Brands
The first ‘Made in India’ Baleno launched in Japan
MUMBAI: The ‘Made in India’ Baleno was launched in Japan today by the Suzuki Motor Corporation, parent company of Maruti Suzuki India Limited which had launched the model in India..
Baleno, first exhibited at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015, was launched in India on 26 October 2016. Baleno is manufactured only in India at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar facility in Haryana. Since its launch, Maruti Suzuki has sold over 38,000 units of Baleno cars in the domestic market. Baleno will be exported to more than 100 countries.
On the occasion of the launch ceremony in Tokyo today, Indian Ambassador to Japan Sujan R. Chinoy said, “Maruti Suzuki exports to over 125 countries including those in Europe, which is proof of their quality. The model being launched today, the Baleno, is a state-of-the-art car developed and manufactured in India through Suzuki’s excellence. It will be exported to 100 global markets including Japan. I am confident that the Baleno will prove to be a huge success in Japan. I wish the launch complete success.”
Suzuki MD and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa added, “A landmark moment like this is a true testimony to the success of the Indian Government’s ‘Make in India’ campaign. Launch of the ‘Made in India’ Baleno in Japan is a proud moment for all of us. This reaffirms Maruti Suzuki’s manufacturing potential and growing importance of Maruti Suzuki India Limited in Suzuki Motor Corporation’s global business strategies. I am confident our Baleno would be well accepted by Japanese customers as well.”
Baleno is a harmonious combination of “Liquid Flow” styling, performance achieved through ground-breaking technologies, and packaging. Baleno’s design, spacious interiors, features and Suzuki’s latest technologies make it the ideal compact hatchback.
Fine-tuned over repeated test runs, Baleno offers a driving experience achieved by pursuit of the best balance between nimble performance and refined riding comfort.
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.
