High-speed Rail: An Investment in future?

As the BJP manifesto spoke about implementation of bullet trains in India in their election manifesto, many Indians saw a ray of hope of a new dawn to arrive in India’s crippling infrastructural woes.

Bullet trains, which are already running successfully in several European & Asian countries, has ignited the imagination of a billion plus country. China, which currently connects its major cities with Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) trains, has successfully demonstrated the power of what high-speed rail (HSR) can achieve.

Maglev Train (China)

TGV- Bullet train ( France)

When Laloo Prasad Yadav was at the helm of rail affairs, he had clearly taken aside the proposition of India ever having a high speed rail network citing soil, climate and land factors as permanent hindrances.

However, with the promise of the launch of the Diamond Quadrilateral project - of High Speed Train network (bullet train) tourist rails, railways modernization, R&D for indigenous railways, and special focus on developing skilled human resources, India can gain a lot out of these.

Shinkasen-bullet train-Japan

Quoting the head  of State of Columbia wherein he said   ” Any country cannot be called ”developed” until its citizens whether rich or poor use the same mode of mass transport system.”

India’s infrastructural woes can be sorted by developing this mode of transport which not only positively affects the real estate, manufacturing & service sectors, infact it creates the ease of living a far more comfortable life and saving years, yes years, since an average mobile Indian spends 80 % of his time traveling.

ICE-Bullet train (Germany)

Also if we look around the world, most of the airports are slowly reaching a saturation point where expansion is impossible and hence may become an extremely costly affair. Something like bullet trains can come in handy in such a situation since they can handle the interstate and intercity travel freeing the airport for more important international travel and very long distance travel. The existing bullet trains like the TGV (France), ICE (Germany) & the Shinkasen (Japan) have average speeds upto 450 km/hr,faster than a F1 car. Infact, new technology in high speed trains like the Maglev can achieve speeds upto 3000 km/hr, way  faster than an airplane.

Is it feasible?

Yes it is feasible, and the answer lies in going in phase wise across India. Such a system can definitely help India build new cities and new industries. It is a known fact that cities around such a high speed network have become engines of growth and prosperity.

As the new government promises a strong developmental agenda, this will be one of the most discussed subjects. While we discuss, our neighbour China has shown the way by building a world class HSR network to the tune of more than 10000 Kms with a daily ridership of more than 1.33 million. And the decision has transformed the way people used to travel and do business in China. Hope we also start investing in building capacities which may serve us well for the coming decades and change the way we travel and do business in India.

Hope 7 Race Course Road is listening.

By

Deepak H.Bhatia

Integrated Corporate Practice

DY Works

Building Brand Modi

On 16th of May, 2014, when it became clear that Narendra Modi, known to the nation as the man behind the progress of Gujarat, has led the BJP to a historic victory (the party has won 282 seats itself, a first since Congress’ win in 1984), even the ones who had predicted the victory for him were surprised. No one could’ve anticipated such a landslide win. No one. Well, except for the think tank who strategized Modi’s campaign and made him more than just an authoritative political leader. They made him into a brand which resonates strength and a freshness which the voters thought should be made the representative of a new India.

Personalizing a political campaign is nothing new. Obama’s historic victory in the 2008 US presidential elections is a prime example. What was unique about Modi’s campaign is that not only it put forth Modi forward as an iconic leader but also built an image of him that is so great that it surpassed the reputation of the political party that he was a representative of. And the more interesting factor is that all of it was intended.

Creating a strong brand presence isn’t easy by itself. But creating a brand presence which is trying to break away from a tainted image is even harder. The BJP had employed the best of the best in concocting and applying their media strategy. Household names such as Piyush Pandey and Prashoon Joshi led the campaign. They brought in well known agencies which developed themes and concepts which aided the one specific message that the campaign was trying to communicate to the voters. Growth and development.

By decoding the colours Saffron and White which consequentially transcendent into strength and purity, the campaign through its visuals gave out an impression of stability.

The message was clear. But what separated it from rest of the political campaigns so far is the unique way in which the same message was delivered to different segments of the voters by customizing the approaches. The youth had been specifically targeted. The reason being that they make up for largest no. of voters in the country. With exhaustive social media campaigns with hashtags such as ‘#NaMo’ and taglines like ‘Ab ki baar, Modi Sarkaar’ which went viral it was ensured that the voters are not only aware of Modi as a brand but also they’re interacting and engaging themselves in the digital environment with the brand’s presence which later inevitably transfers itself to the outside world.
This was only just a small part. Corporate leaders backed Modi, during his public addresses and this in turn translated into the hope of strategic and sustainable development. This particular campaign saw some commendable innovations in BTL promotional activities. With campaigns such as ‘Chai pe charche’ and etc. that particular segment of the voters who are by nature media ignorant were targeted. Places where the aggressive print ads, radio jingles and TVCs could not reach, trucks loaded with Modi posters, pre-recorded speeches, speakers and lights were sent out. Even 3D hologram images of Modi were distributed.

The Long and Short of it

DY Works took the idea of story telling and the concept of the idiom – ‘Long and Short of It’ to create a language that the brand can call its own.

Brand Task:
For a city that never sleeps and houses a variety of eat-out-options from all day cafe’s to fine dining to discos, pubs and lounges, the concept of a Gastrobar fitted the best to cater to the taste buds of foodies in the city. InterContinental – an ocean front boutique luxury hotel, in the heart of Mumbai’s business and financial hub making it a perfect plating.

DY Works was entrusted with this exciting brand identity project to deliver an identity that captures the true essence and mood of the restaurant. An unpretentious, casual and comfortable any time hang out that allows for stories to be born and relived

Brand Solution:
Our concept revolved around creating exciting and cherish able stories or table conversations and moments. We looked at the Idiom – The Long and Short of it, as a point of inspiration. The literal meaning , ‘The whole story, the most important point and the gist or sum of it all’ summed our core brand thought.We took the idea of story telling and the concept of the idiom – Long and Short to create a language that the brand can call its own.

DY Works is Brand Strategy & Design Firm based out of Mumbai

Crafting an Inimitable Brand - Reliance Greens

DY Works’ intervention crafted this iconic brand from nomenclature to visual identity and shaped their success story.

 

Most iconic brand identities stand the test of time and are relevant over decades. Reliance Greens, at the Jamnagar Township is one such identity.

Crafted in 1999, the identity was crafted to create significance and reflect an evolving organization. After 15 years, this identity is unchanged and has indeed stood the test of time, when many companies have identities that have needed rejuvenation to stay current, and relevant to their audience.

Brand Task:
Reliance Township, a self-contained township, houses over 2,500 of the employees and their families at Jamnagar. Sprawling over 415 acres of land, the township has been designed to provide the best possible residential, educational and recreational facilities to the employees.
The township includes fully furnished housing for the employees, as well as a medical centre, school, playgrounds, temple, community centers, health centers, banks, mall/supermarket, gas station, parks, swimming pool, a golf course, tennis courts etc. DY Works partnered with the Reliance brand team to create nomenclature, brand manifestation and other visual communication for the township.

#meetmyfridge - Evolution of Refrigerators

By
Priyanka Shah & Ajinkya Shenava,
Culture & Insights,
DY Works

Another One Bites The Dust!

Wishing Joydeep & Neha A Happy Married Life!!

On 21st April 2014,  Joydeep Chatterji (General Manager, Integrated Corporate Practice) tied the knot with Neha Kumar. We at DY Works wish them a lifetime of happiness & prosperity.

Joydeep & Neha with the Integrated Corporate Team