Sudarsan Pattnaik’s ‘Safety for Everyone’ sand sculpture was 9 feet tall and 22 feet wide and took 2 days of work and 10 tons of sand. Representing Honda’s commitment to road safety, his intricate handwork captivated beach goers. Earlier in March 2014, President Pranab Mukherjee presented him the Padma Shri Award at Rastrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.
His ‘Safety for Everyone’ artwork required a day of preparation. The final masterpiece was unveiled in the presence of Mr. Yadvinder S. Guleria (Vice-President, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd.) and Mr. Takanori Maruyama (Director, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd).
In terms of growth, HMSI is keen on its 4th plant in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, which is likely to begin operations in 2015-16. Initial annual production capacity is projected at 1.2 million units. In all, HMSi cumulative production capacity will stand at 5.8 million units. Production at present stands at 1.6 million in Manesar, Haryana; 1.2 million in Tapukara, Rajasthan; and 1.8 million at Narsapura in Karnataka.
Despite a slow 15 months, the Indian auto industry has reported two wheeler sales growth though passenger cars and commercial vehicle sales haven’t been favourable in this period. For Honda, demand for its two-wheelers sees HMSI turning to network expansion (especially rural regions), and launch of appropriate bikes. Honda sold 37.21 lakh units in FY 2013-14 and estimates 21% growth in the current FY to sell 45 lakh bikes.
Sudarsan Pattnaik began working on sand sculptures at the age of seven and the self taught artist has come a long way since then. His fascinating work is regular and can be seen on Puri beach on most days.
His ability to attract viewers sees many corporates approach him to work on sculptures with a social message, which is engaging and fun to watch and understand ensuring the message is far reaching. This week, he has also worked on FIFA World cup sculpture’s with a ‘Good Luck’ message, and one which wishes both the countries, Brazil and Croatia for the 2014 world Cup opening match.
