Latest news with #Kulkarni
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Tata Motors launches new Harrier EV, targets 50,000 annual sales volume
Mumbai/ New Delhi: Despite the low penetration of electric vehicles in India's passenger car segment at present, the segment is poised for growth this year. Capitalising on this opportunity, Tata Motors on Tuesday launched its third EV, the Harrier SUV, built on its dedicated pure EV architecture-- ETAuto has learnt that the automaker has set an internal annual sales target of 50,000 units for the Harrier EV. Tata Motors initially introduced the Nexon, Tiago, and Tigor EVs on its first-generation architecture, which was adapted from internal combustion engine (ICE) platforms. However, the company has since shifted to a Gen-2 or pure EV architecture, which claims to offer greater flexibility in drive configurations, battery formats, and chemistries. The Punch EV was the first model launched on this dedicated EV platform, followed by the Curvv. Launched at an introductory price of ₹21.49 lakh (ex-showroom), the Harrier EV features a Quick-Wheel Drive (QWD) dual-motor setup enabling all-wheel drive and delivering a peak torque of 504 Nm. The front motor produces 158 PS, while the rear generates 238 PS, allowing the SUV to accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 6.3 seconds. It supports fast charging, offering 250 km of range in just 15 minutes. The vehicle comes equipped with six terrain modes and off-road assist, and introduces Tata Motors' advanced SDV architecture, which runs on 500 million lines of code. Safety is prioritised with over 20 Level 2 ADAS features, including Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, and Autonomous Emergency Braking, alongside seven airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, ESP with i-VBAC, hill descent control, and tyre pressure monitoring. In conversation with ETAuto, Anand Kulkarni, Chief Products Officer, Head of HV Programs and Customer Service, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility said the Harrier EV based on evolving consumer trends like YOLO (You Only Live Once) and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), reflecting a desire to try new experiences. The vehicle is positioned as a 'third space' beyond home and work, where users can recharge and reconnect. With the launch of this model, Tata Motors is seeking to regain its lost market share, as it faces stiff competition in the EV space from its rivals, particularly JSW MG Motor and Mahindra & Mahindra. Although it still remains a market leader in the segment, the auto giant has seen its share decline from around 71 per cent in FY24 to 54 per cent in FY25. EV penetration in the segment currently stands at around 2.5 per cent. Innovations in battery tech The automaker remains cautious about exploring alternative battery chemistries like sodium-ion technology. Kulkarni noted that while sodium-ion batteries are promising due to safer, more abundant materials, initial interest was driven by high lithium costs. With lithium prices stabilising, the urgency around sodium-ion has lessened. From a global standpoint, he sees fully sodium-ion-powered vehicles unlikely to hit the market for at least a few more years. Cost remains a critical factor, and shifting economics often reshape the direction of such conversations. Nevertheless, he emphasised the importance of continued investment in technical innovation, particularly as energy density–one of sodium-ion's main limitations– continues to improve with ongoing R&D efforts. Addressing the concept of Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS), Kulkarni noted that while it remains a viable option if there is sufficient demand, the prevailing sentiment among Indian consumers leans toward battery ownership. 'Indian customers typically prefer to own the battery,' he said. Although a lower upfront price through BaaS might appeal to a niche segment, he emphasised that it is not the dominant expectation in the market. 'Price difference may attract some customers, but overall, ownership remains the preferred model.' EV trajectory Kulkarni noted that there has been a clear reduction in range anxiety and increasing acceptance of EVs among the customers in India. He highlighted that Tata Motors EVs have collectively covered 8 billion kilometers across over 200,000 vehicles. While daily drives once averaged 40–45 km in short trips, usage has evolved to 75–80 km per trip, with EVs now used more frequently than comparable ICE vehicles. He also revealed that the company is also working on the new Avinya platform. However, he did not share any specific details. Reflecting on the evolving competitiveness of the Indian EV industry, he noted that the landscape has changed significantly over the past five years. 'Back then, my answer would have been very different. But today, as a country, we've developed real expertise.' A key enabler has been the push for deep localisation, which has helped build critical competencies and a robust supply ecosystem. He also highlighted a defining characteristic of the Indian market– its high sensitivity to cost. 'This has driven local engineers to innovate and engineer world-class products that meet demanding cost targets, even at low volumes,' he said. As a result, India is now capable of producing highly credible, competitive EV solutions tailored to its unique needs. 'While the future remains uncertain, I am confident that we will not be left behind,' he said.
Globe and Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
What I've Learned
Showcase (Brampton, Ont.) Kulkarni's family business has its hands in all sorts of industries, from manufacturing to tech to finance. In 1999, it bought part of a quirky Edmonton-based retailer with 12 stores. Now it has 150 outlets in Canada and the U.S., and a devoted following among trend-addicted shoppers. I grew up under the guidance of my father and uncle. I'd go with them to the office starting when I was six or so. It put business into my blood. In 1999, I was finishing my graduate degree at Yale, and all my business-school friends were headed either to Wall Street to be investment bankers or to Silicon Valley to be dot-com mavens. It was a contrarian move at that time—one, returning to Canada, and two, going into the old-school business of brick-and-mortar retail. We envisioned creating a mutual fund of trends, using the principles of investment management. Diversification—not overly concentrating on one asset class. Momentum trading—assessing demand, and knowing when to get in and when to get out. Cost averaging—so as a trend declines, demand might drop, but the cost might drop, too. A lot of the buying was based on gut feel, relationships with vendors, visiting trade shows and taking bets on products. That's not reliable, and it's painful when there's a mistake. With the advent of big data in 2008, for the first time we could access online search data, analyze it, and put math and science behind consumer demand. We started to stumble across patterns of correlation between search volume, social posts and mentions, and demand. That's when the business transformed from instinctual buying to data-science-backed buying. Every trend starts with a demand driver. In the old days, that may have been a TV commercial or radio ad or celebrity mention. As social media has grown, the demand driver has become social—primarily Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The challenge with social media is everyone has a hyper-personalized experienced. I may see something blowing up on my feed and think it's the hottest thing, and my neighbour may have never heard of it. We built a trend watcher using generative AI that watches 50,000 social media videos every day to help us identify objectively what's trending. Our entire organization is aligned around the trend model. We can buy a product within hours, and get it on shelves in a week or two. For trends where there's no product or distributor—just a viral video—we can design and develop a product, and bring it to market within 53 days. Dubai Chocolate was popularized last year by TikTok influencers. Our team strategized this trend and developed a shelf-stable recipe along with local producers, and helped them scale up. We launched it under our Oasis Treasures brand, and we're now the leading retailer of Dubai Chocolate in North America. Tariffs are definitely negative for retailers and will most certainly lead to inflation, which is a bit tragic, because after all the challenges of the past few years, including the pandemic, this is an entirely man-made problem. Seize opportunity. The market is moving faster than ever. By adapting more quickly than others, you can win. With speed comes the risk of failure, but a good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow. Failure is part of R&D. Durabuilt Windows and Doors (Edmonton) When Sunner was just 19, he and his dad moved from England to Edmonton to take over a small, poky window company with 10 employees. Three decades later, Durabuilt manufactures 1,000 windows and doors a day, and employs more than 750. I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I was a high-risk high achiever, thinking too fast. My father is more conservative, more reserved. He thinks of the worst-case outcomes more often than needed. So, one optimist and one pessimist—that alignment has worked really well. You can make well-informed decisions when you have two different sets of eyes, two different thinking methods, as much as those conversations are tough or frustrating. For $600,000, you could be in the window-and-door business. Nowadays, you need $20 million or $25 million just to be in the game. You can't be a mom-and-pop shop the way we started. Automation comes in stages and phases. You need to have a five-year plan. Where are your bottlenecks? Where is simple human manufacturing not working or not efficient anymore? We still employ 750 people, but we compete with bigger organizations across the globe. Fifteen years ago, we probably would've needed 1,500 people at this scale. Innovation is in our people, it's in software, it's in the building envelope, it's in our product, it's in how we do business. It's systemizing our business every day, and it's talked about every day. It's a constant process. Out of all the G7, we're the country with the least manufacturing. Canada doesn't even make its own glass anymore. All our glass comes from U.S., Mexico and around the world. How do you lead an organization when you go from 100 people to 300 to 400 to 700? There are times when you look at firing yourself. Just because you own the business doesn't give you the right to the CEO seat. Human capital is the most important thing. We're in the people business—we just happen to make windows and doors. We've had our years of pain and rain, where you chase growth and you're not making any money, and it's kinda senseless. We've been there and done that. Now, it's more about deep, entrenched planning. If we want to grow by 20%, we unpack everything that's going to be impacted: people, leadership, equipment, software, logistics, capability. What needs to improve? At this moment, the impact of tariffs is quite minimal, but if the next phase is enacted, we're looking at substantial inflation on products. It's pretty black and white—it gets transferred to the end user. We're constantly seeing who's doing better than we are. I thrive on being in a room where I'm not the smartest person. We have a very young, energetic leadership group, including my daughter, who leads our marketing division. We've pivoted the whole company around leadership and succession. Learn the power of people. A lot of times I hear from entrepreneurs, 'I can't grow—I have 35 people, and I have to do everything.' And they get stuck. You have to be prepared to delegate. My dad is the chair now. When we're having a bad day, he comes in and says, 'You may think you're having the worst day of your life, but you're not.' He's that guy. Germain Hotels (Quebec City) Germain and her brother, Jean-Yves, opened their first hotel in 1988. Today, they own 19 sleekly designed properties across the country, from St. John's to Calgary. My parents had two restaurants—one was the first steakhouse in Quebec City, in 1962. When we'd go for dinner there on a Sunday evening, as soon as people were waiting in line to get in, we'd have to finish our meal and leave the table. Serving people has always been in the DNA of our family. I've always worked with my family—I don't know anything else. It hasn't always been easy, but then again, is there anything that's easy all the time? My brother and I had run restaurants. The day we opened our first hotel, in Quebec City, I went to the door to greet our first guest and took him directly to his room instead of the check-in desk. I was used to welcoming guests and taking them to their table. All this to say, I didn't know much about the hotel business, but I learned quite rapidly. One of the things that set us apart was our bathrooms—instead of having regular bathtubs, we had these really large glass showers. At that time, that was very unusual. Design set us apart. You have to find your niche—what makes you different. But you also have to really feel that thing. It has to be in line with who you are. Never underestimate the value of the human component of what you're doing. Technology, no matter how you apply it, has changed many of the ways we do things. We used to have phones in all the rooms, and guests making phone calls was a good revenue generator. And we lost that. You have to adapt—sooner rather than later. Airbnb did affect the business, but I don't think we lost customers. More people started travelling because Airbnb existed, and maybe some of those travellers would want to try a hotel, too. I have no problem with Airbnb. My problem is more related to the rules not being the same for them as they are for us. The pandemic almost killed us. We had to lay off 1,000 people in a couple of days. It was a bad dream. We had to close five of our hotels, but we couldn't even lock the doors, because a hotel is always open. We didn't have locks. It was crazy. I've always been someone who relies on intuition. You can't teach that. With almost 20 hotels now, you have to come up with a way of doing things that you can put on paper. Then you have to hire good people and teach them how to do those things. You have to know how to make money, but making money should not be the reason for starting a business. You have to be patient and make decisions that are good for the future of the organization. I remember my parents telling me, 'You have to set an example, whatever you do.' And that can be tough. At times, I was too strict with myself, always thinking about what was good for the organization and forgetting about me. So many women try to be perfect at everything, and it drives them crazy. You have to let some things go. Now we're working with our children—my daughter and three of my brother's kids. Sometimes you have to stand back and let them make their own mistakes. But it's the same for them as it was for my brother and me. This is their life. Acadian Seaplants (Dartmouth, N.S.) Deveau's dad, Louis, started Acadian in 1981, harvesting a long, stringy seaweed called Ascophyllum nodosum. Today, it ships a variety of products to 80-plus countries, including a crop biostimulant; additives used in animal feed; multicoloured seaweed used largely in Japanese salads; and several products that find their way into the human food chain. I walked into my parents' house after finishing my engineering degree and my mother said, 'You don't have a bedroom anymore—your father has started a business, and you're welcome to sleep on the couch.' That was the beginning of Acadian Seaplants. Today we have employees in 22 countries, and subsidiaries in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, China, India, Ireland, Scotland and Italy. We have two research facilities, in Canada and England, with about 50 researchers on staff, including 15 PhDs, and four manufacturing sites in Canada, plus one in Ireland and one in Scotland. So we've grown since my old bedroom. Seaweed is fixed. It doesn't swim away. So our scientists can quantify it, we can measure its growth rates, and we can then manage it properly. By doing that, we assure our own long-term supply. It's money well invested. We've been doing sustainability for the past 25 years. Irrespective of what the current political people are saying, those initiatives are here to stay, and those that embrace sustainability will do better in the long run than those who do not. When we started, we were only buying wet seaweed, drying it, baling it and sending it to the Americans to create value. My father understood we needed to invest in technology to differentiate ourselves and add value. It's not simple, it's not easy, it's not cheap, but it works. In the early days, I had a good lead in Japan. But we couldn't afford for me to go—it was too expensive. My dad goes, 'Get on the plane, go over there, get in front of the client, and watch what happens.' So I did. I met three or four potential customers, and we're still doing business with them today. That's how we've built our business over the years. We've lived by that lesson. I'm a 30-year seaweed guy. But I realized we were morphing from a seaweed company that made agricultural products into an ag company that has seaweed as its primary material. We needed to bring in ag management that knew how to develop these markets. We hired this one guy, Nelson Gibson, and 52 people he'd worked with have now joined us, along with their Rolodexes. So now we do business with the largest ag distribution companies in the world because we brought these people on. A lot of family values go into a family-run organization. You feel it. The people feel it. If we have to do something that's painful, it hurts. So there's a level of passion that is quite different. You gotta put together a plan. You gotta have some meat behind the plan. Once you get that plan, then you gotta execute that plan. Invariably you will deviate from that plan, then you gotta put together another plan to get back on track with the original plan. And you will do that over and over again. What do you do in an environment where you're not sure what the rules are going to be? You don't want to fall into a trap of 'I'll wait till it settles down,' because that becomes paralysis. And it's not gonna settle down. Odlum Brown (Vancouver) Doucette didn't plan on spending her career in financial services. Then she landed at Odlum Brown, a century-old independent investment firm that felt like family. She spent 17 years as CEO—a role she's just handed off to her successor, Trevor Short—but remains executive chair. I got the lowest of the lowest jobs in an investment firm when I was very young, and I loved it. I loved how every day was different. The golden rule was something instilled in me at the dinner table. But at Odlum, you see it play out in so many ways. I'll give an example: We encourage our analysts to own the stocks they recommend. And not only do our analysts eat their own cooking; all of us do. Unfortunately, you don't bat 1,000. If something doesn't work out, we own it. We're invested personally right there along with our clients. What I learned during the dot-com crisis and relearned again in '08—and we're seeing it again now—is that what clients want to hear is not that you've got the solution to everything. They want to hear that you're just as worried as they are. You can't hide from a problem. You've got to stand up and say, 'Today I know this, and today I'm going to do this.' People just want to know you're on it. In 2023, we did a client survey for our 100th anniversary. We got 500 or 600 personal anecdotes, about how either their adviser or the firm had helped them through a difficult moment—the death of a spouse, a divorce, a life-altering thing. They felt that shoulder squeeze. When I'm having one of those days, I pull those answers out, and it reminds me what we're actually here to do—and that we're doing it. When I first started, we had a person on the trading desk who key-punched orders all day, and we'd have to wait till the following morning to see the trades. But the actual relationship side of the business is the same. You know your clients, and your client knows you. And I think that's what will sustain our business going forward. I'm not one to feel anxious. But it feels like the world is shifting. I know this will sound a bit Pollyanna, but I fundamentally believe you can't control what will happen—you can only control how you react to it, stay true to your values and make the best decisions you can with the information you have at the moment. I've always told my team, 'Ski the black diamonds first.' I tackle the hardest thing on my desk first thing in the morning. Make a call—most often, doing something is better than doing nothing. I jokingly say I've gone from being the decider to the opiner. It's hard to give up the CEO title, but it was time. People need to see rejuvenation. I'm still gonna be around as chair, but it's been really gratifying and a lot less scary than I thought it was gonna be. Your time is valuable. Have the Top Business Headlines newsletter conveniently delivered to your inbox in the morning or evening. Sign up today.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Sai Sudharsan's 'domestic record not great' as Agarkar's England call exposed: 'I saw him twice, he didn't play well...'
One of the most notable picks for India's upcoming tour of England, where the visitors will play five Tests, was the selection of young left-hander B Sai Sudharsan. The Tamil Nadu batter has earned his maiden Test call-up. However, the decision to pick him for the crucial tour was questioned on Monday as former Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni exposed his weakness against the Dukes ball. Kulkarni, under whom Sudharsan played for Tamil Nadu during the 2023-24 season, outlined the batter's mediocre record in first-class cricket before hinting that the selectors might have made the wrong call in picking him. Kulkarni based his opinion on watching Sudharsan in action on seaming tracks, assessing that he showed significant struggle against the moving ball. "His domestic record is not great. When I was the coach, I saw him play on a seaming track in at least two matches. And he didn't play well there. His technique against the moving ball needs to improve," Kulkarni said. However, the former Mumbai captain shared a few words of advice for Sudharsan on where he can work prior to the England tour. "He has a tendency of playing away from the body while the secret of success in England is to play late and play the ball right under your nose. He has to curb some of his strokes and should play straight and close to the body. He has to work to get the technique right before the tour." Sudharsan has experience playing in seaming conditions in England, having participated in the County Championship twice for Surrey—in 2023 and 2024. He even scored a century batting at No. 6 in his last appearance. Moreover, he has been leading the run-scoring chart in IPL this year, smashing 679 runs in 14 league games for the Gujarat Titans. After the end of the IPL campaign, he, along with Titans captain Shubman Gill, will leave for England to participate in the India A match against the England Lions on June 6.
India Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Sai Sudharsan's technique against moving ball needs to improve: EX-TN coach
Former Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni issued a word of caution about Sai Sudharsan after the southpaw was selected for the upcoming tour of England. Sudharsan was amongst the new faces in the squad for the five-Test series against England on the back of some terrific performances in the domestic circuit and the IPL this season. Sudharsan has scored 679 runs in 14 matches so far in the league, helping GT make it to the IPL 2025 playoffs. The southpaw also has a good record in first-class cricket, as he has scored 1957 runs in 29 outings since his debut in 2022. Sudharsan has also featured in county cricket for Surrey in 2023 and 2024, where his average was 35. advertisement5 Indian players to watch out for on England tour Speaking to Times of India, Kulkarni said that his domestic record isn't that great at the moment and his technique against moving ball needs to domestic record is not great. When I was the coach, I saw him play on a seaming track in at least two matches. And he didn't play well there. His technique against the moving ball needs to improve,' said Kulkarni. The former TN coach said that the 23-year-old has a tendency to play away from the body, while the secret for success in England is to play late and right under the nose. Kulkarni also said that the 23-year-old needs to curb some of his strokes and should play straight and close to the body. advertisementThe former coach said that he needs to work on this and get it right before the tour. 'He has a tendency of playing away from the body while the secret of success in England is to play late and play the ball right under your nose. He has to curb some of his strokes and should play straight and close to the body. He has to work to get the technique right before the tour,' said Kulkarni. The first Test between England and India will start on June 20. Must Watch
Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘I saw him play on a seaming pitch and he didn't do well': Ex-TN coach says Sai Sudharsan's technique not equipped for England Tests
Tamil Nadu's rising star Sai Sudharsan made the cut for India's 18-member Test squad on Saturday, with his maiden call-up into the red-ball side coming ahead of a daunting five-match tour to England. The left-hander's batting technique has received several plaudits in the IPL 2025 season, where he has seemingly raised the bar in his white-ball repertoire. However, Sudharsan's existing batting techniques would not be enough to withstand the challenges of the Dukes ball in England, feels former Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni. Kulkarni, who worked with Sudharsan during the 2023-24 season when he was in charge of the TN team, picked up on his underwhelming First-Class record and said the youngster needs to reinforce his technique to counter the moving ball. 'His domestic record is not great. When I was the coach, I saw him play on a seaming track in at least two matches. And he didn't play well there. His technique against the moving ball needs to improve,' Kulkarni was quoted as saying by Times of India. The former Mumbai captain who has had minor county stints in the past said that Sudharsan will have to curb the range of his strokes to succeed against the English attack. A brilliant moment for Sai Sudharsan! 🫶💯 🤎 | #SurreyCricket — Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) August 30, 2024 'He has a tendency of playing away from the body while the secret of success in England is to play late and play the ball right under your nose. He has to curb some of his strokes and should play straight and close to the body. He has to work to get the technique right before the tour,' Kulkarni added. Sudharsan has previously featured in two County stints with Surrey in 2023 and 2024, averaging 35. In his last outing for the side, Sudharsan cracked his maiden First-Class century in English conditons while batting at No. 6. Overall, the 23-year-old averages 39.93 for 1957 runs in 29 FC outings since his debut in 2022. Leading the batting charts in the IPL, Sudharsan has racked up 679 runs in 14 innings for the Titans. Post the IPL Playoffs, Sudharsan and skipper Gill are slated to participate in a match for India A against the England Lions starting June 6 before the Tests begin two weeks later.
