Latest news with #AshishGupta
India.com
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- India.com
Skoda Kodiaq Becomes First Petrol SUV from India to Conquer Everest Base Camp
Skoda Auto India has set the historic benchmark with the Skoda Kodiaq, as the first Indian-made SUV powered by petrol to get to the North Face Base Camp of Mount Everest. The journey comprised of more than 6,000 kilometers of diverse land in India, Nepal, and China, on which the Kodiaq successfully conquered various terrains, cold temperatures below freezing point and high altitudes to set this record. The India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records have acknowledged this historic feat as an engineering, strength and performance testament of the Kodiaq. The journey highlights how Skoda has created vehicles, which can go further than their design and ability. Ashish Gupta, Brand Director of Skoda Auto India reiterated that this journey is a symbol of the aspiration of customer in India to the adventure and the confidence in engineering excellence of Skoda. It is not a destination accomplishment, but he said it is about pushing and then figuring out what can be done. Along with this feat, Skoda Auto India registered the best ever H1 sales in 2025, selling 36,194 units of which is r so as a huffing 134 percent increase compared to H1 2024. The brand has also Fronted 300 customer touchpoints in 172 cities hence strengthening fast growth and strong presence in the market. Skoda is headed towards its 25 th year of operations in India and 130 th year of operations worldwide; the Everest challenge made by the Kodiaq can be summed up as a statement of progress, innovation, and trust. The adventure of the SUV writes an important chapter in the history of Skoda-it means fueling adventures that are above the normal.
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Skoda Kodiaq becomes first petrol SUV from India to reach Everest base camp
Škoda Auto India has set a record with its flagship SUV, the Škoda Kodiaq, becoming the first petrol-powered SUV from India to reach the North Face Base Camp of Mount Everest. With this, the company has registered its name in both the India Book of Records and the Asia Book of Records. The achievement not only highlights the vehicle's engineering prowess but also marks a symbolic win for Indian automobile performance on global terrains, the company said in an official statement. The expedition covered more than 6,000 kilometres across India, Nepal and China, passing through extreme altitudes, sub-zero temperatures, and rugged terrain. 'This achievement is a reflection of our strategy of relevance, differentiation and trust,' said Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Škoda Auto India. 'It demonstrates the ambition of Indian consumers and the trust placed in our vehicles' reliability, performance, and safety.' Strong Momentum for Škoda India The Everest base camp expedition comes amid a strong performance by the company. In the first half of 2025, Škoda Auto India posted its highest-ever half-yearly sales of 36,194 units, a 134 per cent growth over H1 2024. The brand also expanded its footprint to over 300 customer touchpoints across 172 cities. Škoda Auto is actively pursuing its 'Next Level – Škoda Strategy 2030', with India playing a central role. The company aims to be among the top three carmakers in Europe and is strengthening its presence in high-potential markets such as India, North Africa and ASEAN.
NDTV
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- NDTV
Skoda Kodiaq Becomes First Indian Petrol SUV To Reach Everest's North Base Camp
Skoda Auto India has made history with the Skoda Kodiaq becoming the first petrol-powered SUV from India to reach the North Face Base Camp of Mount Everest. This achievement, conquered by the Kodiaq SUV, is now officially recognised by both the India Book of Records and the Asia Book of Records. Commenting on this remarkable feat, Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, said, "At Skoda Auto India, we believe exploration drives progress. This achievement stands as a testament to this and finds great synergy with our strategy of being relevant, driving differentiation, and enhancing trust. Relevant because it reflects the growing ambition of Indian customers to go farther and demand more from their vehicles. Differentiated because no other petrol SUV has ever taken on such a formidable challenge and triumphed. And above all, it reinforces trust - trust in our products, our engineering, and our commitment to safety, quality, and reliability. We will continue with our focus on enabling journeys that go beyond the ordinary." Skoda Kodiaq Talking about the details, spanning over 6,000 kilometres across India, Nepal, and China, the Skoda Kodiaq traversed extreme altitudes, sub-zero temperatures, and challenging terrains to reach the Mount Everest North Face Base Camp on the Tibetan side. This expedition showcases the strength of the Kodiaq as a combination of cutting-edge technology, European design, and real-world performance. The Kodiaq has a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine mated with a 7-speed DSG and an AWD system and is capable of churning out 201 bhp and 320 Nm. Also, it has two variants- Sportline and L&K, available at Rs 46,89,000 (ex-showroom), and Rs 48,69,000 (ex-showroom) in the Indian market.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Kanwar Yatra felt more like siege than pilgrimage, say South Delhi residents
For residents across South Delhi, Kanwar Yatra felt less like a pilgrimage and more like a siege the past week. As the yatra peaked before culminating on Shivratri on Wednesday, neighbourhoods from Saket and Chhatarpur to Malviya Nagar, Greater Kailash, CR Park, Vasant Vihar, Ashram, and Mehrauli were brought to a standstill by kanwariyas who turned roads into open-air party zones. The Kanwar Yatra culminated on Wednesday. (ANI) What was meant to be a religious procession, residents say, quickly descended into lawlessness, marked by loud music, traffic chaos, reckless driving, and open hooliganism. 'This was not devotion. This was anarchy on two-wheelers. Young men were racing down narrow lanes, hitting cars with sticks, screaming, blocking intersections, but no one from the police even showed up,' said Anjali Raina, a resident of Kalkaji. By Monday night and through Tuesday, traffic came to a halt on multiple arterial roads as kanwariyas on motorcycles, tractors, and on foot took over both lanes. Trucks carrying massive DJ setups parked in the middle of roads while groups of devotees danced, played drums, and feasted, leaving behind heaps of waste. 'It was terrifying. A group of them started dancing, with blaring music in the middle of the road, blocking the way for us to cross. I had my children with me in the back seat. They treated the road like their private stage and dared anyone to object,' said Ashish Gupta from Khirki Extension. In parts of Saket and near Chhatarpur temple, residents said kanwariyas weaved dangerously through traffic, jumping from one bike to another, and threatening anyone who came in their way. Despite repeated complaints, enforcement remained absent or minimal. Loud music blared all night from over 25 kanwar camps in South Delhi, particularly in Sangam Vihar, Devli, and Neb Sarai, among a few other areas, violating noise regulations with impunity. Police acknowledged the challenges in enforcement, citing the religious nature of the event. 'We use electronic monitoring and issue e-challans wherever possible,' an officer said. 'But large-scale physical intervention is avoided to prevent backlash.' With Shivratri rituals concluding on Wednesday evening, the roads are expected to clear. Residents say the week has left them angry, exhausted, and disturbed by the scale of disruption allowed in the name of faith.
News18
6 days ago
- Business
- News18
IndiQube Spaces raises Rs 314 crore from anchor investors ahead of IPO
Last Updated: New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) Workplace solutions company IndiQube Spaces on Tuesday said it has raised over Rs 314 crore from anchor investors, a day before its initial share-sale opens for public subscription. Among the anchor investors who have been allocated shares are — Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund (MF), WhiteOak MF, Bandhan MF, Motilal Oswal MF, Edelweiss MF, TOCU Europe III S.A R.L., BNP Paribas Financial Markets, Citigroup Global Markets Mauritius and Societe Generale, according to a circular uploaded on BSE's website. As per the circular, IndiQube Spaces allocated 13,262,658 shares to 29 funds. The shares have been allotted at Rs 237 apiece, aggregating the transaction size to Rs 314.32 crore. The Rs 700-crore IPO of the Bengaluru-based firm will open for public subscription on July 23 and conclude on July 25. The price band has been set at Rs 225 to Rs 237 per share. At the upper end of the price band, the company's valuation is nearly Rs 5,000 crore. The company is raising Rs 650 crore through issuance of fresh issue and promoters would offload shares worth Rs 50 crore under the Offer for Sale (OFS). WestBridge Capital, a key investor in the firm since 2018, is not divesting any stake in the OFS. IndiQube Spaces proposes to utilise the fresh capital to the tune of Rs 462.6 crore towards funding capex for setting up new centres, Rs 93 crore for repayment and rest for general corporate purposes. The company, which was incorporated in 2015, manages a portfolio of 8.40 million sq ft across 115 properties in 15 cities with a total seating capacity of 1,86,719 as of March 2025. This was a growth from 74 centres and 4.94 million Sq ft in March 2023. IndiQube serves 769 clients, out of which 44 per cent clients are Global Capability Centres. The company follows an enterprise-first strategy owing to which 63 per cent of its occupied area comes from clients who have leased over 300 seats. Further, 44 per cent of its revenue is generated from multi centre clients. Its diverse client mix includes Enphase, Myntra, Zerodha, NoBroker, upGrad, Siemens, Juspay, Perfios, Moglix, Ninjacart, Narayana Health and Allegis to name a few. On the financial front, the company reported a total income of Rs 1,103 crore in fiscal 2025, recording a CAGR of 35 per cent from fiscal 2023. The company raised a total of Rs 324 crore in two funding rounds during 2018 and 2022. WestBridge Capital led the investment with Rs 190 crore, followed by Rs 131 crore from the promoters, and the rest came from angel investor Ashish Gupta. ICICI Securities and JM Financial are book-running lead managers to the equity shares are expected to be listed on July 30 on the BSE and NSE. PTI SP HVA view comments First Published: July 22, 2025, 20:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
