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Harley-Davidson Success Story

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The dream of every motorbike enthusiast, Harley-Davidson was founded in the year 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  This American motorcycle manufacturing company has seen several ups and downs in its 116 year long history and is one of the two motorcycle companies to survive the Great Depression. 

Founder William S. Harley, along with his childhood friend Arthur Davidson, started working on a small engine in Davidson’s family shed.  Based on William S. Harley’s design, the duo developed the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle, which took almost 2 years to finish. The duo were then joined by Arthur Davidson’s brothers William A. Davidson and Walter Davidson and formed their company Harley-Davidson, producing a limited number of motorcycles.  Harley and the brothers then went on to build their first factory in 1906 in Chestnut Avenue, Milwaukee, where the corporate headquarters of Harley-Davidson are situated now. The Company slowly started making profits and by 1914, it was ahead of its competitor, Indian, another motorcycle manufacturing company and was producing almost 16,500 machines a year.

Harley-Davidson’s popularity rose after America entered World War I and the demand for motorcycle for war efforts increased.  Harley-Davidson sold nearly 20,000 motorcycles to the American military. Another great opportunity was World War II, when the Company sold nearly 80,000 motorcycles to the allied forces.

 

By 1920, Harley-Davidson became the largest motorcycle manufacturing company in the world, with its presence in 67 countries.  However, the Company suffered greatly during the Great Depression, when its sales plummeted from 21,000 in 1929 to 3,703 in 1933.  The Company somehow survived the Great Depression by introducing various new vehicles like a three wheeled utility motorcycle called Servi-Car, while legendary motorcycle manufacturers like Excelsior-Hendersen perished. 

Harley-Davidson stayed popular all over the world until the 1960s.  In 1969, after it was bought by American Machine and Foundry (AMF,) the Company suffered from a tarnished reputation.  The AMF fired many of the Company’s workers and reduced production, resulting in poor quality yet expensive motorcycles.  This move resulted in a decline of sales and popularity and the Company almost went bankrupt. 

Harley-Davidson gained its reputation back in 1981, after the AMF sold the Company to a group of investors, which included William A. Davidson’s grandson, Willie G. Davidson.  The new management decided to exploit the retro appeal of the Company by adopting the look and feel of the earlier motorcycles manufactured by the Company.  This was considered to be a smart move and Harley-Davidson revived its lost reputation. The Company has been growing ever since and launched various new ranges of motorcycles.

In the 21st century, Harley-Davidson established itself as one of the most respected motorcycle manufacturers in the world and became one of the strongest brands.  With a net worth of over $ 5.06 billion, Harley-Davidson has come a long way.

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Entrepreneur Stories

Meta’s Upcoming AR Glasses: A Sneak Peek

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Meta is developing its first true AR glasses, set to launch in 2027. Before the public release, employees will test the device starting in 2024. The company is also releasing new generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2023 and 2025 with enhanced features like a “viewfinder” display.

Specifications and Features

The AR glasses are expected to feature OLED displays and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, offering sophisticated AR and AI capabilities. They will enable users to interact with virtual objects and project high-quality holograms of avatars onto the real world.

Design and Competition

Meta aims for a sleek design, potentially building on its Ray-Ban partnerships. The AR glasses market is competitive, with Apple and Google also investing heavily. Meta seeks to make its AR glasses a game-changer by offering a unique user experience.

Future Plans

In addition to AR glasses, Meta is expanding its VR offerings with new headsets like the Quest 3 and exploring other wearable technologies. The company is focused on reducing costs to make the AR glasses more consumer-friendly by launch.

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From Digital Wallet to Stock Market: MobiKwik Expands Its Horizons with New Brokerage Venture

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From Digital Wallet to Stock Market: MobiKwik Expands Its Horizons with New Brokerage Venture

MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.

MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.

As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.

This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service

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Strategic Shift: Nazara Sells Entire Stake in Sports Unity Amid Financial Challenges

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Strategic Shift: Nazara Sells Entire Stake in Sports Unity Amid Financial Challenges

Nazara Technologies has sold its entire 71.54% stake in Sports Unity Private Limited, the company behind the multiplayer quiz game ‘Qunami’, for INR 7.15 lakh. This divestment, effective March 25, 2025, signifies a strategic shift for Nazara, which had previously acquired a controlling interest in Sports Unity in 2019 for INR 7.5 crore.

The decision to offload the stake comes as Sports Unity has faced financial difficulties, reporting no active business operations and a negative net worth of INR 0.45 crore at the end of FY24. This move aligns with Nazara’s broader strategy to streamline its operations and concentrate on more profitable ventures within the gaming sector.

This sale follows Nazara’s recent divestment of a 94.85% stake in another subsidiary, Open Play, to Moonshine Technologies for INR 104.33 crore. Despite reporting record quarterly revenue of INR 544.7 crore in Q3 FY25, Nazara experienced a 53.5% decline in net profit year-over-year.

Nazara continues to focus on enhancing its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and investments in high-potential gaming platforms while navigating the competitive landscape of the gaming industry.

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