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Euro Standard Maruti

Arun Inter Continental Traders, dealer of Maruti brand of Indian cars in Nepal, has claimed that Maruti product has been upgraded to meet Euro Mass Emission Standards. The modified vehicles have been available in the Nepali market from January 2000, it was informed.

The modifications were possible after Maruti Udyog installed multi-fuel injection engine and added one more gear to the cars. It has resulted in production costs going up enormously. The prices have thus been increased between Rs. 21,000 to Rs. 40,000 on various Maruti models.

Nepothene Loses NS Quality Certification

Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology has suspended Nepal Standard certification awarded to various Nepothene brand HDP pipes produced by Nepal Polethene and Plastic Industries (p) Ltd.

The Bureau has alleged that the brand has lost its quality over the period and the company did not take necessary measures to maintain the required standard.

Pagers on Installments

In its bid to increase subscribers number, Nepal Radio Paging (P) Ltd., has started offering pagers on installments in arrangement with Makalu Finance Cooperative Ltd.

The company is the first to start radio paging in Nepal. Now it has four other competitors in the field.

Euro-1 Hero Honda

After HMG imposed Nepal Vehicle Emission standard-2056 equivalent to Euro-1, Syakar Company Ltd., that deals in Hero Honda brand of two-wheelers has informed that from mid-January it has started bringing into Nepal Euro-1 compliant Hero Honda CBZ and Splendor.

CBZ is the latest model of Hero Honda launched in Nepal in July 1999.

Hitachi Appoints Distributor

Cosmopolitan Trading Concerm, a sister concern of International Electronic Concern (IEC), has been appointed the authorized distributor for Hitachi brand of electronic goods in Nepal from last December.

Hitachi is a Japanese company, which produces electronics home appliances.

Presently, Cosmopolitan Trading is dealing in item like air-conditioners, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, rice-cookers and gas table from Hitachi. The firm is also the authorized distributor for Canon products since 1992. IEC expects to capture 25 percent market share with its Hitachi products.

Dealers’ Conference

Janakpur Cigarette Factory (JCF) held its dealer’s conference in Kathmandu on January 13 on the occasion of JCF’s 36th anniversary.

Informing that JCF was able to record a profit in the previous fiscal year (1998-99), despite a deficit of Rs. 230 million in the fiscal year 1996-97, Hari Gautam, General Manager of JCF disclosed a plan to manufacture over 2510 million sticks of cigarettes in current fiscal year.

According to Gautam, some 65 percent of JCF’s market is in the Kathmandu Valley.

Cigarette Price War

While Surya Tobacco Company (P) Ltd. (STC) has revised upwards the prices of two of its brands, Surya Luxury Kings & Milds and Khukri Filter, its competitor Janakpur Cigarette Factory has decided to keep prices unchanged for its brands.

According to STC, the consumer price for Surya Luxury King’s/Milds stands at Rs. 46.75 and for Khukuri Filter at Rs. 14.25 per packet of 20 sticks inclusive of all taxes.

Earlier, the consumer price for Surya Luxury Kings/Milds was Rs. 38 and that for Khukri Filter was Rs. 10 per packet.

New Model Bijlee

Dugar Bijlee Vehicle Industries, a TM Dugar Group Company set up recently to deal in electric vehicles, has brought a new model of Bijlee electric three-wheelers, manufactured by Mahindra & Mahindra, a utility vehicles major of India.

The new model of the eco-friendly brand launched some days back in Nepal, features regenerative system with hydraulic brake, aluminlum body for weight reduction, attractive colour, suspension dual coil spring and shock absorber which other three-wheelers do not have, claim company sources.

"It is a tempo with a full capacity of 12 passengers with a mileage of 70 Km per charge", sources claim.

The other features include battery loading and unloading system with trolley according to the company.

- By Business Age Reporters