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Tag: chennai

  • India Signs BharatNet Deal for 500,000 Rural Fiber Connections

    India Signs BharatNet Deal for 500,000 Rural Fiber Connections

    India’s Department of Telecommunications signed a BharatNet utilization agreement with the Tamil Nadu government and Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation on October 30, 2026. The pact provides financial subsidy support for more than 500,000 rural home fiber connections under the Amended BharatNet Programme.

    Arrangements under the agreement establish on-demand broadband connectivity across 4,767 villages in Tamil Nadu. Central government financial support will flow directly through Digital Bharat Nidhi.

    The initiative relies on existing BharatNet infrastructure to accelerate last-mile FTTH deployment and raise network utilization. The formal signing marks an implementation milestone rather than completed household connections.

    Subsidies Target Village Fiber Links

    The tripartite structure relies on Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation to manage regional access while central authorities foot part of the capital load. Digital Bharat Nidhi provides the financial buffer needed to bring optical connections into low-density rural settlements where private internet service providers refuse to build on commercial terms alone.

    The pact serves as an execution framework rather than immediate subscriber delivery. The government has not disclosed the subsidy amount, construction expenditure, additional fiber kilometers or activation timetable.

    The Race for Rural Digital Wallets

    Broadband access across nearly 5,000 Tamil Nadu villages will alter how consumer brands and retail platforms handle rural distribution. Fast home internet reduces reliance on patchy mobile data, encouraging rural households to adopt digital banking, commerce apps, and local service platforms.

    Private telecom operators face a shifting competitive field across the state. While commercial carriers focus investments on urban fiber lines and mobile capacity, a subsidized state network opens wholesale bandwidth that independent regional operators and local cable providers can use to sell retail broadband directly to homes.

    Delivery Gaps Across BharatNet

    The push under the amended national scheme follows years of slow execution across earlier BharatNet phases. Previous attempts to link village councils stumbled over right-of-way disputes, equipment shortages, and damaged trunk lines that left laid cables unlit for years.

    By involving the state-level agency directly, the telecommunications ministry aims to bypass bureaucratic bottlenecks between federal planners and district administrations. Whether Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation can maintain field hardware and maintain uptime across 4,767 villages without ballooning operating costs is the operational question that remains unanswered.

    What to Watch Next

    Contractors and state agencies must now issue procurement tenders for optical network terminals and domestic drop cables. The first test of the program will come when the ministry publishes initial village activation counts and subsidy disbursement figures for the upcoming fiscal quarter.

  • Birkenstock Takes a Giant Step: Unveils Biggest Indian Mall Store in Chennai, Expands Network to 63

    Birkenstock Takes a Giant Step: Unveils Biggest Indian Mall Store in Chennai, Expands Network to 63

    Birkenstock, a well-known German footwear brand, continues to broaden its reach in India with the opening of its largest in-mall store in Chennai. This latest endeavour elevates the brand’s presence in India to a whopping 63 stores, a remarkable leap since its first store opening in the country just six years ago.

    A Strategic Move

    While Birkenstock continues to operate its 1,600-square-foot flagship store in Mumbai, the opening of its third store in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, is of particular significance. Birkenstock recognizes Chennai as a crucial market within India, attributing this to a rapidly expanding base of high-end consumers with a strong preference for quality and comfort-oriented products.

    The new store features an impressive array of Birkenstock’s offerings, ranging from their iconic sandal and clog styles to contemporary closed shoe designs. In addition, customers can explore seasonal designs, accessories, and the brand’s essential care range.

    Global Expansion Efforts

    Birkenstock’s expansion isn’t limited to India; the brand recently celebrated the opening of its Japanese flagship store in Osaka in April. The company has expressed its active commitment to strengthening its direct-to-consumer store footprint globally.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the significance of Birkenstock opening its largest in-mall store in Chennai?
    This move reflects Birkenstock’s recognition of Chennai as a strategically important market within India due to its growing base of premium consumers and strong demand for quality, comfort-driven products.

    What can customers expect to find in Birkenstock’s new Chennai store?
    The store features a wide variety of Birkenstock’s products, including their iconic sandal and clog styles, contemporary closed shoes, seasonal designs, accessories, and the essential care range.

    Is Birkenstock’s expansion limited to India?
    No, Birkenstock is actively expanding its global footprint. Most recently, the brand opened a flagship store in Osaka, Japan.

  • Birkenstock Dominates Chennai with Largest Indian In-Mall Store, Upping National Footprint to 63 Stores

    Birkenstock Dominates Chennai with Largest Indian In-Mall Store, Upping National Footprint to 63 Stores

    Birkenstock, the esteemed German footwear brand, has recently launched its most sizeable in-mall shop in India, situated in Chennai. This new addition brings the total count of Birkenstock locations in the country to 63, showcasing the brand’s steadfast expansion throughout India.

    A Steady Expansion in India

    Birkenstock’s journey in India began six years ago and since then, the brand has significantly broadened its footprint in the country. Despite continuing to operate its 1,600 sq. ft flagship store in Mumbai, the brand has now established its third outlet in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu.

    According to Birkenstock, Chennai is a crucial market for the brand, boasting a burgeoning base of high-end consumers who have a profound appreciation for products that deliver quality and comfort.

    More Than Just Sandals

    The Chennai store displays an array of Birkenstock’s globally recognized products. Not only does it feature the brand’s emblematic sandal and clog styles, but it also offers contemporary closed-toe shoes, seasonal designs, accessories, and the fundamental care essentials range.

    Earlier this year, Birkenstock also inaugurated a flagship store in Osaka, Japan. The footwear giant has been vocal about its active strategy to expand its direct-to-consumer store presence on a global scale.

    Questions & Answers

    What is Birkenstock’s most recent expansion move in India?
    Birkenstock has opened its largest in-mall store in Chennai, India, taking its total store count in the nation to 63.

    What does the new Chennai store offer to its customers?
    The store features Birkenstock’s iconic sandal and clog styles, contemporary closed shoes, seasonal styles, accessories, and the brand’s care essentials range.

    What is Birkenstock’s global expansion strategy?
    Birkenstock is actively expanding its direct-to-consumer store footprint globally, as evidenced by its recent store openings in India and Japan.

  • Equinix Expands Its Presence in India with New IBX Data Center Launch in Chennai

    Equinix Expands Its Presence in India with New IBX Data Center Launch in Chennai

    Equinix has made a significant stride in India’s burgeoning digital landscape with the opening of its first International Business Exchange (IBX) data centre in Chennai. Here, on a nearly six-acre site in Siruseri, the newly inaugurated facility—designated as CN1—will be seamlessly interconnected with Equinix’s existing campus in Mumbai, which comprises three IBX data centres.

    Driving Digital Transformation and Resilience

    This expansion is poised to bolster business digitisation, enhance resilience, and support artificial intelligence (AI) development across the region. With phase one of CN1 already operational, the facility will initially deliver 800 cabinets, backed by a hefty $69 million investment. Ultimately, the four-storey site is designed to accommodate 4,250 cabinets, showcasing Equinix’s commitment to meeting the demands of a high-density, compute-intensive economy.

    Engineering Excellence and Future-Ready Facilities

    Engineered with a fault-tolerant architecture that promises an astonishing 99.999 percent uptime, CN1 is also crafted to integrate liquid cooling systems, preparing it for the high demands of today’s technology. This is not just another data centre; it’s where your nearest algorithm might just feel at home.

    Connecting Businesses with Cloud Opportunities

    Equinix aims to enhance its interconnection services through offerings such as Equinix Fabric and Fabric Cloud Router. These services enable enterprises to construct robust hybrid multicloud infrastructures. Notably, customers in Chennai will enjoy low-latency access to major cloud service providers, including AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle Cloud, all of which are conveniently hosted at the Mumbai campus.

    Strategically Located for Future Growth

    Conveniently situated just 28 km from the Central Business District and close to anticipated submarine cable landing sites, the Chennai facility positions itself as a strategic hub for digital connectivity. With over 300 companies already hosted in India, including several network service providers and five internet exchanges, Equinix continues to solidify its leadership in the data centre sector. Globally, the company operates more than 270 data centres across 77 markets in 36 countries, boasting over 60 sites throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the significance of Equinix’s new data centre in Chennai?
    The new IBX data centre represents a major investment in India’s digital infrastructure, aiming to enhance business digitisation, build resilience, and foster AI development in the region.

    How does equinix facilitate access to cloud services for businesses in Chennai?
    The data centre provides low-latency access to cloud service providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, ensuring businesses can effectively leverage hybrid multicloud infrastructures.

    What unique features does the CN1 facility offer?
    Equipped with fault-tolerant architecture and readiness for liquid cooling, CN1 promises an impressive 99.999 percent uptime, making it well-suited for the demands of high-density computing.

  • BMW India Shuts Down Chennai Plant

    BMW India Shuts Down Chennai Plant

    BMW Group India has announced a number of measures to restrict employee movement during the novel coronavirus pandemic that’s swept the globe. The automaker has announced that it will be closing the Chennai-based manufacturing facility with immediate effect until March 31, 2020, while employees at The National Sales Company and BMW India Financial Services will work from home during this period. Meanwhile, essential services including security, facility management and healthcare will continue to operate. Furthermore, the German auto giant said that it will keep all its showrooms pan India closed during this period, while aftersales and breakdown services will remain functional albeit with limitations.

    A statement from the BMW Group read, “For the well-being of employees in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, work from home has been implemented across BMW Group offices in India with immediate effect. Business continuity is to be ensured across all functions while adhering to all government directives and necessary safety measures. Across the BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad dealerships in India, staff will work from home to offer services to customers. Aftersales and breakdown services staff will operate as per the local government directives and will be functional with limitations. All showrooms are presently closed and will reopen as per local government advisory.”

    Almost all major automakers including Tata Motors, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, FCA India and more have announced plant closures amidst the outbreak. In the luxury space as well, Volvo India had already announced that it has asked its employees to work from home, while Audi India has also shut operations with the closure of the Skoda Auto-Volkswagen facilities across India, while Mercedes-Benz too has closed the Chakan facility, near Pune. The auto industry is estimated to bear a loss of ₹ 15,000 crore every day during this phase, which further adds to the sector’s woes since the past year.

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  • Indian debut for Make-your-own Magnum retail concept

    Indian debut for Make-your-own Magnum retail concept

    Magnum has launched its first two pop-up stores in India, offering customers Make Your Own Magnum experience.

    The stores have opened at Phoenix Market City malls in Mumbai and Chennai.

    Like consumers before them in Bangkok Kuala Lumpur and many other cities across Asia-Pacific, customers now can design and assemble their own ice creams with their favorite flavors and toppings.

    “The concept has been an international hit and as we approach the festive season here, we saw so better way to make our loyalists dive into pure indulgence by creating their own delectable version,” said Himanshu Kanwar, head of Ice-creams India.

    The customized Magnum store will feature Make Your Own Magnum campaign until late November.

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  • AirAsia India to start direct Delhi-Chennai flight from September

    AirAsia India to start direct Delhi-Chennai flight from September

    Budget carrier AirAsia announced a new direct Delhi to Chennai flight. The new flight will be introduced from September 2019. The sale of tickets will begin on 20 September. The tickets can be booked through airasia.com or the AirAsia mobile app.

    “The new daily direct flight between Chennai and New Delhi will help boost our operations in Chennai. We have also increased the frequency between Chennai and various other destinations like Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata,” the airline said in a statement.

    AirAsia will also operate a third daily flight between New Delhi and Kolkata.

    The Bengaluru-headquartered airline is also set to launch additional flights on New Delhi-Kolkata route from 20 September.

    The airline has also increased the frequency and introduced a fourth service on the Delhi-Bengaluru route.

    AirAsia India currently flies to 19 destinations with a fleet of 22 aircraft.

    Air Asia India, which started operations in June 2014, is a joint venture between Tata and AirAsia Berhad. It currently operates 164 flights a day, covering 19 destinations and carrying over 25,000 passengers.

    The budget carrier has already started daily direct flight on the Delhi-Chandigarh route from 1 August onwards. The launch fare on Delhi-Chandigarh route is ₹1,365, the airline mentioned. The flight would leave from Delhi at 10.40 am every day and would reach Chandigarh at 11.50 am.

    The return flight would depart from Chandigarh every day at 12.50 pm and arrive at the Delhi airport at 1.55 pm, the low-cost carrier said.

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  • Groupe PSA Opens New Technical Centre In Chennai

    Groupe PSA Opens New Technical Centre In Chennai

    PCA Motors India, part of Groupe PSA today announced opening its new India Technical Centre (ITC) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The company says that the new technical centre will play a key role in the smoother and more efficient working of the employees of PSA India, in addition to boosting the capacity of the group to accelerate further in India. The new technical centre has come up in a specific building area, Chennai One, which is part of one of the Chennai Special Economic Zones (SEZ). Groupe PSA says the new facility has been designed and built in a frugal and efficient way, consistent with the spirit of scalability corresponding to the India project.

    Commenting on the launch, Emmanuel Delay, Executive Vice President & Head of India-Pacific, Groupe PSA, said, “The new India Technical Center [ITC] is an important step for the development of Groupe PSA in India, and is definitely an asset to grow the Group’s business in the India & Pacific region. This is part of our strategy to develop a global network of state-of-the-art technical centre, strategically positioned in India, to support a customer-oriented agenda. With the new centre, we’re focusing our investment in creating a cohesive work environment to accelerate our growth. This unified approach will improve the speed, efficiency and effectiveness of our employees while enabling us to address evolving consumer needs more quickly in the future. Our investment in ITC further emphasizes the importance of India to our global business.”

    Groupe PSA’s new technical centre will house departments of Research & Development, Programs and Projects, Global Purchasing Hub, Supply Chain, Process and Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, KD Excellence Centre and Product. In fact, going forward, the state-of-the-art centre will also house a workshop for styling, architecture and assembly of prototypes.

    Commenting on the launch, Eric Apode, Senior Vice President, PCA Motors India, said, “The new India Technical Centre is the next strategic step for Groupe PSA in India. It will allow the group to accelerate quickly its growth in India, through the development of new products and deployment of our strategy in and outside India. The area around our new centre is popular for housing dozens of international and Indian companies this gives the Groupe strong confidence of attracting Indian talent to the new ITC. The Monozukuri philosophy, the art of creating objects in an efficient and effective way is now taking shape with our new India Technical Centre, which will benefit group operations domestically and globally.”

  • AirAsia India announces new route

    AirAsia India announces new route

    AirAsia India is on an expansion spree, it plans to add its first route to Chennai, from Kolkata. AirAsia India will now connect Kolkata and Chennai with one daily flight with effect from 1 June 2019. The launch fare for the new route between Kolkata and Chennai is ₹3,299.

    “Kolkata is a key market for AirAsia India as we currently operate 18 flights to 11 different destinations. The addition of this new route will strengthen up our connectivity in the east,” Sanjay Kumar, COO, AirAsia India, said.

    According to AirAsia’s release, the flight i541 will depart from Kolkata at 3. 30 pm and will reach Chennai at 5.55 pm. The return flight i542 will take off from Chennai at 6.25 pm and will reach Kolkata at 8.55 pm.

    High air fares and capacity constraints slowed India’s domestic air passenger traffic growth rate in March. As per the data of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), air passenger traffic growth rate in March rose a mere 0.14% to 115.96 lakh from 115.80 lakh reported for the corresponding month of the previous fiscal. According to the data, GoAir led the industry with 95% punctuality rate (on-time performance) at the four major airports of Bengaluru, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. It was followed by Vistara (91.9%), AirAsia India (91.9%) and IndiGo (89.5%).

    Air Asia India, which started operations in June 2014, is a joint venture between Tata and AirAsia Berhad. It currently operates 164 flights a day, covering 19 destinations and carrying over 25,000 passengers.

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  • Royal Enfield Classic & Thunderbird Range Get Optional Alloy Wheels

    Royal Enfield Classic & Thunderbird Range Get Optional Alloy Wheels

    Chennai-based motorcycle maker, Royal Enfield has added alloy wheels as an optional accessory for the Classic and Thunderbird range of motorcycles. The alloy wheels are priced at ₹ 10,000 for a pair and can be purchased at any of the brand’s 800+ dealerships across the country. The black with chrome finished nine-spoke alloy wheels are the same ones that are already offered on the Thunderbird X series, and will seamlessly integrate with the original tyres, tubes and brakes, replacing the stock spoked wheels that are offered with all Royal Enfield offerings.

    The alloys are compatible with any of the Royal Enfield Classic and Thunderbird range of motorcycles

    Compatible with the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and 500, as well as the Thunderbird 350 and 500, the front alloy wheel measures at 19-inch while the rear is an 18-inch unit. The alloys come with a warranty period of two years, and the bike maker’s lists the installation time at 105 minutes. The new alloy wheels not only add to the visual appeal of the motorcycle but also bring the convenience of tubeless tyres, which are easier to repair, in case of a puncture.

    Given the fact that Royal Enfield motorcycles tend to be one of the most customisable motorcycles out there, offering factory-backed accessories is a smart move from the manufacturer. This should also help reduce the use of substandard alloys that are available in the market that tend to break easily with a simple bump or thud. It’s a safety risk afterall, putting the rider and pillion’s life in danger.

    In addition, Royal Enfield is expected to roll out alloy wheel options for the Interceptor 650 as well in the coming weeks. The alloy could sport a different design while prices are likely to be in the same vicinity. Both the front and rear wheels are 18-inch spoked-units on the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, and come shod with Pirelli tyres.

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  • Gold Star Line Enhances Asia Chennai Service

    Gold Star Line Enhances Asia Chennai Service

    Gold Star Line has upgraded its Asia Chennai Service connecting East Asia with the East Coast of India.

    According to the company, the enhanced ACS will be operated in conjunction with Hyundai Merchant Marine and will begin on January 21, 2017.

    The port rotation will be: Busan – Shanghai – Hong Kong – Yantian – Singapore – Port Kelang – Chennai – Kattupalli – Port Kelang – Singapore – Manila – Busan.

    The service will offer a mid-week window for Central China and a weekend window for South Korea, according to Gold Star Line.

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