Zoomcar Launches Unified App to Revolutionize Car Sharing Experience

Zoomcar Launches Unified App to Revolutionize Car Sharing Experience

By Nishang Narayan

Published on August 11, 2024

Zoomcar, a leading marketplace for self-drive car sharing, has unveiled a new unified app designed to enhance the car-sharing experience for both Guests and Hosts. This app consolidates the functionalities of Zoomcar’s previous dual-app system into a single platform, streamlining operations and introducing over 10 feature upgrades.

Key Features and Enhancements:

  • Unified App Experience: The new app merges the functionalities of the previous Guest and Host apps, allowing users to seamlessly switch between booking cars and managing listings. This integration caters to the significant overlap where over 40% of Guests are also car owners.

  • Enhanced Guest Features: Guests will enjoy a more efficient booking process with a catalog of top-rated cars and a new 'Guest Favourites' section highlighting frequently booked and highly rated vehicles. This feature aims to simplify the car selection process with reliable reviews.

  • Improved Host Controls: Hosts benefit from enhanced management tools, including the ability to oversee multiple car listings from a single tab, monitor real-time rankings, and set preferences for booking durations. New Hosts can also opt for GPS tracker and keyless entry device installations upon signing up.

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Hiroshi Nishijima, CEO of Zoomcar, remarked, "We've been listening closely to our Hosts and have meticulously designed the unified app to offer more control and encourage car sharing as a growing business in India. The launch aligns with the rising demand for the Independence Day long weekend.”

Vishal Ramrakhyani, Head of Engineering at Zoomcar, added, "Our team has focused on customer feedback to develop an app that integrates all necessary functionalities for Guests and Hosts. Features like 'Guest Favourites' and streamlined listing controls are designed to enhance user experience."

Zoomcar's commitment to improving its services is reflected in its fiscal year report ending March 2024, which shows an increase in average trip ratings to 4.66 and a 12% rise in net revenue, reaching $9.90 million.

To experience the new unified app, download Zoomcar from the App Store or Google Play Store.

About Zoomcar:

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Bengaluru, India, Zoomcar is a leading car-sharing marketplace focused on providing affordable transportation solutions. Connecting Hosts with Guests, Zoomcar promotes sustainable and smart transportation across India.

Forward-Looking Statement:

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the launch and future performance of the unified app. These statements reflect current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. The actual results may differ due to factors beyond our control. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements unless required by law.


Kiğılı Selects Centric Software to Power Digital Retail Transformation

Kiğılı Selects Centric Software to Power Digital Retail Transformation

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on May 30, 2025

Leading Turkish menswear brand Kiğılı has partnered with Centric Software to transform its retail planning and support its growth ambitions through digital innovation. Kiğılı has chosen Centric Planning, an AI-powered platform that offers end-to-end merchandise planning capabilities tailored for the fashion retail industry.

Founded in 1938, Kiğılı has built a solid presence in the menswear space with over 180 stores in Türkiye and more than 50 points of sale across 15 countries. With customers shopping across a mix of physical stores, e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, and wholesale channels, Kiğılı sought a digital solution to optimize its planning operations.

Until now, Kiğılı relied on Excel sheets and internal tools to handle store segmentation and SKU planning. However, managing these tasks manually limited the brand’s ability to scale efficiently. With Centric Planning, Kiğılı will now move toward a centralized, intelligent system that enhances allocation, store planning, and supply chain decisions.

 “Planning is the cornerstone of our business operations, and with Centric Planning, we are setting a solid foundation for future growth,” said Hüseyin Deveci, Supply Chain Director at Kiğılı. “This project is at the center of our digital transformation strategy.”

 The brand’s aim is to bridge pre-season planning with in-season execution, ensuring accurate purchasing, better product positioning, and timely replenishment. “This integration will allow us to respond more strategically and dynamically to market shifts,” Deveci added.

Following a rigorous evaluation of over 15 solutions, Kiğılı selected Centric Planning for its ability to unify planning workflows into one adaptable structure. “What impressed us was how Centric connects all planning phases seamlessly. It frees our teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than manual tasks,” Deveci noted.

 “Kiğılı will benefit from a unified, intelligent platform that simplifies planning from start to finish,” said Fabrice Canonge, President of Centric Software. “We are proud to support Kiğılı in their transformation journey.”

The partnership marks a significant milestone for Kiğılı as it accelerates into a new era of digital retail excellence.


IIHM Launches NamAIste – The World’s First Hospitality GPT, Proudly Made in India

IIHM Launches NamAIste – The World’s First Hospitality GPT, Proudly Made in India

By Nishang Narayan

Published on May 26, 2025

The hospitality world just said NamAIste to a revolutionary innovation from India. NamAIste – IIHM Hospitality GPT was officially launched in Kolkata, proudly claiming the title of the world's first generative AI-powered knowledge engine tailored exclusively for the hospitality industry.

The launch marks a milestone moment—not just for India but for the entire global hospitality ecosystem. Built under the visionary leadership of Dr. Suborno Bose, Chairman of IIHM and a prominent AI evangelist, NamAIste is a game-changer in the way hospitality professionals, students, and educators will learn, research, and make decisions in the future.

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“This is not just a tech marvel—it’s the dawn of a new mindset,” said Dr. Bose during his address at the global launch event at the IIHM Global Campus. Broadcast live across countries and time zones, the unveiling resonated deeply with hospitality leaders, educators, and students. “If the US can have Google and China can have DeepSeek, India can — and now does — have NamAIste,” he added.

Proudly Made in India, this first-of-its-kind Hospitality GPT was developed in partnership with Entiovi Technologies, using a Large Language Model (LLM) built specifically for hospitality. It offers real-time insights, global best practices, service innovations, and curated content from over 60 countries—all in a customized, AI-powered interface. The system even demonstrated a query in Bengali returning answers from Japanese culinary documents—earning a thunderous applause from attendees.

Sanjoy Chatterjee, Chairman, NASSCOM Regional Council (East) and Co-founder of Entiovi, emphasized that NamAIste’s uniqueness isn’t just in its technology, but in the depth of its domain-specific knowledge. “The real achievement is building a platform where a student from Bengal can ask about Japanese hospitality and get an accurate, translated, deeply-researched response instantly,” he said.

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The platform is designed to empower students, educators, faculty members, and industry stakeholders alike. With features like access to SOPs, training materials, and trend forecasts, NamAIste is set to revolutionize hospitality education and workforce readiness.

Key benefits of NamAIste include:

  • Revolutionizing hospitality education and training

  • Enabling smart, data-driven decision-making for professionals

  • Providing instant access to global best practices and innovations

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Beyond the data and tech, Dr. Bose reminded everyone that hospitality will always be a people-first industry. “AI can assist, but it cannot replace the human smile,” he said, striking a perfect balance between technology and tradition.

This launch wasn’t just a product release—it was a proud “Greeted in India” moment. With IIHM campuses erupting in celebration, the initiative has been hailed as a shining example of Viksit Bharat and Make in India, reaffirming India’s growing influence in global innovation.

IIHM has long been known for redefining hospitality education. With NamAIste, it goes beyond preparing students for the industry—it’s equipping them to lead it.

As Dr. Bose aptly summed it up, “This is India’s gift to the world of hospitality.”


Carnival Cruise Line Taps Cantaloupe to Power Cashless Dining at Celebration Key

Carnival Cruise Line Taps Cantaloupe to Power Cashless Dining at Celebration Key

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on May 12, 2025

Carnival Cruise Line has announced a new partnership with Cantaloupe, Inc., a global provider of self-service commerce technology, to enhance guest experiences at Celebration Key, Carnival’s exclusive upcoming destination on Grand Bahama, opening July 19, 2025. The collaboration brings self-service kiosks powered by Cantaloupe to the island, enabling cashless, quick, and seamless ordering at all food and beverage outlets.

Using Cantaloupe’s advanced point-of-sale (POS) solutions, guests can simply scan their Sail & Sign cards, extending Carnival’s onboard cashless payment system to this new off-ship location for the very first time. This move is aimed at creating a frictionless and familiar environment for travelers, allowing them to enjoy the destination without the hassle of cash or physical credit cards.

“Cantaloupe is excited to power this experience by providing a frictionless, technology-driven solution that will simplify guests’ dining and service experiences,” said Tom Lapham, Senior Vice President of Cheq at Cantaloupe, Inc. He noted that the technology is designed to handle high volumes of transactions with real-time updates, ensuring reliable and efficient service even during peak demand.

Celebration Key, designed as a premier cruise destination, will feature multiple dining and beverage venues where Cantaloupe’s kiosks will be installed, giving guests complete control over their food and beverage purchases.

Richard Morse, Senior Vice President of Food and Beverage at Carnival Cruise Line, shared, “Our collaboration with Cantaloupe is critical to making Celebration Key a destination that is full of fun and takes the worry out of carrying cash for our guests. Through this partnership, we’re able to offer an experience that extends the ease and familiarity of onboard dining to our exclusive destination.”

Cantaloupe’s POS solutions are already known for their high performance in high-traffic venues. With this partnership, the company is marking a significant step in its expansion into the travel and hospitality sectors, reaffirming its commitment to delivering world-class digital and self-service solutions tailored for large-scale operations.

As guests explore the vibrant offerings at Celebration Key, they can now do so with greater freedom and ease, thanks to this strategic technology-driven alliance.

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