Google Pay, NPCI Sign MoU to Expand UPI Globally, Aim to Ease Digital Payments Abroad

Google Pay and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will work together to expand Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the instant payments system widely used in the country, to international markets, Google and NPCI confirmed Wednesday. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Google Pay India and NPCI subsidiary, NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), to bring the instant payment functionality to other countries. UPI has become a widespread mode of digital payment throughout India in recent years, with interoperability between payments apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm. The value processed via UPI payments in 2023 stood at Rs. 167 lakh crores, according to Google.The MoU signed between Google Pay India and NIPL primarily seeks to ease digital payments abroad for travellers outside of India. The collaboration will also aid in establishing a UPI-style digital payments infrastructure in other countries, a press release for the announcement said. Additionally, Google and NPCI also aim to leverage the UPI infrastructure to ease the process of remittances between countries, thus simplifying cross-border financial exchanges. “UPI has demonstrated to the world the step change that happens in economies with the introduction of interoperable, population scale digital infrastructure and each economy that joins such networks will create impact beyond the sum of parts,” Deeksha Kaushal, director of partnerships at Google Pay India said.According to the press release, the initiative will also help bring Indian customers to foreign merchants, reducing the need for credit or forex cards and instead allow UPI apps like Google Pay for international digital payments. “This strategic partnership will not only simplify foreign transactions for Indian travellers but will also allow us to extend our knowledge and expertise of operating a successful digital payments ecosystem to other countries,” Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NPCI International Payments Limited, said. Last year, Google Pay introduced a UPI Lite feature on its platform that enables small-value digital payments with just one tap, without the need to enter the UPI PIN, as required in regular transactions. UPI Lite supports a maximum instant transaction of up to Rs. 200 at a time. Users can load their UPI Lite account with up to Rs. 2,000, twice a day.In August, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) increased the UPI Lite transaction limit from Rs. 200 to Rs. 500. The overall wallet limit, however, was retained at Rs. 2,000 only. A month later, NPCI said that UPI transactions had crossed the 10-billion mark in August. According to the NPCI data, number of UPI transactions stood at 10.24 billion on August 30. In value terms, the transactions amounted to Rs. 15,18,456.4 crore exchanging hands.  

Apple Vision Pro to Support Several Streaming Services in the US; to Feature 3D Versions of Over 150 Movies

Apple Vision Pro is set to arrive next month and the Cupertino company has now revealed a list of streaming services that will be supported when its first mixed reality headset makes its debut in the US. Meanwhile, customers who want to watch content from other services can do so via Safari, according to Apple. The Vision Pro headset will allow wearers to watch both 2D and 3D movies and over 150 movies will be available on the headset when it is launched. The company has announced that the Apple Vision Pro will support several streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Crunchyroll, Discovery+, Disney+, ESPN, Fubo, IMAX, MLB, MUBI, Max, NBA, PGA Tour, Paramount+, Peacock, Pluto TV, Red Bull TV, TikTok, and Tubi. These platforms will allow users to download and stream TV shows and movies or watch sports content with their subscription. Streaming applications will also be able to take advantage of the immersive features offered by the Apple Vision Pro. Four 'environments' will be available on the headset — the El Capitan Theatre-inspired by Disney+ Theater, the Scare Floor from Monster's Inc, the cockpit of Luke Skywalker's landspeeder, and the view of downtown Manhattan from Marvel's Avengers Tower, according to the company.Meanwhile, the Apple Vision Pro will allow you to view movies in 2D and 3D with Spatial Audio — customers will have access to 150 3D movies including Avatar: The Way of Water, Dune, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Other 3D movies will also be available to rent or buy via the Apple TV app, according to the company.Scheduled to arrive in the US on February 2, the Apple Vision Pro is equipped with dual micro-OLED displays with a combined 23 million pixels. The headset is powered by the company's M2 chip for CPU, GPU, and NPU tasks, while another, new M2 based chip called R1 handles streaming to the display. Apple's headset is powered by an external battery pack that offers up to 2.5 hours of battery life.The device has an eye-watering $3,499 (roughly Rs. 2.9 lakh) price tag, while customers who wear spectacles will have to shell out more for Zeiss optical inserts. The company is yet to provide a timeline for the launch of the Apple Vision Pro in other markets — including India, but more information could be made available in the coming months.  

Google Chrome Incognito Mode Warning Updated After Long-Disputed Tracking Lawsuit

Google Chrome has been updated with an updated warning that is displayed when users open the built-in Incognito Mode, the private browsing feature that is designed to clear user data from the same session after the browser is closed. The new message displayed when Incognito Mode is opened informs users that websites can still collect user data, while other users on the device won't be able to see their activity. The change comes after a long-disputed tracking lawsuit that claimed Incognito Mode was not as private as advertised. MSPowerUser spotted a new warning on Google Chrome Canary 122.0.6251.0 that changes the message displayed when an Incognito Mode window is opened. The version of Google Chrome on the stable channel says “Now you can browse privately, and other people who use this device won't see your activity. However, downloads, bookmarks and reading list items will be saved."The new message displayed by Google now says “Others who use this device won't see your activity, so you can browse more privately. This won't change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use, including Google. Downloads, bookmarks and reading list items will be saved." The warning clearly informs users that websites can still collect data on their browsing activity, even when Incognito Mode is enabled. The other details of items saved by Chrome locally on the device and visibility of personal information to third parties remains the same, according to the screenshot shared by the publication. The changes made to Chrome come a month after Google reportedly said it was ready to settle a class action lawsuit that began in 2020 and accused the company of "track, collect, and identify [users'] browsing data in real time" even when they had enabled Incognito Mode on their browser. The agreement is expected to be presented by the end of the month and approval could reportedly be granted in February. Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.  

US Supreme Court Rejects Appeals From Apple, Epic Games Over App Store Antitrust Ruling

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a challenge by Apple to a lower court's decision requiring changes to certain rules in its lucrative App Store, as the justices shunned the lengthy legal battle between the iPhone maker and Epic Games, maker of the popular video game Fortnite.The justices also turned away Epic's appeal of the lower court's ruling that Apple's App Store policies limiting how software is distributed and paid for do not violate federal antitrust laws. The justices gave no reasons for their decision to deny the appeals. Epic filed an antitrust lawsuit in 2020, accusing Apple of acting as an illegal monopolist by requiring consumers to get apps through its App Store and buy digital content inside an app using its own system. Apple charges up to a 30 percent commission for in-app purchases.US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in 2021 rejected Epic's antitrust claims against Apple. But the judge found that Apple violated California's unfair competition law by barring developers from "steering" users to make digital purchases that bypass Apple's in-app system, which Epic contends could save them money with lower commissions. The San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld much of Rogers' decision in 2023, finding that Epic had "failed to prove the existence of substantially less restrictive alternatives" to Apple's system.The judge's injunction requires Apple to let app developers provide links and buttons that direct consumers to other ways to pay for digital content that they use in their apps.In its appeal to the Supreme Court, Epic had said that the 9th Circuit's decision "guarantees severe anticompetitive harm and effectively insulates the most monopolistic tech-platform practices from antitrust scrutiny. "Sweeney wrote on his social media post: "As of today, developers can begin exercising their court-established right to tell US customers about better prices on the web."Apple had noted in its appeal that Epic did not file a class-action lawsuit and said the broad injunction imposed by Rogers exceeds the constitutional authority of federal courts, which typically should be limited to providing relief to the parties before them.    

Adobe Announces New Audio Feature For Premiere Pro With AI Capabilities In Beta

Premiere Pro’s new audio feature include interactive fade handles on clips in the timeline so editors can simply click and drag to create a variety of custom audio fades. Additionally, new AI-powered audio category tagging automatically identifies and labels clips with icons for dialogue, music, sound effects or ambient noise, giving editors one-click access to the most relevant tools for each type of audio.Furthermore, there are redesigned clip badges that enhance visibility, making it easier to identify clips with effects, swiftly add new effects, or adjust effect settings. The waveforms, now more modern and intelligent, dynamically resize when the track height is changed. Additionally, improved clip colors contribute to enhanced visibility and facilitate audio work on the timeline.Collectively, these new features and innovations constitute a significant update to the audio workflow in Premiere Pro. They empower editors to create videos with high-quality audio and streamline the final mix process with fewer clicks.Whether your project is completed inside Premiere Pro or moves to other finishing tools, it’s become critical that picture and audio look and sound finished throughout the editing process so the narrative can shine through. As more professional editors than ever choose Premiere Pro than ever, we’re prioritizing core workflows so you can tell your story with powerful industry standard tools.Our product managers, designers, and engineers worked closely with hundreds of professional editors to understand how to improve this core editing workflow without impacting muscle memory. We worked through iterating designs, testing ideas, and incorporating feedback based on real world use cases over months of development, and we’re excited these features are available for you to use today. We encourage you to try this in the Premiere Pro (beta) and give us your feedback! If you’re a Creative Cloud member, you have access to beta apps. You can even install the beta side-by-side with the current release of Premiere Pro without issue.The charging case is a bit large to store the fins, and they just about squeeze into the coin pocket of your denim. I liked how the pods go into pairing mode as soon as you take them out of the case and connect seamlessly to your phone. On the pods, you have touch controls to do everything from changing tracks to adjusting volume. But you will need to take some time to remember how many taps are needed for each of these and on which sides.  

“There Will Be Jobs”: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella On How AI Will Change Workplace

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is considered to be one of the key developments of 2023 as tech honchos highlighted the positive impact of the technology across society. However, several C-suite executives, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Google CEO Sundar Pichai have hinted at job cuts, sugarcoating what’s to come.Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has shared his take and just like his industry peers, he has also painted an optimistic picture, saying that there will be a reduction in jobs as we know but different types of jobs will be created that will require new sets of skills. “There will be jobs, the question is the shape of these jobs. If anything, these tools can be very helpful with getting us the skills for what is the new set of tasks,”Artificial Intelligence (AI) is considered to be one of the key developments of 2023 as tech honchos highlighted the positive impact of the technology across society. However, several C-suite executives, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Google CEO Sundar Pichai have hinted at job cuts, sugarcoating what’s to come. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has shared his take and just like his industry peers, he has also painted an optimistic picture, saying that there will be a reduction in jobs as we know but different types of jobs will be created that will require new sets of skills.“There will be jobs, the question is the shape of these jobs. If anything, these tools can be very helpful with getting us the skills for what is the new set of tasks,” he said at London’s Chatham House, a day before heading to Davos for the World Economic Forum.“Everyone can become an expert in anything because they have an AI assistant,” he added.His comments came soon after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that AI is set to affect nearly 40% of all jobs, with IMF’s managing director Kristalina Georgieva adding that “in most scenarios, AI will likely worsen overall inequality”. Nadella on use cases of AINadella also said that generative AI products like ChatGPT should be welcomed as they disrupt how people get access to information.“Let’s face it, there’s a real aggregation power in a few places, right? Search is one. News feeds is another. Both of these things could be up for disruption,” Nadella said, adding that as a result, journalists and publishers “should welcome” generative AI, as per a report by Politico.Recently, The New York Times filed a lawsuit against both OpenAI and Microsoft accusing the companies of copyright infringement. It said that the outlet’s journalistic content was used to train models underlying the ChatGPT AI chatbot.  

MrBeast Posts His Video On X, Here’s What He Is Testing

It all started around two weeks ago when MrBeast said in a post that he had uploaded a video on his other social platforms and that users should go and watch it. Replying to his post, a user said that he should post videos on X to monetise them.“Yeah,” Musk said, joining the conversation. However, MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, said, “My videos cost millions to make and even if they got a billion views on X it wouldn't fund a fraction of it.” “I'm down though to test stuff once monetization is really cranking!” added MrBeast, who said in an interview in 2022 that his video production has a massive budget. He said that he could be doing cheaper videos but he doesn't want to and “want to push the boundaries to go bigger, bigger.”The billionaire re-posted a video created by Jimmy Donaldson, better known to his 230 million-plus YouTube subscribers as MrBeast. That’s after a back-and-forth dating back years, during which the Tesla Inc. chief executive traded messages with the online celeb about X’s potential.Musk’s vision is to transform the social media platform he took over in 2022 into what he calls “the everything app,” or a collection of the services that users now turn to on their smartphones. Musk has mentioned his interest in making X more competitive with Google’s YouTube, the global leader in online video. This month, X announced a slate of new shows, including a partnership with former CNN anchor Don Lemon.But it still has only a fraction of the users on rival services such as Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook, and advertisers have migrated to other platforms. Ad revenue was on track to slump in 2023, in part because of brands’ concerns about changes to X’s content-moderation policies.  

Dakar 2024 Result: Harith Noah Wins in Rally 2 Class, Hero MotoSports Makes History

The 2024 Dakar Rally was a great event that came to a close. After years of KTM domination, Honda finally won the Dakar Rally, with Hero MotorSports finishing in second place, just behind the KTMs. It is worth mentioning that Harith Noah won the Rally 2 class, which was a significant milestone for India in the Dakar Rally.The short 175km special stage of the day was all KTM, as the brand was on full display with a 1-2 podium finish. Toby Price won the stage, with defending champion Kevin Benavides in hot pursuit. But the overall winners were decided over the previous days, and Honda's Ricky Brabec was in the lead from the start. For a short time, Hero's Ross Branch was the race leader. After Benevides and Price of KTM crossed the finish line first and second, Adrien Van Beveren of KTM took third.As the only manufacturer entered in the Rally 2 class of this year's Dakar Rally, Harith Noah—supported by TVS—and Sherco were the only competitors to stand out. After finishing the most recent stage in eleventh place, the Indian rider won the Rally 2 class overall. Even in the overall standings, Noah's performance was remarkable. He finished the 2024 Dakar Rally in eleventh place, making history as the first Indian to ever win a stage, finish on the podium, and finish in the top fifteen.Noah showed resiliency by overcoming health issues in the first week and then picked up steam in the second week of the competition. His incredible jump from 18th to 13th place overall over the 48H Chrono Stage 6 is worth noting. Stage 8 and Stage 10, in which he twice set the fastest rally, were particularly impressive for his sustained growth.It's important to remember that RallyGP and Rally 2 are two separate classes. Only highly experienced racers who have been accepted by the FIM Championship Committee based on their sports credentials are allowed to compete in the RallyGP class. Rally 2 offers a more welcoming environment for riders from various backgrounds since it is available to anyone who isn't already in the RallyGP riders' registration.Despite finishing ten minutes and fifty-three seconds behind winner Ricky Brabec, Hero MotoSports' Ross Branch managed an outstanding second-place finish in the 2024 Dakar Rally. Hero MotoSports has achieved a remarkable feat, becoming the first Indian team to secure a podium place in the esteemed race.By the end of the sixth stage of the 2024 Dakar Rally, three of Hero's four riders had pulled out due to the extreme difficulties they had encountered. Ross Branch was the sole Hero MotoSports competitor in Dakar 2024, despite the team's other three riders withdrawing: Joaquim Rodrigues, Sebastian Buhler, and Joan Barreda Bort. Nevertheless, he quickly established himself as a strong candidate for the ultimate win.Branch won the first stage of the rally and remained in first place until the fifth stage. He showed his skill by finishing second in Stage 11 with the fastest time and then followed Honda's Ricky Brabec closely in the following stages.Ross Branch said: “Finally finished the Dakar!! It was a really tough Dakar 2024, and I'm so thrilled to be here! Finishing on the podium was always the goal, and today it's a dream come true. I'm really over the moon to achieve this goal for Hero. And a big thank you to the team for developing a highly competitive machine, for the sleepless 3 weeks here, and for everything they've sacrificed to reach to this point. I'm really proud of my team. We've got some more work to do to be on the next step, so we'll look forward to that in the next year. A big thank you to everyone for your continued support from all around the world!”With a ninth-place finish in the last 174-kilometre stage near Yanbu, the South African rider solidified his position as second overall. This incredible feat not only marks Branch's first podium finish at the Dakar, but it also marks the first podium for an Indian team in the history of the race.    

Hyundai Motor India Acquires GMs Talegaon Plant; to Invest Rs 6,000 Crore in Maharashtra

Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL), has acquired the Talegaon factory of General Motors India, located in Pune, Maharashtra. Following the fulfillment of specific requirements and obtainment regulatory clearance from the relevant government departments and stakeholders, the acquisition has been completed. Hyundai Motor India has also inked a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government. With this, it has pledged to spend Rs 6,000 crore in the state.  At the moment, the Talegaon factory produces 1,30,000 units per year. To reach its targets, the automaker plans to increase production capacity even further. HMIL states that the facility will be updated to meet the company's global manufacturing and operational needs. To achieve production excellence, investments will be undertaken in stages to gradually update the plant's existing infrastructure and equipment.Mr. Un Soo Kim, MD & CEO, of Hyundai Motor India Ltd., shared his thoughts on the acquisition and commented ''India is a very important market for Hyundai Motor Company, and we are committed to providing benchmark creating products & technologies to Indian customers. As we look forward to the next decade of progress for Hyundai Motor India, it is critical for us to augment our manufacturing capacity in India.''He further added ''The Talegaon manufacturing plant will play the role of a catalyst in achieving HMIL’s 1 million annual production capacity milestone. The acquisition of the Talegaon plant reinforces our commitment to ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India), by making India a hub for advanced smart mobility solutions, Make-In-India for the world. Our manufacturing operations are scheduled to begin in Talegaon, Maharashtra in the year 2025.”With a starting price of Rs 10.99 lakh (ex-showroom), Hyundai launched the eagerly awaited Creta Facelift in India on January 16. Along with many interior upgrades and a new engine option, the facelift gives the car a more robust exterior look. Over 70 safety features—36 of which are standard—are included in the recently redesigned Creta. TPMS, electronic stability control, an all-wheel disc brake system, and six airbags are a few of them. The highest-spec versions come with 19 Level 2 ADAS features (Hyundai SmartSense).The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated (NA) and 1.5-litre CRDi diesel engine options for the SUV remain the same. However, a new 1.5-litre turbocharged GDi petrol engine is now offered as an option in this lineup. The new 1.5-litre turbocharged GDi petrol unit delivers 158bhp and 253Nm of performance numbers.    

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Volvo’s 10,000th car in India is its first pure electric offering

Volvo Car India has achieved a significant milestone by producing its ten thousandth car at its Bangalore facility. The company, which began assembly operations in 2017, has seen the highest production of the XC60 model, with over 4000 units produced to date.Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director of Volvo Car India, in a company statement, revealed that the honour of being the ten thousandth car produced goes to the XC40 Recharge, the company's first pure electric offering.Malhotra said, "It is indeed a matter of pride for the company to have reached this milestone in a short span of time in spite of nearly three years of pandemic disruptions."Gao Feng, Production Head of Volvo Car India, highlighted the plant's achievement of rolling out India's first domestically assembled electric vehicle (EV), the XC40 Recharge. Today, the company assembles all its models in India, including the XC90, XC60, S90, XC40 Recharge, and the recently launched C40 Recharge.Meanwhile, Volvo Car India announced a 2% price increase for its conventional engine vehicles on Monday, while the prices of its EV offerings remain unchanged.Following the price hike, the XC60 is priced at ₹68.9 lakh, the S90 at ₹68.25 lakh, and the XC90 at ₹1,00,89,000.However, the prices of the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge remain unchanged at ₹57.9 lakh and ₹62.95 lakh, respectively.    

Hyundai introduces ‘IONIQ 5 N NPX1’ concept with N Performance Parts

Hyundai Motor Company has unveiled the ‘IONIQ 5 N NPX1’, a concept model equipped with prototype N Performance Parts, at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2024. The ‘NPX1’ is the first N Performance Parts concept model based on the company’s high-performance electric vehicle (EV) IONIQ 5 N. The company plans to enhance the EV ownership experience with N Performance Parts, a project that began in 2019 and continues to develop high-quality tuning parts for customers. Following the success of internal combustion engine vehicles such as the Elantra N, i30 N, and i20 N, Hyundai N plans to offer specialised tuning components for all-electric N models, including the IONIQ 5 N.The ‘NPX1’ concept model previews a range of N-specific enhancements that will soon be available for purchase from a catalogue of N Performance Parts.These enhancements include a carbon front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser, rear wing spoiler, lightweight hybrid carbon wheels, high-performance brake pads, and lowering springs. The concept model’s interior is further enhanced with Alcantara material and racing bucket seats.The prototype N Performance Parts applied to the NPX1 concept will be further developed for production in preparation for sales in 2024. Starting with the IONIQ 5 N, Hyundai N will expand the availability of N Performance Parts products for all N models.Joon Park, Vice President of N Brand Management Group at Hyundai, said, “In 2024, Hyundai Motor Company will take a step forward as a leader in new tuning parts suitable for the high-performance EV era as demonstrated with the ‘NPX1’ concept model.”He added that the company is also developing software customisation such as sound and vehicle calibration by over-the-air (OTA) updates, opening a completely new category of EV customisation for an exciting future for the tuning community.    

Tata Punch facelift launch confirmed for 2025

The Tata Punch petrol will see a mid-life facelift sometime next year. Confirming this development on the sidelines of the Punch EV launch, Tata Motors’ Passenger Vehicles Unit MD, Shailesh Chandra, said, “As far as the upgrade of the Punch is concerned, you know that it was launched in October 2021. Typical facelift period is three years. So, we should be expecting a facelift for the ICE version only in mid-2025, or slightly later.” Just like what we’ve seen on the Nexon and Harrier facelifts recently, expect Tata Motors to update the Punch SUV’s styling with fresh design cues to bring it in line with the newer Tata models. Changes to the front bumper and grille, along with minor tweaks to the headlamps and the bonnet can be expected to make the small SUV look new.Like the Nexon and the Nexon EV facelift, there will be styling bits that will help differentiate the petrol-powered Punch from the recently launched Punch EV. What’s more, Chandra also said that the Punch will have feature differences between the petrol and EV versions.   

Renault Bigster global debut later this year

The new Renault Bigster SUV will see a global debut later this year and is expected to go on sale internationally by early 2025. Revealed as a concept in 2021, it is essentially a three-row iteration of the all-new Duster, which made its global debut a few months ago.  Sources have conveyed to our friends at Motor1 Brazil that the Bigster SUV will share its design cues largely with the new Duster and the Bigster concept. Essentially, it will be most likely an elongated version of the Duster, similar to what we see with the Creta and Alcazar in India. There will, however, be styling, tech and equipment differences on the inside and out.  This new SUV from Renault will be around 4.6 metres long – nearly 0.3 metres longer than the new Duster, which measures 4.34 metres. It will get rugged looks and interior bits from the Duster, but there will be more upmarket materials and additional creature comforts to justify the SUV's higher price tag. The Duster currently has a 2,657mm wheelbase, which also could see an increment for the Bigster in order to facilitate easy ingress-egress and more cabin room. As far as the platform goes, the Bigster will share the same CMF-B modular architecture. There isn’t much known about its powertrain options, however, it will be safe to expect that the SUV will share its powertrain line-up with the latest-gen Duster, which comes with three engine options – two of which are electrified.  Starting the proceedings is the 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol hybrid that gets two electric motors; this engine comes with an automatic gearbox. It also comes with regenerative braking and a 1.2kWh battery, enabling purely electric driving for up to 80 percent of the time in the city.The next engine is the 130hp, 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol coupled with a 48V starter motor. While the Duster will also come with a 1.0-litre petrol-LPG option in some markets, there is no diesel option in any market right now. The next engine is the 130hp, 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol coupled with a 48V starter motor. While the Duster will also come with a 1.0-litre petrol-LPG option in some markets, there is no diesel option in any market right now.  

Tata Motors aims for EVs to make up 15-17 percent of its volume in 2024

Tata Motors, which currently holds over 75 percent of electric vehicle market share, expects strong demand for its latest all-electric model – the Punch EV. The carmaker clocked its best-ever EV sales of 69,153 units in CY23, registering a robust 62 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth (CY22: 43,451 units). The electric SUV, which expands the company’s EV portfolio to four products – Tiago EV, Tigor EV, Nexon EV and Punch EV – will allow Tata Motors to tap into another vacant space in the segment. In the ongoing calendar year, it has the Curvv and Harrier EVs lined up for introduction, while next year, it will further expand its EV line-up with the Sierra EV and Altroz EV. Tata Motors currently sees EV volume contribution being pegged at around 12-15 percent (17-20 percent in terms of revenues), and expects it to reach 15-17 percent by the end of 2024. It expects EV penetration in its portfolio to touch 25 percent over the next three years, and reach 50 percent by 2030. The company anticipates waiting periods to creep in for the Punch EV, but is also geared to ramp up capacity at its newly operational plant in Sanand, Gujarat, to bring the delivery times under control, and within reasonable timeframes. “We are prepared to ramp up capacity starting the second half of this month, and we are hopeful of keeping the waiting periods within a reasonable number of months,” said Shailesh Chandra, managing director of Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM) and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles. As the company switches to Gen-2 ground-up EV architecture – Acti.ev – with the Punch EV, Tata Motors says its magnitude of investment in EVs has increased multifold. Tata Motors believes the Punch EV is uniquely positioned between the Tiago EV and Nexon EV in its portfolio, and targets the young buyer eyeing an all-rounder product.“With almost 65 percent buyers being younger than 35, tech-savvy, and having a certain price point in mind, if one offers a product with a high value, it is bound to create a new customer segment for this kind of an EV, which, with its over 400km range, does not limit the car purely for city use,” Chandra said.He further said that the Nexon and Tiago EVs have very different customer bases – the former is used as a primary car, but in a multi-car household, while the latter – a 320km-range product – is primarily used within the city with limited outdoorsy experience. “The Punch EV sits right in between the two. There is no such product below Rs 15 lakh so far, and therefore, there is not going to be significant cannibalisation within our portfolio,” he further highlighted.Last month, Tata Motors opened two of its flagship EV-only stores in Gurugram, and aims to expand the exercise with more such outlets in key markets across the country in the next 12-18 months.  

Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles eyes ASEAN market for Jawa exports

The company has been exporting Jawa back to the Czech Republic-based JAWA Moto spol. S r.O. The successor to the original JAWA company using the trademark JAWA, which in turn sells the bikes mostly in Eastern Europe and the Czech Republic. Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles plans to start exports of Jawa brand of bikes in ASEAN countries in the next three to four months, a top company official said on Thursday. The company, which launched the new Jawa 350 priced at Rs 2,14,950 (ex-showroom Delhi), is also working to enhance its reach across India, especially in smaller cities targeting to open 750 outlets in the next 24 to 30 months, Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles CEO Ashish Singh Joshi told reporters in an interaction here. The company has been exporting Jawa back to the Czech Republic-based JAWA Moto spol. S r.O. The successor to the original JAWA company using the trademark JAWA, which in turn sells the bikes mostly in Eastern Europe and the Czech Republic. We also sell directly in Nepal and we have already opened operations in the Philippines, which will serve as the hub to sell in other ASEAN countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand," Joshi said. This is likely to start in the next three to four months, he said.On export volumes, Joshi said it is not so large considering the company's focus has been on the Indian market.After making a comeback in India in 2018, the company has sold about 2 lakh units in total, out of which nearly 5,000 units have been exported.When asked about domestic plans, Joshi said Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles plans to bring in more models to add to the existing nine products in its stable at present without specifying details. Also, he said the company is on a network expansion journey to widen and deepen its presence across India. "We are looking to increase our outlets to 750 in the next 24 to 30 months from 423 at present," he said, adding that when the company started it was mainly in the metros and major cities.It has gradually entered smaller cities and towns and will continue to do so, while also increasing the number of outlets in cities where it already has a presence to deepen its presence, Joshi added.On the outlook, he said the company is looking at "double-digit" growth this year, having overcome the COVID-19 induced disruptions and supply chain issues."2024 is going to be the year of consolidation for us," he said, adding that the premium motorcycle segment in India has recovered while the entry-level motorcycle segment is also witnessing recovery.  

2024 Hyundai Creta Facelift Review: New Look, Updated Interior And Powertrains Enhance Bestseller’s Appeal

Strikingly different face with new radiator grille. All-new dashboard and interior trim with Level 2 ADAS. Dual-clutch transmission returns but with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol. This is the new Hyundai Creta. Not a generation change, but this is a facelifted version of the second-gen Creta which has been Hyundai’s best-selling model for some time now. It has been given a substantial refresh in terms of design, features and a new range-topping powertrain.The Creta remains the same size as the version it replaces. On paper, the length has increased by 30 mm due to the redesigned bumpers but overall width, height, wheelbase and front/rear tracks don’t change. Even ground clearance is the same at 190mm.The front and rear design has undergone a sea change. Two years ago, Hyundai started production of the Creta in Indonesia and it looked different than the one in India and most jumped the gun to say that this was the one that would come to India as well. However, what has arrived is quite different. It gets a rectangular radiator grille shape – surprisingly, more similar to the smaller Venue rather than the parametric grille we see in the bigger new Tucson. Horizon lights with DRLs give it a distinct identity and are reminiscent of the new flagship Santa Fe that broke cover in 2023.Hyundai has done an Apple here with the headlamps - instead of tri-beam it is now quad-beam. The SUV looks less rounded and more upright now due to the changes. The previous design of the Creta was quite polarising, just like its name when it was first launched eight years ago, but both grew on us and how. This one is less polarising than the outgoing Creta, but a tad generic. Now that is my personal opinion - looks are subjective so let us know in the comments if you think otherwise.Hyundai recently updated its engines to be BS6 Phase-2 compliant, so the Creta continues with its previous set of powertrains. There are some changes though. The engine options start with a 1.5 petrol from its Kappa family, a 1.5 turbo diesel is on offer too with the range topper being the new 1.5 turbo petrol which is also available in the all-new Verna. The previous Creta came with a 1.4-litre turbo which is now discontinued. On the transmission side there is a six-speed manual  or a continuously variable transmission it calls ‘iVT’ for the naturally-aspirated petrol engine. Diesel gets a 6-speed torque converter or a 6-speed manual while the turbo petrol gets a 7-speed dual clutch transmission.The 1.5 diesel is slicker than ever and feels more refined than in the earlier Creta. It has oodles of torque and it appears in a wide range across the rev band. What I like is how vibrations are under check and so is the noise. The six-speed automatic isn’t as quick as the dual clutch but is fairly practical. Where the gearbox lacks in speed it compensates with finesse. Acceleration feels purposeful and confident. Steering weighs up nicely and the Creta suspension does well to balance between absorbing potholes and maintaining poise, whatever the speed.The CVT version too feels perfect for urban and less hurried highway driving. The start is smooth and through the power band it doesn’t feel stressed. It is only when you floor the throttle is when the engine sounds a bit stressed as you need to rev higher for peak torque.  

Tata Punch EV Launched In India; Prices Start At Rs. 10.99 Lakh

Tata Motors has launched the all-new Punch EV in the Indian market with prices ranging from Rs. 10.99 lakh to Rs. 14.49 lakh (ex-showroom). Based on Tata’s new born EV ‘Acti.ev’ architecture, the Punch EV will become Tata’s fourth EV to go on sale in India after the electric versions of the Nexon, Tiago and Tigor. The vehicle will be available in a total of five trims- Smart, Smart +, Adventure, Empowered and Empowered +and two range options – Standard and Long Range (LR).In terms of design, the Punch.ev has a lot in common with the standard Punch but also features a few distinctive styling cues that set it apart. These include the new slim, full-width LED DRLs, a charging port situated behind the front Tata logo and new 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. The interior, however, is vastly different from the ICE model and is equipped with a 10.25-inch central touchscreen infotainment system, along with a 10.25-inch full-digital instrument console.The EV’s equipment list includes ventilated front seats, an electronic parking brake with auto-hold, cornering fog lamps, auto-folding wing mirrors, an electric sunroof, wireless phone charging and 360-degree cameras. On the safety front, the Punch EV gets six airbags and electronic stability programme (ESP) as standard, and a blind spot monitor on the top-spec variant.The EV’s equipment list includes ventilated front seats, an electronic parking brake with auto-hold, cornering fog lamps, auto-folding wing mirrors, an electric sunroof, wireless phone charging and 360-degree cameras. On the safety front, the Punch EV gets six airbags and electronic stability programme (ESP) as standard, and a blind spot monitor on the top-spec variant.The Punch.ev also features bolstered ventilated leatherette seats, mood lights and an Air purifier with AQI display. Additionally, the Punch.ev comes with paddle-shifters, which enables the 4-level multi-mode regeneration and over-the-air software upgrade capabilities.On the powertrain front, the Long Range variant of the vehicle will be offered with a 90 kW motor with a torque output of 190 Nm. It will also feature a battery capacity of 35 kWh and a ARAI range of 421 km. The regular Punch.ev will have a 25 kWh battery, with a range of 315 km along with a 69 kW motor and 114 Nm of torque output.The Punch EV will be offered with a 3.3 kW wall box charger as standard while a 7.2 kW AC fast charger is also available as an option for an additional Rs 50,000.To be offered in five trims- Smart, Smart+, Adventure, Empowered and Empowered+.Gets a new infotainment system and full-digital instruments display.To be offered with two range options – Standard and Long Range (LR).     

Red Bull Racing RB20 F1 Race Car Launch Date Revealed

Red Bull announces its Formula 1 2024 season launch date, set for February 15, aligning with Mercedes and Alpine's unveiling. Sergio Perez is confirmed to continue alongside Verstappen in 2024. Its predecessor, the RB19, dominated the 2023 season with all but one of the 22 Grand Prix races. Red Bull Racing has officially announced its Formula 1 2024 season launch date, aligning with its rivals Mercedes and Alpine. The unveiling is scheduled for February 15, a mere six days before the commencement of winter testing in Bahrain. While it remains uncertain whether Red Bull will present the actual RB20 car or reveal an updated colour scheme on a show car, expectations are high following the exceptional success of its predecessor, the RB19, which dominated the 2023 season, securing all but one of the 22 Grand Prix victories and propelling Max Verstappen to a more than comfortable third world championship.In response to questions about the team's prospects in the upcoming season, Christian Horner, Red Bull team boss, drew parallels with Mercedes' dominance in 2020 and emphasised the dynamic nature of Formula. Despite subtle rule changes, Horner acknowledged the evolving competition and expressed the team's commitment to adapting lessons learned from the RB19 to the development of the RB20, aiming for a competitive car to defend their titles.Sergio Perez is confirmed to continue alongside Verstappen in 2024, facing a crucial year to secure a contract extension with Red Bull. The team's launch follows announcements from Mercedes and Alpine, with Mercedes revealing its new W15 on February 14. Alpine, Renault's brand, is set to unveil its 2024 motorsport season, encompassing both F1 and the World Endurance Championship teams, on February 7. The launch dates for AlphaTauri, McLaren, and Haas are yet to be disclosed, completing the lineup of F1 teams preparing for the upcoming campaign.