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Kinetic launches moto-scooter Blaze in Bangalore, Pune & Goa
BANGALORE: Scooter manufacturer Kinetic Motor has launched the first of its Italjet acquired models Italiano series with the sobriquet “Blaze in Bangalore, Pune and Goa”. A national rollout is slated for next month.
Kinetic’s joint MD Sulajja Firodia Motwani, present at the launch in Bangalore, expects to sell around 35,000 to 40,000 units (excluding exports) during this financial year (ending 30 September 2006). These numbers will add around Rs 1.8 billion to the group’s turnover which touched Rs 20 billion last year and is expected to turn the balance sheet around.
Slated for this year are two other products from the Italiano series – one being the 135 cc Europa which was earlier to have been launched in Diwali 2005. Also on the anvil are two motorcycle launches this year of which one has already been launched in North India.
As reported earlier, Motwani plans ad spends of around Rs150 to 200 billion for the Italiano series, and speaking with Indiantelevision.com, she confirmed that a budget of around Rs 50 million has been earmarked for the Blaze. While jingles are being aired on Radio City in Bangalore, a TV campaign is slated for next month to coincide with the national rollout. Grey handles the creative duties and Madison is overseeing the media business.
The campaign is targeted at the man who wants performance, power and style. The 165 cc engine generates more power than the conventional 100 cc self starting scooters that are now available in India, but Motwani says that it is not possible for her to categorize the Blaze as a scooter or a motorcycle – she prefers to call it a moto-scooter – adding that this could be the start of an entirely new category in the two-wheeler industry.
Despite the Blaze or the Millennium as it is known in Italy coming to India six years later after its launch in Italy, Motwani claims that the technology and styling are still modern and new as far as India is concerned. Though the dies and the moulds have been procured from Italjet, the vehicle has been tweaked to suit Indian conditions by Kinetic.
It has been designed by renowned two wheeler designer Leopold Tartaini, who is well known for his designs for other brands such as Ducati, Piaggio and Yamaha. Kinetic has the global manufacturing rights from Italjet for all the seven models announced earlier, on the condition that royalty has to be paid by Kinetic if sold under the Italjet brand name.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
