In a significant step to improve ambient air quality, the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday (07 April) held that all diesel vehicles which are more than 10 years old will not be permitted to ply in Delhi.Noting that diesel is prime source of air pollution in Delhi, the Tribunal said the situation is so alarming that people have been even advised to leave Delhi due to adverse effects on health."A number of countries like Brazil, China, Denmark etc are in the process or have prohibited diesel vehicles or are in the process of doing away with them and imposing stringent taxes on the vehicles."We have already noticed that certain stringent measures need to be taken to ensure that residents of Delhi do not travel closer to ill-health with each breath they take. Thus, we direct all diesel vehicles, heavy or light, which are ten years old will not be permitted on the roads of Delhi and NCR," a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.The Tribunal directed the Transport department of Delhi government and other concerned authorities to prepare a comprehensive data of registration of all such vehicles which are 10 or more years old.It slammed the authorities for not complying to its orders of November 26, 28 and December 4 last year to better the air quality standards of the capital."All authorities and the state have utterly failed to comply to the directions of the Tribunal. Authorities have not even initiated action for compliance."Due to the increasing pollutants of air, the life of residents of NCR Delhi is becoming more vulnerable to various diseases and the greatest sufferers are young children," it said."It has been pointed out that diesel is the prime source of bringing air pollution in Delhi. Diesel fumes cause damage to the lungs, brain and can cause even cancer. The situation is so alarming that medically people have been even advised to leave Delhi," the Tribunal said.The Tribunal's direction came while hearing a petition of Vardhaman Kaushik who had contended that "the level of particulates in Delhi is rising manifold".During the proceedings, Kaushik argued that the state authorities have not shown any effort to implement the orders of the Tribunal."I have not seen any change happening. Plastic and other agricultural waste is being burnt in the open. The orders of the Tribunal are being violated," he said.He also said that western countries were banning private diesel vehicles.Earlier, the bench in November last year had banned all vehicles which were more than 15 years old and held that they would not be permitted to ply on the city roads.It had also directed that wherever such vehicles are noticed, the concerned authorities shall take appropriate steps in accordance with law including seizure of the vehicles.(PTI)
Read More
India's rural consumers are an aspirational, brand-conscious lot who set little value to star-endorsed products and the latest Accenture research shows that businesses in India are more confident than ever about the growth of the country’s rural consumer markets, but are risking their competitiveness by failing to respond to the changing needs and behaviours of rural consumers.The third annual edition of the research, “Masters of Rural Markets: From Touchpoints to Trustpoints - Winning over India’s Aspiring Rural Consumers,” shows that while businesses in India have built their physical footprint in these regions they need to build trust and loyalty in a market which is more diverse and sophisticated than many of them are ready to exploit. According to the research -- involving 2,800 consumers and customer service officers at 40 businesses in several states -- rural consumers are particularly aspirational, striving to purchase branded, high quality products. Seventy-one per cent of respondents have purchased branded products and 59 per cent see them as trustworthy and reliable. Forty-two per cent indicated product upgrading was a reason for spending more in a category. These consumers are defying conventional wisdom that says rural consumers care most about price and will settle for sub-standard offerings to achieve the best deal.The report notes that rural consumers are better networked and proactively seek information through multiple sources. Additionally, women and children now play a more empowered role in purchasing decisions and travel further to buy goods and services. Half of the respondents (50 per cent) visit nearby towns and district headquarters to make small-ticket purchases. Tellingly, only seven per cent of respondents said that advertisements influence their final purchase decisions. While these findings convey a shift in rural consumption patterns, Indian businesses are still using conventional marketing channels, such as celebrity endorsed advertisements, to reach these consumers.Not Driven By Low Values“The expectations of today’s rural Indian consumers differ markedly from those of previous generations. They are moving away from purely economic concepts of value driven by low prices, towards a broader notion of value that combines price with the utility, aesthetics and features of products and services,” said Sanjay Dawar, managing director for Accenture’s Strategy practice in India. “Being present is not sufficient to be competitive. To succeed, companies must extend from physical touchpoints to experience-led ‘trust points.’ This means understanding how rural consumers are changing, and then using those insights to tailor their marketing strategies to different consumer segments.”The research also found several incorrect assumptions about rural Indian consumers that have prevented some businesses from establishing long-lasting brand relationships with them. While many businesses believe that consumers make most planned purchases on special occasions, more than half (55 per cent) of the respondents said they make such purchases as the need arises. Likewise, while many companies underestimate the importance of customer service in rural markets, almost half (49 per cent) of respondents consider high-quality customer services to be an important factor when making purchases. Sixty-three per cent said they tell others about a bad purchase experience.Accenture divided rural Indian consumers into four segments and tested just how ready companies are to serve these diverse rural consumers: Traditionalists are the conservative rural consumers who rely on conventional channels to make their purchase decisions. Necessity drives most of their purchase decisions and they typically purchase the cheapest offerings available, even if it means compromising on features and aesthetics.Steady Climbers aspire for a more comfortable lifestyle. They want to enhance their social standing among their peers, and strive to do so by buying branded products and offeringsYoung Enthusiasts are rural consumers between 18 and 28 years of age who make extensive use of digital technology and buy branded products to enhance their social image. They extend powerful influence on the decisions of the other consumers segments.Village Elites are the progressive rural consumers, boasting high education and awareness levels. They desire the best in product quality, features and aesthetics.“To meet the changing needs of the rural consumers, companies will need to adapt their product portfolio, their value propositions and their go-to-market strategies,” said Raghuram Devarakonda, managing director, Sales and Customer Services, Accenture Strategy. “Companies that act now to enhance their understanding of changing rural consumer behaviors and tailor their marketing, selling and service strategies to these consumers’ shifting realities will gain a competitive edge over those who wait until the market evolves further.”At each of the following stages of rural consumers’ purchase journey, Accenture has outlined the specific imperatives businesses must make to improve their competitiveness in rural markets:Trustpoint 1 — Need recognition: Target the right consumers according to their means. Show how offerings address their unique needs through simple and entertaining marketing.Trustpoint 2 — Awareness: Include non-traditional media in marketing that conveys consistent messages across multiple channels.Trustpoint 3 — Consideration: Define an irresistible value proposition that looks beyond pricing as a long-term source of differentiation, especially for products categories that are new to rural consumers.Trustpoint 4 — Validation: Identify and engage the most relevant influencers for targeted consumer segments to strengthen trust through word of mouth.Trustpoint 5 — Purchase: Offer expert advice and differentiated service to enhance the in-store experience as rural consumers increase their purchase expectations.Trustpoint 6 — Experience: Differentiate by offering exceptional customer service across the purchase journey to maintain loyalty well beyond the point of transaction.Trustpoint 7 — Advocacy: Nurture consumer advocates by promptly addressing problems to preempt negative word of mouth.
Read More
‘Make in India’ is tremendously important. It presents a huge opportunity, and along with a sense that this time, we must do things right.Manufacturing has simply not taken off as it could have in India. India has natural resources, entrepreneurial zeal, and plenty of engineers. We are a country where unemployment is forever at the forefront of talk shows and election campaigns, of domestic discussions and street protests. With our distinct demographics, we are a country with potential demand for virtually any conceivable type of manufactured product. We have seen manufacturing used as a powerful tool in the development narratives of other nations, some close neighbours, some half a world away. Yet we import manufactured goods, losing opportunities for employment and growth.Make in India serves, therefore, as a long-overdue call to action. The question is how to make in India, because across the world, manufacturing is at crossroads.The Manufacturing ParadoxManufacturing is traditionally energy-intensive. The way things stand, this energy has serious environmental consequences. Equally serious are concerns about the absolute quantity of energy supply. Both concerns are especially pressing in India. All the manufacturing infrastructure in the world is of no use without energy to run it; and energy that we pay for with our future is far too costly.Other aspects of the manufacturing value chain are also environmentally destructive. From the acquisition of raw materials to the disposal of waste, manufacturing has generally burdened, rather than benefited, our environment.Manufacturing is perceived as a powerful job creator and McKinsey and Company has reported that the sector could create up to 90 million domestic jobs, by 2025. However, automation is accelerating at unprecedented and astonishing rates. The capabilities of computers and robots are increasing at a rate that dwarfs anything seen thus far. Across the world, manufacturing is seeing humans replaced by machines. Going forward, the correlation between manufacturing and employment might just not hold.Pertinent Questions About The Manufacturing SectorIf we simply accept this state of affairs, we are guilty of a failure of imagination. What if we question existing assumptions?What if, for example, energy production was decentralised and environmentally friendly, using the sun, wind, and biomass? What if this process of energy generation could, in itself, create jobs on a large scale?What if some raw materials could be replaced, making way for distributed, abundant, and environmentally friendly sources? What if they could be transported efficiently, benefiting industry as well as the environment?What if manufacturing facilities themselves used energy more effectively, through intelligent architecture and engineering? What if they recycled and regenerated materials, and minimised waste?What if manufacturing, despite automation, could create high-quality jobs, in factories and in the surrounding ecosystem?What if we rethought what to manufacture, emphasizing goods that pave the way towards energy security, environmental stewardship, and social well-being? Improved agricultural pumps, better lighting equipment, components that support next-generation automotive design-these are but a few items that come to mind.Such outcomes are not utopian dreams. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has estimated that investments in smart manufacturing could generate cost savings and new revenues that could add $10-15 trillion to global gross domestic product (GDP) over the next 20 years. We believe that concerted actions can move us towards this reality. The first step is acknowledging that our world is changing, and so must we; that a business-as-usual trajectory is not future-proof.Reimagining The Big PictureA final point: too often, the manufacturing sector (especially in developing countries) ends up near the bottom of global value chains. Intellectual property and brand value enable the greatest value-addition (and therefore the biggest margins). So, will India leverage manufacturing to realize greater opportunities, or merely become subcontractors to those higher up the value chain? Capturing value requires building an environment of thriving technical and business innovation within India, to work synergistically with the manufacturing sector.This, then, is the vision: high-value manufacturing that enhances energy security, environmental conditions and employment. But as Voltaire wrote, the best can become the enemy of the good. So long as the big picture isn’t lost, judicious compromises that turn ideas into reality are both necessary and desirable.Make in India will be closely watched. The direction it takes, and the momentum it gathers along the chosen direction, will both be crucial. I keenly hope that in both aspects, Make in India becomes every bit as revolutionary as it can be.The author, Ravi Pandi, is Co-founder, Chairman and Group CEO of KPIT Technologies
Read More
The Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) on Sunday questioned the frequent "special fare" offers by domestic carriers and termed them as "non-existent", even as it urged the DGCA not to allow such schemes. The association, in a communication to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, also sought to know as to what action the regulator intends to take against the carriers on the issue. "We strongly believe that the DGCA must put an end to this practice of offering ridiculously low fares which are non-existent and are not really available to the passenger," APAI President D. Sidhakara Reddy said in his communication to DGCA Prabhat Kumar. Stating that the association was forced to draw the regulator's attention towards the issue following several complaints received from the passengers, Reddy said, "most of the times, the schemes are similar and fares announced are also similar. How can this happen unless a cartel is working to fool the travelling public ?" The domestic carriers, led by cash-strapped budget airline SpiceJet, have been rolling our limited period "special sale" offers since January this year to woo passengers. "We have received several complaints that first the passengers do not get access to the airline's portal and if they are able to do so and look for the advertised (special) fare for a particular sector, it shows sold out, whereas most of the other types of fares are only available for bookings," Reddy alleged. Pointing out that it become a routine practice by all the airlines to announce such schemes almost once in 10-15 days, APAI said, "the Airlines seem to be doing this with certain objectives in mind as it gives them tremendous publicity at no cost." The association has also sought to know from the regulator whether the carriers do inform of the percentage of seats they offer under the special fare as they are supposed to file their fares with DGCA, indicating the quantum allocated under each type of fare offered by them under the bucket pricing method. "If they are not then what action do you propose (to take) for not following the procedure?," Reddy questioned in his communication. APAI will explore the Right to Information (RTI) route if the DGCA did not respond to its communication, Reddy added in his communication. (PTI)
Read More
