendor of endpoint protection solutions. The company is ranked among the world’s top four vendors of security solutions for endpoint users**. Throughout its more than 16-year history Kaspersky Lab has remained an innovator in IT security and provides effective digital security solutions for large enterprises, SMBs and consumers. Kaspersky Lab, with its holding company registered in the United Kingdom, currently operates in almost 200 countries and territories across the globe, providing protection for over 300 million users worldwide. Learn more at kaspersky.com.
** The company was rated fourth in the IDC rating Worldwide Endpoint Security Revenue by Vendor, 2012. The rating was published in the IDC report “Worldwide Endpoint Security 2013–2017 Forecast and 2012 Vendor Shares (IDC #242618, August 2013). The report ranked software vendors according to earnings from sales of endpoint security solutions in 2012.

New Vehicle Crash Test Centre to come up in Chennai soon, NCAP standards on the anvil

A new Vehicle Crash Centre will come up in Chennai within two years. A first of its kind facility is likely to be set up in Chennai within one and a half years, while the Road Transport Ministry has commenenced the process of setting standards for New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), according to a TOI report.

Safety test mandatory

One the NCAP is in place, all new demo vehicles should be compulsorily clear this safety tests, comply with all safety parameters and obtain certification for their structural strength, noted the report. Currently, vehicles sold in the country only are subjected to front and rear crash tests.
It may be recalled that not in the distant past, Union Minister for Road Transport, Oscar Fernandes has informed that the Ministry had initiated talks with other ministries and the industry body, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) to firm up NCAP. Quoting industry grapevines, the report further said the process will take a while as the standards have to be finalised. A Government official was quoted as saying by the report that many states had not even notified the maximum speed limit. ‘How one can go ahead with planning big things until you have the basics in place, therefore, we should not be in a haste to do copycat of the norms and standards of Europe’, the official told the daily.
Oscar Fernandes’ statements came when there were only two weeks left for reaching at a decision for the Global NCAP was to be implemented, with first ever independent consumer crash tests for some the country’s popular compact cars, the report said and added that to carry out such safety tests, the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP) was setting up a modern facility under Centre of Excellence for Passive Safety at GARC, Chennai. What is more, two other passive safety facilities at iCAT and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) are also being established.
Chennai facility
The new crash facility that is coming up in Chennai will be state of the art with the capability to perform frontal car to car crash, sled test, full vehicle crash test as well as angular car to car crash, the report said and added that the new facility would also be able capable of performing EuroNCAP and USANCAP tests, with ultra modern equipment to gauge and film the crash test and even climatic control of the impact zone that are required.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India achieves a milestone of acquiring 15 million customers in 13 years

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI), the fastest growing two-wheeler manufacturer in India today announced the acquisition of 15 million customer milestone in its 13th year of operation in India. According to a company statement, the latest five million customers were added in just 18 months after the declaration of ten million customer milestone in July, 2012.

This extraordinary pace is an outcome of Honda’s foray in the mass motorcycle segment- Dream Yuga and Dream Neo being well accepted in the market. Also, Honda’s consistent market leadership in automatic scooter segment is affirmative of its excellent quality product offerings.
HMSI came into existence on December 14, 1999 and its first production facility at Manesar commenced operations in 2001. Currently operates three manufacturing plants at Manesar (Haryana) and Tapukara (Rajasthan) and Narsapura  (Kolar district of Karnataka) with the cumulative production capacity to reach 46 lakh units annually by FY’14 end.

Speaking on this achievement, Keita Muramatsu – President and CEO, HMSI said: “Together we have successfully given Joy of mobility to 15 Million Happy customers. We firmly believe customer experience and customer loyalty is priceless and will work very closely with our customers to enhance the same”.

Expressing sincere gratitude to Honda customers, YS Guleria – Vice President, Sales and Marketing, HMSI said: “Achieving the 15 million customers mark in such a short period is a testimony to growing customer trust on Honda brand. To meet customer demand and reach out to new markets, Honda has intensified its efforts to rapidly expand its network by adding 500 new touch-points and take its growing network to 2500.”
CSR
Honda has also been the Industry First to promote Fun, Safety and Environment in India. As a responsible manufacturer, HMSI has till date trained more than 400,000 individuals including children and women and is successfully operating Traffic Training parks in Delhi and Jaipur. Very recently, Honda announced partnership with POGO and associated with Chhota Bheem for road safety promotion among kids. In another announcement HMSI declared association with South Delhi Municipal Corporation, to educate young minds on road safety.

Travel safe with Transcend DrivePro 200 car video recorder

Motorists coping with rising holiday traffic levels face the increased possibility of unexpected situations that may require detailed examination later. The newly released DrivePro 200 Car Video Recorder by Transcend Information Inc, a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, includes everything users need to capture real-time footage of their road trip and could hold the key to safer driving, according to a company statement.

More Motorists Escalate Need for Extra Diligence
Visiting family and friends during the holidays can be fun, but with many relying on their car to complete the journey, it can also be a potentially hazardous time to travel. Due to the higher number of vehicles on the road, drivers are urged to take extra precautions. Installing a car video recorder (also known as dashboard camera or dash cam) has been shown to promote safe driving and potentially lower accident rates; in addition to providing reliable evidence should the worst happen.
Four Tips on Choosing the Right Car Video Recorder
Here are four major features and benefits to consider when choosing a car video recorder:

1.    Enhanced Night Recording	On-road incidents can happen at any moment. For this reason, a car video recorder must have the ability to record at any time of the day or night.
2.    Wide Angle View, High Quality Lens & Full HD Recording	Involved individuals trying to establish the cause of an accident will benefit from more clear and detailed video evidence.
3.    Impact Detection	Deleted files cannot be recovered easily. Impact Detection is an important safety measure that ensures videos recorded in a collision are not lost.
4.    Instant Sharing	Download and share recorded videos with insurance companies and police using an Apple or Android device thanks to wireless connectivity.

DrivePro 200 Car Video Recorder
Transcend’s DrivePro 200 Car Video Recorder combines a 160 degree wide viewing angle, large f/2.0 aperture, and a row of seven glass lenses to capture on-road events in high clarity even in low-light conditions. The DrivePro 200’s motion G-Sensor instantly triggers emergency recording mode when it detects an impact, which protects the current recording, including the critical seconds before contact, from being deleted. Moreover, built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and exclusive DrivePro App allow real-time Live View, video playback, and device configuration directly from a smartphone.
The feature-rich DrivePro 200 Full HD Car Video Recorder with 16 GB microSDHC Class 10 MLC memory card is currently available for a suggested price of $ 169. DrivePro 200 is backed by a two-year warranty.
Transcend is a globally recognised leader in the manufacture of storage, multimedia and industrial products. Established in Taiwan in 1988, Transcend offers a full line of standard and proprietary memory modules, flash cards, USB flash drives, portable hard drives, solid-state drives, digital music players, card readers, multimedia products and industrial products. Transcend has established offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, The Netherlands, Japan, Korea, China and Hong Kong. As a customer-focused company, Transcend has the ability to quickly respond to the market’s changing needs. For more information, visit transcend-info.com.