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Tata Motors betting big on electric buses (Lead)
Kolkata, Feb 20 (IANS) After bagging 255 e-buses’ orders from six state transport undertakings (STUs) under the first phase of incentive scheme for electric vehicles in public transport, Tata Motors is betting big on the segment, said an official here on Wednesday.
“There are many towns and cities that are tendering for e-buses. We are participating in them. We are hopeful the demand (for electric buses) will grow. As of now, we are participating in bids for 1,000 buses, tendered by various STUs. We do not know how much we will win,” said Rohit Srivastava, Product Line Head (Passenger Commercial Vehicles).
The company is in discussions with all states and is confident that electrification of buses will get a boost and the auto maker is also in touch with companies as the demand in the segment is likely to increase, he said.
Under the first round of FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric) vehicles scheme, announced by the Centre, the company won around 60 per cent of the orders. It has tenders to supply 255 electric buses to six state STUs – WBTC (West Bengal), LCTSL (Lucknow), AICTSL (Indore), ASTC (Guwahati), J&KSRTC (Jammu) and JCTSL (Jaipur).
Kolkata’s order of 80 buses was the biggest it has bagged so far, he said, adding the company received orders for 40 busses each from J&K, Indore, Lucknow, Jaipur, and 15 buses from Guwahati, Assam.
Remarking that the company has supplied 20 buses, he said in 60-90 days it would supply the rest 60 buses to the WBTC.
Manufactured at the Dharwad plant in Karnataka, the electric buses of Tata Motors can travel up to 150 km on single charge.
“We have seen growth in the past. We are developing products to address the segments where we may be having a gap,” Srivastava said, adding it can make 125 electric buses per month and the capacity can be expanded to 200-250 a month or even more, if there is “regular flow” of orders.
The auto major enjoys a 45 per cent market share during April-December period of 2018-19 in the commercial vehicles segment in the domestic market. It has a 40 per cent market share in buses and plans to increase it, Srivastava said.
The company is also working on developing complete range, including electric mini buses, he added.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.