WANT TO KNOW THE REASON WHY PUBG BECAME INDIA’S FAVOURITE MOBILE GAME?

Player Unknown’s Battle Ground(PUBG) is one of the games rolled out by TENCENT Games a subsidiary of TENCENT HOLDINGS of China. TENCENT predominantly gets its revenue from the BAIDU search engine. It also has social networking, instant messaging app WeChat, e-commerce portals, antivirus software, film production, web browser, music and payment apps. TENCENT is literally like the ALPHABET Inc (Holding Company of Google) of People’s Republic of China. TENCENT is also regarded as the world’s largest gaming and social media company. It is also regarded as one of the Asia’s largest Venture Capital firms.

Time flies and so are the people’s choices of playing the video games. It was once Angry Birds, then came child favourite Subway Surfers, Temple Run. Then a new set of revolutionary online games came named Clash of Clans which by the way is still being loved by many.

Launch Window of PUBG Mobile Game There was also Racing Games segment which is dominated by Gameloft’s Asphalt Series, Electronic Arts’ Need For Speed and Real Racing Series. There is yet another most liked segment on Play Store which is Action games. It encompasses Modern Combat, Front Line Commando, NOVA, Sniper Fury, PUBG etc.

So why is PUBG ruling the world now? Online Multi Player Action Platform: PUBG game starts with 100 players of similar ranks of which 4 player per team, 2 player per team or solo mode is available. You could either play the game with friends in your team or as a lone ranger craving to achieve the “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner” in other words No 1 Rank Spot.

There is also an option for forming a CLAN which typically has a limit of adding 45 players of various ranks. Often known PUBG players say from a similar college or locality join together to form CLAN. PUBG also has large amount of In-app Purchases which you can buy with real money. You can even Bid for In-app purchases which is an unique option not found on any other online multiplayer games.

Bargaining Process for Accessories Depends on Human Instincts: PUBG’s gameplay depends totally on HUMAN INSTINCTS. There is no predetermined movements from the game characters as is present on most renowned shooting games like MODERN COMBAT, SNIPER FURY, DEAD TRIGGER. Once you play a level on these games you get rather bored as the characters repeat the same moves.

Seasonal Themes: PUBG introduces new gameplay themes and locations through regular game updates. Recently PUBG features the Halloween Theme with the Launch Page filled with scary pumpkins and the In-app purchase containing MUMMY OUTFITS, SCARRY DRESSES. HALLOWEEN THEMED BIKES and other limited edition accessories.

Newly Introduced Haunted Theme for Halloween

Daily Gifts: Each and every day PUBG greets you with gifts of various nature ranging from xp, coins to outfits like shoes, trousers, masks, themed shirts, jackets, rather an unique way to increase the people using the app everyday typically like BOUNCE BACK COUPONS.

TENCENT itself: TENCENT with its Financial might is able to enrich the game with rapid updates and in the future will make it as one of the largest native ad platforms where your Parachute might have OPPO, VIVO ad present on it.

Oppo F9 Pro Launch Event OPPO had even recently collaborated with PUBG for the launch of its Oppo F9 Pro mobile phone. OPPO even made a PUBG Mobile Gaming tournament with a whooping prize money of INR 50,00,000. The popularity of the PUBG being used as a tool for two reasons;

1. OPPO phones can handle graphic intensive games like PUBG 2. Uplift the brand identity of OPPO, rather a different positioning strategy

TENCENT Games in its last update introduced two new MAPs namely Miramar and Sanhok in addition to the existing Erangel.

Who made PUBG? PUBG was developed by South Korean Company Blue Hole (through its PUBG Corporation) and was published by PUBG Corporation on Windows , Microsoft Studios on X-Box and Tencent Games on Mobile Platforms like Android and IOS.

Lets see the Ratings of PUBG from Top Global Reviewers

1. Game Informer- 9.5/10 2. GameSpot – 8/10 3. IGN – 9.5/10 4. Polygon – 10/10 5. USgamer – 4/5 6. PCGamesN – 9/10 Aggregate Score by Metacritic: PC : 86/100 IOS: 82/100

Highly Customizable Avatars So, is there any other games that you should try to have similar experience??? Yes, There is !!!! But in bit different avatars 1. World of Warship Blitz: Multiplayer Navy War Game from Wargaming Group It is an action packed naval game comprising of wide array of naval vessels including capital vessels like aircraft carriers. You will be assigned a team consisting of World War Era class Battleships, Cruisers, Destroyers. Your task is to destroy an enemy fleet or sustain less damage and survive within the stipulated time.

Addictive Launch Page of World of Warship Blitz 2. World of Tank Blitz from Wargaming Group Another game which makes you play with world war era class battle tanks under different MAP. Again here also you will be assigned a team which you need to protect and sustain less damage within the stipulated time or to destroy the entire array of enemy team tanks to reach victory.

These are out of my Personal Gaming Experiences, you can give a sure shot at it!!

A blog from one among the PUBG addicts!!!!

After all Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!! , is what that drives PUBG addicts like us

INDIA ENTERS LEAGUE OF NUCLEAR TRIAD POWERS

India today officially enters into the elite club of Nuclear Triad Powers comprising of countries like USA, Russia and China. This was announced today by the Honourable Indian Prime Minister with maiden successful deterrence patrol of INS Arihant, the only nuclear powered Ballistic Missile Submarine of Indian Navy. The same was also tweeted by the Honourable Defence Minister of India.

So, what is a Nuclear Triad?

Nuclear Triad is a three pronged military force structure which is capable of launching nuclear missile from aircrafts, military and naval ballistic missile submarines. Many defence experts say that Probability that an enemy could strike all the three of the nuclear launching assets is very minimal. Nuclear ballistic missile submarine is widely considered as a lethal force which can handle “Nuclear Second Strikes” predominantly.

Timeline of Nuclear Powered Ballistic Missile Submarine INS Arihant Whenever a country X launches a nuclear strike against country Y, defence shield like S400 will be in place to defend it. Nuclear submarines like INS Arihant comes into the picture when a country was hit by nuclear missile so badly it could counter attack the country X with Land based nuclear launch missiles ( Agni Series of Missiles as India is concerned). INS Arihant is armed with 12 K-15 Sagarika SLBM (Submarine Launch Ballistic Missiles) or 4 K-4 SLBMs. INS Arihant also holds the pride of First Nuclear Missile submarine built and operated by a country outside the P-5 countries. P-5 represents the Permanent Members of United Nations Security Council comprising of USA, UK, France, Russia and China.

INS Arihant is also the lead vessel of US $2.9 billion ATV (Advanced Technology Vessel) programme comprising of 4 vessels out of which the other 3 are under various phases of construction. Second vessel INS Arighat is currently under sea trials. These 4 vessels are together called as Arihant Class of ballistic missile submarines. Shortcomings of INS Arihant is expected to be corrected in the following vessels. The latter 2 vessels are also expected to be heavily armed with more lethal K-4 SLBMs. INS Arihant class is just a small step towards building indigenous nuclear powered Goliath ships like INS Vishal, a nuclear powered super carrier, which is still in the final stages of design. INS Vishal is likely to be a nuclear powered 65,000+ tonne aircraft carrier of CATOBAR Design (Catapult Assisted Take-off But Arrested Recovery).

Message to the world is High and Clear, India is definitely a deterrent force to reckon with!!!

THE SHARK WITH WHEELS- MAHINDRA MARAZZO

Marazzo means Shark in Spanish

An artistic rendering of all new Mahindra Marazzo Mahindra launched Marazzo a 7 & 8 seater alternative to the much premium Toyota Innova, TATA Hexa and the budget friendly Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. The design of the car was inspired from Shark and so was the reason it was named as Marazzo ( meaning Shark in Spanish)

Specs of Marazzo: The Mahindra Marazzo has 1 Diesel Engine on offer. The Diesel engine is 1497 cc. It is available with the Manual . Depending upon the variant and fuel type the Marazzo has a mileage of 17.3 kmpl. It has a length of 4585 mm, width of 1866 mm and a wheelbase of 2760 mm.

More of a Family mover than a Utility Vehicle Mahindra says that the engine was designed completely from its overseas design centre at US from the scratch. The car itself was designed from the scratch. The car does not have a drive shafts as is present in the other Mahindra cars. It unlike the other traditional UV (Utility Vehicles) has a front wheel drive.

For further specs and prices visit the link below; https://www.cardekho.com/mahindra/marazzo/specs Sales are good but not great as expected Sales Figures of the Marazzo implies that it had hardly made a dent on the Toyota Innova Crysta. Though Toyota Innova Crysta is much expensive than the Marazzo, people still prefer the Crysta. In August 2018, Mahindra sold 1,762 units of the Marazzo, while Toyota dispatched a whopping 6,680 units of the Innova Crysta. The Ertiga fared rather poorly – by its own lofty standards – with 3,315 units being dispatched by Maruti. Stock clearance ahead of the all-new model? Good chance!!!! The coming up few months will be crucial as Maruti Suzuki is expected to launch a newer version of Ertiga.

Will the shark be an apex predator in its ocean??? Only time has to answer

Generous and Intelligent man behind Marazzo:

Jaisal, as seen being handed over the key of Marazzo

Marazzo is the brainchild of Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra and Mahindra. He introduced this product with a vision to capture the Market share of Toyota Innova Crysta. He is also considered for his generosity because of which he gifts his cars, like Supro mini truck being donated to an auto rickshawala as he designed his auto like a Mahindra Scorpio and the recent acquisition of KALA movie Mahindra Thar jeep for a huge price is also an example. He even offered to Gift A TUV300 To World Weightlifting Champion Mirabai Chanu.

Now, however, the company delivered its newest entrant into the MPV segment, the Marazzo, to the fisherman Jaisal who offered his back to many a people affected in the flood as a means to get into the rescue boat.

In a tweet by Sundar Ramachandran, Anand Mahindra was thanked for the kind gesture. The Marazzo was handed over to Jaisal at the Eram Motors dealership in Calicut by Kerala Minister for labour T P Ramakrishnan.

ONEPLUS 6

August 21, 2018

Flagship Killer Kills Plethora of Flagships once again!!! OnePlus has been in the business only for the last four years, but the kind of mobile phones it had created has shaken up the entire smartphone industry. BBK electronics’ subsidiary arm started launching their Flagship Killer OnePlus 1 against the likes of Samsung Galaxy S5 and Apple’s IPhone 6. Affordable pricing, Flagship specs are the main mantra of OnePlus brand. This year OnePlus had launched its OnePlus 6 which again is a instant hit.

With the Chinese firm sticking to a six-month cycle, the new model is another case of taking an existing phone and making it better. This is not some radical new version, despite moving from a ‘T’ to a full new number.

The main things to note off the bat is that the OnePlus 6 moves to an even taller 19:9 aspect ratio to include a notch, and the glass rear cover which comes in different finishes. Largely, though, this is the OnePlus phone you’ve likely come to know and love. The firm also launched OnePlus bullet Bluetooth headphones.

Still Cheaper!!!! Although OnePlus phones are a fair bit more expensive than they used to be years ago, it’s still a sizable amount cheaper when you compare it to rivals like the iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S9 and Huawei P20.

“Beast Incarnate” in terms of specs

Camera: Great improvement in Low Light Photography than Predecessor The main 16-megapixel camera module has been swapped out for one with a 19% bigger surface area and optical image stabilization (OIS).

Both of these improvements should contribute to significantly better photos in low light and that is exactly what transpires. The difference between the OnePlus 6 and the OnePlus 5T is night and day, with the 6 producing cleaner, more detailed and less muddy shots than its predecessor. In our low light test, the OnePlus 6’s best photos were among the best we’ve seen, capturing subtle details I’ve only seen phones such as the Google Pixel 2 and Huawei P20 capture before.

Pure Spec-sheet Domination

Verdict: Considering the Price; Shortcomings are not that deal breaking!!! Go for it !!! The OnePlus 6 is a triumph and an improvement over the OnePlus 5T in most ways. It’s a better-looking device and squeezes a larger display into a chassis that’s basically the same size. It’s faster phone and has a camera that’s to be a better performer, too.

There some tiny disappointments. I’m a little surprised OnePlus hasn’t added fully certified water resistance, although it is nice to know some water resistance is in place. It would be nice to have an optical zoom on the second camera and I’m still baffled at the continuing lack of microSD card expansion.

Credit: Vignesh Kumar SP

NAVAL BEHEMOTH OF SOUTH AMERICA

PHM ATLANTICO- New Flagship of Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil)

A mighty 21,500 tonne behemoth is lurking around the seas of Guanabara Bay, city of Rio de Janeiro

PHM Atlántico a.k.a HMS Ocean of Royal Navy as seen cruising through the Guanabara Bay of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Brazilian Navy brought the HMS Ocean, the former flagship of Royal Navy for 84.6 million GBP. HMS Ocean is said to replace the aging Sao Paulo an ex French Clemenceau class aircraft carrier. The acquisition of HMS Ocean is being considered as one of the best strategic defence moves owing to the kind of versatility that the Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) ship could offer.

So, what is an LPH?? LPH are type of vessels that could carry out amphibious assault missions and other humanitarian missions like flood relief. It consists of a flat deck similar to that of an aircraft carrier that allows docking of helicopters and landing vehicle crafts which allows carrying troops and other military hardware to the ground. On special case scenarios it can also carry Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircrafts. The HMS Ocean also is being considered as one of the best LPH designs available on the word today because of its battle worthiness over its two decade career in Royal Navy. It can carry around 18 helicopters of various types and 4 Landing Vehicles. It has a range of around 13,000 kms and has a crew of 300+ personnel. It can also 40 vehicles like amphibious tanks, trucks, inflatable boats and 840 combat troops.

It’s bigger and Stronger Very countries operate LPH like US, France, Spain. This brings Brazil in an elite league of few countries to have the capability . It also carrier the most coveted combat aircrafts whose lists include Merlin, Augusta Westland AW 159 Wildcat, Boeing Chinook, Westland Apache. Chinook is being considered as the best transport aircraft available in the world today. Westland Apache is the best combat helicopter which had tasted success in combats around the world. Even India had placed order for both the Chinook and Apache and the first set of aircrafts were commissioned to the air force a few weeks back. Countries like China and India considered as the world’s 3rd and 4th largest navy respectively lack this platform. India has floated its interests among the global shipyards to build an LPH as the Swadeshi Shipyards lack expertise in building such a complex vessel.

Quantum Leap in capabilities of Brazilian Navy

HMS Ocean seen carrying a large complement of Apache and Merlin Choppers

ROYAL ENFIELD-650 TWINS

The iconic motorcycle brand from Madras is gearing up for launching its 650 Middleweights

Why significant? This is the first time an Indian brand has taken an huge step in taking up the fight to its Western and Japanese motorcycle makers like Harley Davidson, Triumph, Hyosung, Kawasaki, Yamaha etc. 650 Parallel twin short stroke engine is the most advanced Royal Enfield had ever produced. Royal Enfield had also went a step further by skipping the traditional British design of long stroke engines which generate a healthy but rev very less.

From the Left- Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650

Does it Thump? Expect Grunts not the good old thumps

Interceptor, Continental GT Parallel Twins can even clock 160+ on speedo

In-line parallel twin short stroke are largely known for their grunts. They are less unbalanced than the current single cylinder UCE engines of Classic, Thunderbirds. If you are expecting to buy a buttery smooth Royal Enfield in the future, please do wait for the parallel twins to grace the market. Long Stroke engines has been the mantra of Royal Enfield since its inception. Even the last bike Royal Enfield Himalayan was launched with a Oil cooled 411cc single cylinder engine, which by the way is an off cum on-road machine.

Market Scenario Royal Enfield Classic outsells Pulsar for the past few years

Whatever Royal Enfield touched for the past few years were an instant hit. Classic series bikes were selling like hot pancakes. There is a paradigm shift for the usage of middleweight motorcycles in the Indian market owing to the younger generation’s want for powerful motorcycles and the rise in the adventure riding trends.

Brand Positioning Oldest Serving Motorcycle brand in the World

Royal Enfield over the years positioned themselves as an historical brand which produces retro looking motorcycles. All of its series has got some retro charm which made people crazy and made a purchase decision.

Made Like a Gun, Goes Like a Bullet

All metal body with its low revving long stroke engine is still an experience, which is liked by the young and old. Its reliability levels are lesser than the modern counterparts but that didn’t affect its sales. Royal Enfield truly is the “Don of Middleweight Segment”

Let me put it in this way,” You know that Hostel Food is not the best, still you want it”

INDUSTRY STUDIES

Study on Tooth paste industry:

FAD effect of PATANJALI a big market worry

The FAD effect of Patanjali products had worried the toothpaste industry. There is a radical shift in the mindset of the people towards preferring healthier products. The biggest irony is that they are even ready to pay the premium for healthier products. This radical shift is brought down by the increase in the awareness level of buyers. Altering the self- altering your personality towards particular category of products. Altering the self happens a lot because people feel that many of them are altering their personality and proving to live a natural life. This is the reason why there is a sudden climb in the market share of Patanjali over the past two years since its inception. Ambush Marketing also made Patanjali a big national player.

The impact was so visible on market share of the big players. Colgate, the market leader fell from 57.4% to 55.6% on the contrary the brands which proclaim that are natural had good growth. Dabur had jumped to 15.3% whereas Patanjali reached record high market share of 7.6% on the next year (i.e 2017)

Patanjali’s one of the best sellers were DANTKANTI which is a toothpaste directed entirely against the COLGATE PALMOLIVE. The ambush marketing strategy worked like anything and made Patanjali perform well in almost all the market segments. Patanjali had received second highest turnover in the FMCG sector and it even shook the Indian competitor for HUL, Imperial Tobacco Company (ITC). Tremors were felt in all the product segments of various FMCG giants.

FAD going away slowly: Colgate Palmolive has reported a 25 per cent increase in net profit at ₹188.7 crore, which includes tax reversals of ₹17.79 crore, for the quarter ended March 31. Net sales on an adjusted basis was at ₹1,085.1 crore for the quarter, an increase of 5.1 per cent over the same period in the previous year.

The market leader is back with a bang once again by going herbal after buying Tom’s of Maine Net sales growth was driven by volume growth of 4 per cent. In a statement Issam Bachaalani, Managing Director, Colgate-Palmolive (India), said: “In the fourth quarter, we delivered strong volume growth of 4 per cent despite a competitive business environment. We maintained our strong leadership position in both the toothpaste and toothbrush categories in FY 2017-18, with volume market shares for the year at 53.4 per cent and 44.8 per cent, respectively.”

The $16-billion company has global experience in the naturals segment, having acquired Tom’s of Maine, a natural ingredients-only personal care products maker in the US, while Colgate Miswak is present in Turkey, Indonesia and elsewhere.

NIFTY FMCG- COLGATE PALMOLIVE INDIA 10 Sep 2018

Within natural or ayurvedic space, Colgate has about 35% share with brands such as Colgate Active Salt range and Colgate Herbal. With 25% of India’s toothpaste market being herbal, analysts feel Colgate is on a strong footing with a changing toothpaste portfolio.

Strategies to adopt:  Horizontal integration by buying of Sensodyne from GSK (as it said to have 4% market share and seen widely as a prescription brand)  MBA (Market Basket Analysis) analysis and making packs combining slow moving toothpastes with fast moving ones  Cross ruffing providing slow moving toothpaste coupons with expensive Colgate 360 toothbrushes

MODERN DAY MASTODONS OF INDIAN RAILWAYS

Indian Railways since the independence had evolved considerably and is still the second biggest freight mode after the shipping. The railways of India is being considered as the world’s 4th largest rail network. The 121,407 kms of track covers the nook and corner of the subcontinent. IR runs more than 13,000 passenger trains daily, on both long-distance and suburban routes, from 7,349 stations across India.

As of March 2017, IR’s rolling stock consisted of 277,987 freight wagons, 70,937 passenger coaches and 11,452 locomotives. IR owns locomotive and coach-production facilities at several locations in India. The world’s eighth-largest employer, it had 1.308 million employees as of March 2017.

Planned Electrification of Indian Railways

Have you ever wondered what Loco is attached to the train you are travelling on? Have you ever asked yourself that why did different trains have different Locomotives? Have you ever got puzzled on identifying a locomotive? If you ever asked the above questions, then you have sure hit the right page to get it clarified!!!

Classification of Locomotives 1. Electric Locomotive WAG-9:

WAG-9 locomotives is the most powerful freight locomotive in Indian Railways’ fleet. It is very similar to WAP-7; the only major difference being the gear ratio which makes it suitable for heavy freight operations. Newer versions starting from WAG-9 31248 feature full IGBT traction control. The class is named as WAG-9i. There is a technical variant of this class named WAG-9H. The ‘H’ means Heavy. Another variant includes WAG-9Hi which seems to be a combination of the above two. 2. Diesel Electric WDP-4:

The EMD GT46PAC or WDP-4 is a passenger-hauling diesel-electric locomotive with AC electric transmission designed by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and built by both GM-EMD and under license by Works (DLW) of Varanasi, India for Indian Railways as their classes WDP-4, WDP-4B and WDP-4D. The GT46PAC is a passenger version of the previous Indian Railways EMD GT46MAC freight locomotive. The locomotive has a 16-cylinder 710G3B diesel engine with a maximum speed of 904 RPM.

3. Electric Locomotive WAG-7:

It is the 7th class of Wide Gauge’s(W) AC charged(A) and Freight-dedicated(G-Goods) locomotives. Built by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works and BHEL, Jhansi to RDSO specifications. WAG7 is an uprated version of WAP-4B locomotive with high capacity transformer, rectifier, traction motor, compressor and other matching associated equipments. On 3 August 1992, the first WAG-7 locomotive was inaugurated and christened the name ‘SHANTIDAN’ in honor of Mother Teresa.

4. Electric Locomotive WAP-7:

The WAP 7 is a locomotive developed by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works by modifying the gear ratio of existing WAG 9 class. It is capable of hauling trains at speeds ranging between 110–140 km/h (68–87 mph) and is now largely used by Northern Railways (NR), South Central Railways (SCR), Southern Railways (SR), Eastern Railways (ER), South East Central Railway (SECR), Central Railways (CR), Western Railway (WR), West Central Railways (WCR), East Coast Railway (ECoR), South Eastern Railway (SER). As of August 2017 there are 360 locomotives in service.

5. Electric Locomotive WAP-5:

WAP 5 is the name of a class of High Speed electric locomotives produced and used by Indian Railways. The first 10 locomotives were imported from ABB in Switzerland in 1995. The Gatimaan Express and Bhopal Shatabdi trains hauled by WAP-5 locomotives travel at 160 km/h (99 mph) and 150 km/h (93 mph) respectively in the New Delhi – Agra Cantt section.

6. Electric Locomotive WAP-4:

WAP-4 is a widely used passenger electric locomotive used in India. The locomotive was developed after a previous class WAP-1 was found inadequate to haul the longer, heavier express trains (24-26 coaches) that were becoming the mainstay of the Indian Railways network. It was introduced in 1994, with a similar bodyshell to the WAP-1 class, but with Hitachi traction motors.

7. Diesel Electric Locomotive WDM-3A:

The class WDM-3A is Indian Railways’ workhorse diesel-electric locomotive. Since 1993, it has been manufactured in India by the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), Varanasi. The model name stands for broad gauge (W), diesel (D), mixed traffic (M) engine. The WDM-3A is the most common diesel locomotive of Indian Railways. The WDM-3A is a variant of the original WDM-2C.

8. Diesel Electric Locomotive WDM-3D:

Indian Locomotive Class WDM-3D or ALCO DL560C is a is a passenger/freight-hauling diesel-electric locomotive with AC electric transmission designed by the American Locomotive Company and produced under license by Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) of Varanasi, India for Indian Railways as their classes WDM-2, WDM-3A/2C, WDM-3D and WDG-3A for operation in India.

9. Electric Locomotive WAM-4:

The Indian locomotive class WAM – 4 is a very successful class of 25 kV AC electric locomotives used in India. The first member of the class was indigenously designed and built by CLW in 1970. The class was produced until 1983. A single WAM-4 can generally haul up to a 24-coach passenger rake.

10. Electric Locomotive WAG-5:

WAG-5 is the second most widely used locomotive in the Indian Railways, with a total of 1197 units built including variants. WAG5A is the one with Alstom traction motors. WAG5B is a converted WAM4. WAG5H(x) is with Hitachi traction motors. WAG5P(x) is a passenger dedicated class. WAG5(x)D are fitted with dual brakes and WAG5(x)E are fitted with air brakes. WAG5RH and WAG-5HR are fitted with Rheostatic or Friction braking.

11. Electric Locomotive WAG-12:

WAG-12 a freight locomotive, is currently being tested by Alstom and Indian Railways in Madhepura of Bihar. Once operational it will be the most powerful locomotive producing 12,000 HP which is by the way 6,000 HP more than the current powerful locomotive WAG-9. This makes the locomotive very much suitable for hauling heavy freight like Iron Ore, Coal etc.

MOTIVE POWER OF INDIAN LOCOMOTIVES

Puzzled with the question what is a Locomotive??

Prior to locomotives, the motive force for railroads had been generated by various lower-technology methods such as human power, horse power, gravity or stationary engines that drove cable systems. The first successful locomotives were built by Cornish inventor Richard Trevithick. The first commercially successful steam locomotive was Matthew Murray’s rack locomotive, Salamanca, built for the narrow gauge Middleton Railway in 1812.

Salamanca, world’s first Locomotive

Classification Based on Motive Power:

 STEAM LOCOMOTIVES  DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES  DIESEL ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES  ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES  HYBRID LOCOMOTIVES  GAS TURBINE LOCOMOTIVES  ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES  SLUG OR DRONE LOCOMOTIVES Lets narrow down our focus towards the most famous first four classes of Locomotives

Steam locomotives: In the 19th century the first railway locomotives were powered by steam, usually generated by burning wood, coal, or oil. Because steam locomotives included one or more steam engines, they are sometimes referred to as “steam engines”. The steam locomotive remained by far the most common type of locomotive until after World War II.

One of the most powerful steam locomotive, Union Pacific Big Boy (6,600 HP) The first steam locomotive was built by Richard Trevithick; it first ran on 21 February 1804, although it was some years before steam locomotive design became economically practical. The first commercial use of a steam locomotive was Salamanca on the narrow gauge Middleton Railway in Leeds in 1812. In the USA, Mathias Baldwin started building stationary steam engines for commercial use and by 1830, opened his own workshop producing steam locomotives. Baldwin Locomotive Works became the world’s largest by the early 1900s and built the most powerful steam locos in history. The locomotive Fairy Queen, built in 1855 runs between Delhi and Alwar in India and is the oldest steam locomotive in regular (albeit tourist-only) service in the world, and the oldest steam locomotive operating on a mainline.

A dissection of steam locomotive

Working of Simple Steam Locomotive In the steam locomotive era, two measures of locomotive performance were generally applied. At first, locomotives were rated by tractive effort This can be roughly calculated by multiplying the total piston area by 85% of the boiler pressure (a rule of thumb reflecting the slightly lower pressure in the steam chest above the cylinder) and dividing by the ratio of the driver diameter over the piston stroke.

Diesel and Diesel Electric Locomotives: A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotive have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels (drivers). Diesel engines slowly eclipsed those powered by steam as the manufacturing and operational efficiencies of the former made them cheaper to own and operate. While initial costs of diesel engines were high, steam locomotives were custom-made for specific railway routes and lines and, as such, economies of scale were difficult to achieve.

Diesel: A diesel-mechanical locomotive uses a mechanical transmission in a fashion similar to that employed in most road vehicles. This type of transmission is generally limited to low-powered, low speed shunting (switching) locomotives, lightweight multiple units and self-propelled railcars.

The mechanical transmissions used for railroad propulsion are generally more complex and much more robust than standard-road versions. There is usually a interposed between the engine and gearbox, and the gearbox is often of the epicyclic (planetary) type to permit shifting while under load.

Diesel-mechanical propulsion is limited by the difficulty of building a reasonably sized transmission capable of coping with the power and torque required to move a heavy train. A number of attempts to use diesel- mechanical propulsion in high power applications have been made (e.g., the 1,500 kW (2000 horsepower) 10100 locomotive), although none have proved successful in the end.

Diesel Electric: In a diesel-electric locomotive, the diesel engine drives an electrical DC generator (generally, less than 3,000 HP net for traction) or an electrical AC alternator-rectifier (generally, 3,000 or more HP net for traction) whose output provides power to the traction motors. There is no mechanical connection between the engine and the wheels.

The important components of diesel-electric propulsion are the diesel engine (also known as the prime mover), the main generator/alternator-rectifier, generally four (four axle) or six (six axle) traction motors and a control system consisting of the engine governor as well as electrical and/or electronic components used to control or modify the electrical supply to the traction motors, including switchgear, rectifiers and other components.

An Indian Diesel Electric WDP-4 Locomotive In the late 1980s, the development of high-power variable-frequency/variable-voltage (VVVF) drives, or “traction inverters,” has allowed the use of polyphase AC traction motors, thus also eliminating the motor commutator and brushes. The result is a more efficient and reliable drive that requires relatively little maintenance and is better able to cope with overload conditions that often destroyed the older types of motors.

Electric Locomotives: An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a battery or fuel cell. Electric locomotives with on-board fuelled prime movers, such as diesel engines or gas turbines, are classed as diesel-electric or gas turbine-electric locomotives because the electric generator/motor combination serves only as a power transmission system. Electricity is used to eliminate smoke and take advantage of the high efficiency of electric motors, but the cost of electrification means that usually only heavily used lines can be electrified. An electric locomotive can be supplied with power from

1. Rechargeable energy storage systems, such as battery or ultracapacitor-powered mining locomotives. 2. A stationary source, such as a third rail or overhead wire. 3. A diesel-electric locomotive combines an onboard diesel engine with an electrical power transmission or storage (battery, ultracapacitor) system. The distinguishing design features of electric locomotives are: The type of electrical power used, AC or DC. The method of storing (batteries, ultracapacitors) or collecting (transmission) electrical power. The means used to couple the traction motors to the driving wheels (drivers).

Direct and Alternating Current: The most fundamental difference lies in the choice of AC or DC. The earliest systems used DC as AC was not well understood and insulation material for high voltage lines was not available.

An array of Indian Electric Locomotives on a Loco Shed As AC motors were developed, they became the predominant type, particularly on longer routes. High voltages (tens of thousands of volts) are used because this allows the use of low currents; transmission losses are proportional to the square of the current (e.g. twice the current means four times the loss). Thus, high power can be conducted over long distances on lighter and cheaper wires. Transformers in the locomotives transform this power to a low voltage and high current for the motors. A similar high voltage, low current system could not be employed with direct current locomotives because there is no easy way to do the voltage/current transformation for DC so efficiently as achieved by AC transformers.

Power Transmission: Electrical circuits require two connections (or for three phase AC, three connections). From the beginning, the track was used for one side of the circuit. Unlike model railroads the track normally supplies only one side, the other side(s) of the circuit being provided separately. Railways generally tend to prefer overhead lines, often called “catenaries” after the support system used to hold the wire parallel to the ground. Three collection methods are possible:

Trolley pole: a long flexible pole, which engages the line with a wheel or shoe. Bow collector: a frame that holds a long collecting rod against the wire. Pantograph: a hinged frame that holds the collecting shoes against the wire in a fixed geometry. Of the three, the pantograph method is best suited for high-speed operation. Some locomotives use both overhead and third rail collection.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT

Bottom Line: The most expected sequel from the Mission Impossible Franchise served up to its expectations.

Stunts done by Tom Cruise took this movie to a whole new level in the series. The Helicopter stunt is a must watch, where Tom Cruise got his pilot license and drove a real chopper on the foothills of Himalayas. Henry Cavill, the Superman Actor graces his screen presence with his macho looks. he also serves as one of the main antagonist in the movie which was not that much of a surprise as was more or less revealed in the Trailer.

Bike Stunts, Chopper Stunts, Cliff Stunts and the list goes on, that much is the hard work which was put on by Tom Cruise. Irrespective of his age, he is still an handsome hunk in the minds of divas. Gorgeous women Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Michele Monaghan added glam factor needed for the movie.

Lets look at the rating of prominent review channels

Metacritic- 86%

Rotten Tomatoes-97%

“Fallout is not only (easily) the best pure action movie of Summer 2018, it’s also the perfect culmination of the Mission: Impossible films thus far”- as said by Sandy Schaefer of Screen Rant

VISHWAROOPAM – 2 Kamal’s Brainchild lived up indeed!! Financial Constraints Visible

Wisam is back with a bang after 5 years. The veteran actor Kamal Hassan’s sequel Vishwaroopam 2 makes a huge expectation and infact lived up to it. The writer is very conscious about the script and do justice through out the movie. The protagonists Andrea and Pooja Kumar plays a meaty role and holds the story strong.

Patriotism well defined!!! Initial half of the movie is crisp and makes the viewers excited with some action packages and twists in the plot. The second half is little draggy with some melodrama. The re-recording was fantabulous where Gibran scores all over with electrifying BGMs. The way Kamal explains about terrorism and the political scenario earns the applause. The conversation between Wisam and his mother is an emotional burst out.

Rahul Bose excels his role as Omar and continues to rock in the second part too. The other leads Shekhar Kapur, Waheeda and Anant plays a decent role. The VFX is damn worse which shows the budget scarcity for the movie where Aascar V Ravichandran is the producer. The other technical teams are good. The duration can be reduced to some extent.

On the whole, it’s a one-time watchable Kamal movie for his well-versed script with some Hollywood spices through out the movie where our layman people finds out difficult to connect with.

Times of India – 2.5/5 Deccan Chronicle – 2.5/5 Credits: Vishnu Sankar KP

A DETAILED CASE STUDY ON “WORLD FAMOUS IRRUTUKADAI HALWA”- TIRUNELVELI

Location of IrrutuKadai Halwa Shop in Tirunelveli Town Opposite to Nellaiappar Temple Entrance

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A shop in Tirunelveli is selling a single variety of Halwa for the past 90 odd years, with zero marketing and zero alteration in its business model. The world famous Irrutukadai Halwa is still being produced with the same ingredients and gives the same taste. The shop is still a puzzling mystery to the modern day marketers as it disobeys all the marketing methods mentioned in the Marketing Management book by Philip Kotler and Kevin Lane Keller. This shop had even made Tirunelveli known as the “Halwa city of India”, though halwa as its origin in Rajasthan. This case presents to you the history of the shop, marketing mix, their business model, pricing and promotion.

1 HISTORY OF THE COMPANY:

1.1.Timeline of the Company:

Almost 95 years ago the original Tirunelveli Halwa Shop, which was fondly called by people all around the world as “IRRUTUKADAI” owing to its dark ambience was started by Krishnasingh and his son Bijlisingh, from Rajasthan. The IrrutuKadai still functions in the same building without any modification except that the Old Hurricane lamp was being replaced by the Incandescent Bulb of 40watts. Starting from the cash tray to the halwa carrying containers everything is age old. One could clearly see and identify the shop owing to its prime location in the Tirunelveli Town opposite to the Main Nellaiappar Temple Entrance ( One of the biggest Lord Shiva Temples in the world and the only one with three tanks) and its age old building among other modern buildings. Both of the founder were no more and the shop today was run by late Bijlisingh’s wife Sulochana and his brother Harisingh. The shop is most celebrated that it does not even have a nameboard, open only for few hours a day with immense amount of people even including the foreigners visiting the Tirunelveli waiting patiently to get it. This particular shop does not follow a single marketing strategy and truly believes in the quality of product what it provides to the customers and the word of mouth from people who had it. The worst part is many people go back empty handed as they sell only a limited quantity every day. The owners also believe that the Thamirabharani river water is also responsible for its mouth-watering taste Shop owners had even received awards from the hands of former President Pratibha Patil. IrrutuKadai has trademarked its name following various clones launching shops under the name of IrrutuKadai near the Tirunelveli railway station. But the most astonishing part is even after having so many clones, people from word of mouth know where IrrutuKadai is and those shops are eventually getting closed in Tirunelveli. 1.2.Corporate Governance:

The IrrutuKadai Shop is still a family run business which is operated by the family of Krishnasingh. The shop remains the same with having no branches across Tirunelveli. The Halwa is still being produced in the same method without usage of any machines, at the same place with zero change in the ingredients. The most astonishing part is many family run business like Dindugal Thalapakatti, Junior Kuppana had expanded and reached almost prime locations in Tamil Nadu but IrrutuKadai is the exact opposite. They never thought of expanding their business and the current members of the family on the course of interview believe also reciprocate the same. Though they have an another shop named “Visagam” near the Irrutukadai which offers the same Halwa along with some other traditional Indian sweets. One could see the same photos of thefounders as is found on the Irrutukadai over there, but they don’t proclaim it to be a part of IrrutuKadai. Only locals of Tirunelveli know this shop.

2 MARKETING MIX:

2.1.Product and Services: The only product that the shop produces is the wheat halwa. While other famous halwa shops in Tirunelveli like Lakshmi Vilas and Podhigai has created varities of halwa but not the IrrutuKadai. They believe that they are offering, “ Halwa in its purest form”. Their product don’t even have cashew nuts and are purely made of wheat, sugar and ghee. The shop owners feel that adding anything to halwa would hinder the real taste of Halwa.

2.2.Place and Distribution: Location does matter, the shop is strategically located in the heart of Tirunelveli Town, where ancient remnants of once Pandiya Kingdom’s capital including the Nellaiappar temple, cars of the same temple, famous Sarawathi temple remains. Many tourists visit this part of Tirunelveli owing to its rich heritage. The place also includes the most famous Vegetable market and textile shops including RmKV, Pothys and most recently Reliance Trends. It also includes one of the biggest gold purchasing hubs, filled with Goldsmiths. Biggest Jewellers like Joy Allukas, Jos Allukas, Khazana, Malabar Gold, Kalyan are all located within few hundred metres from the shop. People visiting the Tirunelveli Town would always have intention to buy the Halwa when they pass the shop and the buzzling crowd around it. Here the product i.e Halwa is distributed directly to the customer from the producer itself. They follow direct distribution system. Most of the bigger companies around Tirunelveli also have an habit of giving the famous IrrutuKadai halwa to its shareholders on Annual General Meetings (AGM) as the IrrutuKadai accepts bulk orders.

2.3.Pricing and Strategy: 1kg of Halwa from Irrutukadai costs around 220 rupees and is widely dependent upon the price of the Ghee and the wheat. Based on the inputs received from owner during the interview, they follow COST PLUS PRICING strategy under which the cost of the product depends upon the direct material cost, direct labour cost and other overhead costs. People will continue to buy the product even if the price increases because of its unique taste and near 100 years of reputation.

2.4.Integrated Marketing Communication: It refers to the integration of the various methods of brand promotion to promote a particular product. They basically include foundation, corporate culture, brand focus, consumer experience, communicational tools, promotion tools and integration tools. They follow none of the promotional strategies, they typically depend upon the word of mouth from the customers who say about the goodness of the product to their friends, relatives and colleagues. Even people from Tirunelveli when they are working in faraway places come to native their colleagues demand them to buy the Tirunelveli Halwa. Such is the reputation of the Iruttu Kadai and its halwa. While many halwa makers of Tirunelveli has filed for getting GI( Geographical Index) , the most famed of all the halwa shops in India didn’t file it. This could also lead to a Trademark vs GI war in the future.

2.5.Value Offering: Value proposition or Value Offering is an innovation, service or offering, feature that is being intended to make a company or product attractive from others

4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE PRODUCT:

4.1.Position Of The Product: Position of a product is based on the 3 characteristics-USP s(Unique Selling Proportion), PoP(Point of Parity), PoD(Point of Differentiation ). USP – It describes how the product is different and better when compared to the competitors. In our case, the halwa is prepared without any machines. Only Ural is used to grind the wheat to flour. PoP – It describes how the brand is unique when compared to others. The Halwa prepared by the IRUTTU KADAI does not add any food colouring. The colour obtained by the Halwa is natural. PoD – It describes how the product is different from the competitors. As other competitors serve Halwa hot, IRUTTU KADAI sells the Halwa in a chill state.

4.2.Product Differentiation: While choosing a product, a consumer might compare the similar product with different brands which has minor variations with which the consumer might arrive at the decision stage. The Halwa made in IRUTTU KADAI is a mixture of pure ghee, sugar and wheat flour. The pricing strategy of Halwa is based on the price of the ghee. This makes the product different from others.

4.4 Perceptual Mapping with Competitors/ Substitutes:

4.6.Brand Equity Of The Product:

Brand Equity of the product is defined as the additional or added value or the commercial value attached to the product from the consumer’s perception than from the product itself. The Halwa prepared by IRUTTU KADAI has more shelf life up to 1 month when compared to other competitors where their shelf life is 1 week. 5.0 DETAILED DESCRIPTION ABOUT PLACE AND DISTRIBUTION

5.1 Distribution Channel Flow: Distribution channel flow is a ‘path’ or ‘pipeline’ through which goods and services flow in one direction (from vendor to the consumer), and the payments generated by them flow in the opposite direction (from consumer to the vendor).

SUPPLIERS – The suppliers of IrrutuKadai halwa shop are those who supply raw materials for making the halwa. The raw materials used in halwa are wheat, ghee , sugar. They grind the wheat themselves with the help of traditional grinder (known as “Aatukal”) and prepare ghee on their own. They buy sugar from outside. PRODUCERS – They produce halwa by their own. It is a family run business and they never recruit an outsider, who is not a family member. DISTRIBUTORS – There are no specific distributors, they sell halwa daily in their shop opposite to Nellaiappar temple. The timings for sales are 6-8pm. In operations terms, they follow “Q system” (constant supply and varying demand) COLLECTORS – The collectors are the consumers who buy halwa. RECYCLERS – There is no recycling process done.

5.2 Online Marketplace: Iruttu kadai halwa shop doesn’t adapt online/digital marketing . They believe in direct sales so they sell halwa in their own shop and they have a supply outlet near the main shop named visagam. Most of the people doesn’t know that shop is owned by iruttu kadai halwa owner .They don’t proclaim it outside .

5.3 Channel Member Relationship Management: Marketing is the process of learning and communicating with consumers or getting products to the right places. This involves marketing channels, or the routes from the producers to the endusers. Channel members are those who are involved in the process of getting products or services to end-users. Their shop is so famous so they don’t advertise their product. As per survey most of the people who visit Tirunelveli generally buy IrrutuKadai halwa and this way they have a good customer relationship .

5.4 Franchise Management: There is no franchising done in Irrutukadai Halwa shop .

5.5 Forms Of Retailing: There are so many types of retailing but Irrutukadai halwa shop doesn’t have any retailing outlets . They sell halwa in their own shop .

5.6 Logistics Management: Logistics management is a supply chain management component that is used to meet customer demands . Irrutukadai halwa shop fulfils customer demand and they don’t have any transportation and logistics . Customers buy halwa directly in shop . 6. PRICING AND STRATEGY:

6.1 Pricing Objective And Method: The main characteristic of “IrrutuKadai Halwa” is that it can remain unspoilt for more than a month even when kept open. The factors contributing to this particular attribute include the much care which is given during preparation right from selection of materials to the way they are processed. The Halwa is handmade and the characteristic colour and aroma is natural and it is not that it is due to the addition of artificial colours. It is made out of pure ghee. The pricing varies according to the price of the ghee as it is made pure ghee. The current price of the halwa is ₹220 per kg. 6.2 Special Pricing/Discounts/Season Pricing /Psychology Pricing: The shop does not resort itself in providing discounts and following some special pricing strategies during the festive periods. The price of the halwa is constant all through the year, which is ₹220.

6.3 Zero Channel Marketing:

Zero channel marketing is a sort of marketing practice where no middlemen or intermediaries are involved. Here the manufacturer sells the product directly to the customer. Iruttukada Halwa is an archetypal example. The halwa is manufactured and sold directly to customers. One has to stand in large queues in front of the shop from 6 P.M to grab a pack of halwa as the management doesnot involve any sort of middlemen or depend on online platforms for selling . This throws a sense of exclusivity. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION ABOUT PROMOTION:

7.1 Advertisements: The halwas are advertised by the word of mouth communications by the experience of the consumers. There is no one small banner for their promoting strategy. They usually attract their customer towards taste of the recipe. They usually concentrate in added value and customer services.

7.2 Direct marketing and service relations: The service strategies used by this halwa strategy are, in those days the halwa were sold in streets by walk. However the origin of the halwa dates back 1882 Mr Jegan Singh who is considered as father of halwa who took the initiation of opening the shop in Tirunelveli. It was the first halwa shop which was named as “Tirunelveli halwa”. A beautiful comparison made between halwa and saliva where the saliva had fallen in the love or the deep love affair with saliva. This halwa is always anticipated and appreciated with anybody with smacking of their tongues. The superior and the genuine quality of halwa which was sold by ‘IrrutuKadai’ which is supposed to be the best shop to get the original quality of Tirunelveli halwa. The shop which is more popular and they which is still follow they tradition and culture and they are still using the 40watts bulb.

7.3 Publicity and Public relations: The IrrutuKadai is very old shop in which even now has only follows the pattern of having wooden shutters though the halwa is famous worldwide. The people who are coming and having the good tasty experiences in the halwa shop which was prepared by self-made. The shop is estimated to make at least several thousand rupees worth of halwa every day. They haven’t created even one single banner or flux to promote their Halwa shop. There is not even the name board to indicate the shop. The shop is referred as IrrutuKadai for at least past five decades. The shop is not open throughout the day for it opens only 6 in the evening even before which there would be a big crowd gathered outside the shop to buy the halwa. The Halwa are already packed and readily available in1/4, ½ and one KG packs for easy distribution but however even small amounts when required are weighted and parcelled to be sold. 7.4 Events and Experiences:

Though by it is not directly exported to other countries, friends or relatives buy the halwa and parcel it and then courier or send to people or by travelling to the different parts of the world. On such instances the shop takes extra care towards customers in packing the halwa with additional cellophane paper but still charge nothing. This halwa is also sold as short eats to people who wish to eat in hot on the spot. In fact there are even lot other shop in and around Tirunelveli which is based on only making the halwa which cannot mark itself up to the grade of Tirunelveli halwa got from the IrrutuKadai. The halwa got from that shop tastes is unique. It is very difficult to copy the authentic halwa. In fact halwa can also be mentioned as part of Tirunelveli legend. It has a shelf life of about a month.

8. DIFFERENCE FROM OTHERS: Tirunelveli is filled with renowned Halwa shops like Chandra Vilas, Shanti Sweets, Lakshmi Vilas, Podhigai sweets but people even today consider them as a second preference shop and some would only visit them if they couldn’t get halwa from Irrutukadai, such is the reputation of Irrutukadai. People mindless of price and long standing queues still go and buy their halwa from the Irrutukadai. Even elders advise their young ones that this shop provides the best halwa, there is much more of an emotional bonding towards the Irrutukadai.