Brands
Honda launches 2025 CB650R and CBR650R with game-changing E-clutch
MUMBAI: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has shifted gears in India’s premium motorcycle market with the launch of the 2025 CB650R and CBR650R, both powered by Honda’s revolutionary E-clutch technology — a first for Indian riders. Bookings are now open at all BigWing dealerships, with deliveries set to rev up by the end of May.
The 2025 Honda CB650R, with its minimalist neo sports café styling, is priced at Rs 9.60 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), while the aggressive, race-ready CBR650R retails at Rs 10.40 lakh. Both models are powered by a 649cc, liquid-cooled, inline four-cylinder engine that churns out 70 kW of power at 12,000 RPM and 63 Nm of torque at 9,500 RPM — now enhanced with Honda’s E-clutch for smoother shifts without the clutch lever.
The E-clutch system, first developed by Honda in 2023, automatically manages the clutch, offering seamless starts and gear changes. Whether you’re cruising in the city or carving corners, the E-clutch ensures a fatigue-free ride.
Sporting Honda’s signature neo sports café design, the CB650R blends a rugged yet refined look with modern tech. Key highlights include a round LED headlamp, sculpted fuel tank, a 5.0-inch TFT display with smartphone connectivity via Honda RoadSync, and high-performance Showa 41 mm SFF-BP front forks. The bike is available in candy chromosphere red and matte gunpowder black metallic.
Inspired by Honda’s supersport DNA, the CBR650R features aggressive styling, aerodynamic fairing, and a sporty riding stance. It shares the same powerhouse engine with the CB650R but adds Honda selectable torque control (HSTC) for enhanced traction. Available in grand prix red and matt gunpowder black metallic, it’s designed for those who crave speed.
Both models feature premium hardware — Showa 41 mm SFF-BP inverted front forks, adjustable rear monoshock, dual radial-mounted 310 mm floating discs at the front, a 240 mm rear disc, and dual-channel ABS. Riders get a full-colour 5.0-inch TFT display with smartphone connectivity via the Honda RoadSync app for calls, messages, and navigation.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
