MAM
Hero Honda: Super Splendor to shake up two wheeler market
MUMBAI: The Union budget has left some people high and others dry. Apropos, at a time when people are cautious about spending their hard earned money; two wheeler major Hero Honda has launched its new ‘sarva guna sampanna’ (all the best qualities) bike Super Splendor – touted as the most fuel-efficient bike in India.
Present at the launch of the new 125 cc bike were Hero Honda chairman Brijmohan Lall, managing director Pawan Munjal and executive director – business operations Atul Sobti. The size of the Indian automobile market is Rs 870 billion out of which the two wheeler segment comprises about 80 per cent. In a huge market like this, the new Super Splendor, which is priced at Rs 42,500, has been manufactured with the futuristic Quantum core engine, developed specially for the Indian customer.
Announcing the launch of the new motorcycle, Lall said, “As the leader two-wheeler brand in the country, we consider it our responsibility to set and improve standards, for the benefit of the customers, and growth of the industry. We are sure that this breakthrough engine technology will also reinforce the commitment and support from our joint venture partner – Honda Motors, Japan.”
Commenting on the fast changing Indian two-wheeler industry, Munjal on the other hand said, “Hero Honda is already an undisputed leader in the ‘deluxe’ segment, which is witnessing the highest expansion currently and will continue to do so for in the coming years. The launch of Super Splendor will not only strengthen our domination in the segment but will also redefine the structure of the Indian two wheeler industry.”
With the launch of Super Splendor, the company has assured an absolute quantum shift in performance and with the new engine, better fuel efficiency has also been guaranteed. Sobti said, “The new motorcycle has been developed after extensive market research. With its USP of technological excellence, which delivers a unique combination of top fuel efficiency and high power, this ‘sarva guna sampanna’ bike will surely prove to be an owner’s delight. In line with the top performance, we are also offering a three year warranty on the bike, for the first time in the Indian two-wheeler industry.”
Queried as to whether with the launch of the new bike, the manufacturing of Splendor and Passion will be somewhat curtailed, Sobti said, “Splendor and Passion account for almost Rs 150,000+ of Hero Honda’s sales and there are no plans to cut their manufacturing. It will really depend on the demands of the customer. While we will be trying to increase our market share, we will also be looking at increasing our profitability. Our models will not compete with each other, they will compliment each other.”
Rs 70 MILLION SET ASIDE FOR MEDIA BLITZ
The company has set aside approximately, Rs 70 – Rs 80 million this year for the media blitz. And now with the India-Pakistan cricket match starting 8 March, Super Splendor will not only get a red carpet launch but also a green field launch when the maximum (eye)balls will be glued to the television.
Super Splendor will be available in four variants – drum-kick, drum-self, disc-kick and disc-self and ten vibrant colours – Candy Blazing Red, Black (two variants), Tahitian Blue, High Granite Blue, Cool Mint Green Metallic, Gold, Silver, Maroon and Forest Blue Metallic.
If the first quarter of the year saw the launch of Super Splendor from Hero Honda’s kitty, the subsequent quarters of 2005 will also see the launch of a range of two wheelers from the company. Also notable is the fact that 2006 will see Hero Honda launching its first ever scooter. The company sure is ‘gearing’ up and how!
MAM
Ember Cookware appoints Amit Singh as chief of supply chain
10-year veteran to lead operations as brand scales across D2C, quick commerce and retail.
MUMBAI: Ember just handed its supply chain the perfect seasoning because when your cookware is non-toxic and non-stick, the operations behind it better be fast and flawless. Ember Cookware has appointed Amit Singh as chief of supply chain and Services, bolstering its leadership team at a pivotal growth phase. Singh brings over a decade of experience in supply chain strategy, operations and large-scale network buildouts.
He began his career at Singapore-based retail giant Giant Hypermarket before joining Pharmeasy in 2015, where he played a foundational role in building and scaling its pan-India supply chain across B2B and B2C channels. At API Holdings, he later led supply chain operations for North India, managing end-to-end execution across complex, multi-city networks.
In his new role, Amit will oversee Ember’s complete supply chain and service ecosystem including sourcing, manufacturing coordination, logistics, last-mile delivery, post-purchase support and workforce development. His mandate focuses on building cost-efficient, resilient operations that shorten fulfilment times, strengthen inventory management and deliver a consistently high-quality consumer experience as the brand expands nationally.
Ember Cookware co-founder & CEO Siddharth Gadodia said, “Supply chain is where growth either holds or breaks. As we scale across channels and geographies, we need operations that are efficient, resilient, and built for speed, without ever compromising on the consumer experience. Amit has done this before, at real scale.”
Ember Cookware co-founder & CMO Himanshi Tandon added, “As we scale, supply chain efficiency becomes as important as product and brand. Amit’s mandate is to build the operational foundations that make our promise consistent at scale.”
Amit Singh commented, “Ember is building something genuinely different, a category-defining brand with a clear purpose and the ambition to match. I’m looking forward to building supply chain infrastructure that doesn’t just keep pace with growth, but enables it.”
The appointment forms part of Ember’s broader push to deepen leadership across key functions as it invests in its Innovation Lab, proprietary material technologies and operational backbone to support national expansion.
In a kitchenware world where non-stick promises are easy but delivery is hard, Ember isn’t just cooking up products, it’s cooking up an operation that keeps every promise sizzling from factory to fork.
