MAM
Honda 2Wheelers digitally spreads road safety education in COVID-19 era
NEW DELHI: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd announced that its Digital Road Safety initiative – ‘Honda Road Safety E-Gurukul’ has spread road safety awareness to over 2 lac people across India.
Started in May 2020, Honda Road Safety E-Gurukul initiative is ensuring that India learns how to stay safe on the roads, that too, digitally from the safety of their homes in the New Normal. People across all age groups – be it a 5-year-old child, an 18-year learner license applicant, a homemaker in her 30s, a corporate employee or even an existing two-wheeler rider, are now digitally learning the important aspects of road safety with Honda. Noteworthy, that in just 6 months, Honda’s dedicated safety riding promotion team has reached out to more than 185 towns & cities of India – from Una in North to Vijayawada in South and Muzaffarpur in East to Thane in West.
Speaking on this milestone achievement, Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Senior Vice President – Brand & Communications, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Road safety remains at the focal point of Honda. With this approach to safety, Honda began exploring new & innovative ways to ensure people’s safety on roads in the challenging times of new normal and started digital trainings. We are delighted to digitally reach out to more than 2 Lac kids & adults in just 6 months. Further, we will continue to make the most of these virtual platforms for educating people on essential road safety lessons.”
Key Highlights of Honda Road Safety E-Gurukul’:
· Scientifically designed learning modules: To effectively spread the road safety message to all participants, Honda safety riding team designed the appropriate learning modules in local languages suiting people across different regions and age groups.
· Creating a safe road mind-set from young age: In 6 months, Honda road safety instructors have educated over 76,000 young children of 497 schools. The kids were taught the basic road safety etiquettes like traffic signals, how to cross a road, how to remain safe on bicycles etc.
· Instilling safe road user behavior among future as well as new & existing riders: Over 1.36 lac adults from 402 colleges & 373 corporates became part of Honda’s digital training sessions. They were informed about the safety rules & regulations to be followed while on road (from the basic principles like road signs & markings to the lesser-known ones like steps required while overtaking, turning or at intersections & round-about).
· Exclusive online learning sessions: Empowering women to become safe & independent riders, Honda conducted online sessions exclusively for females. Honda also conducted digital training sessions exclusively for COVID-19 warriors, NCC Cadets and NSS volunteers during the period spanning 6 months.
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
