8NOVEMBER, 2025MERCEDES-BENZ INDIA PARTNERS WITH ZOHO FOR DIGITAL DMS SKYLINEOIL INDIA'S RANJIT RATH TACKLES $300 MILLION SANCTIONS ROADBLOCKMercedes-Benz India has collaborated with Zoho to introduce an innovative decentralised Dealer Management System (DMS) called `SKYLine'.The system will completely transform Mercedes-Benz's dealership network across the country by digitalizing the entire service journey, from appointing a customer with a service advisor and completing digital check-in, through technician assignment and vehicle delivery.With real-time data integration and one backend system to augment operational efficiency, SKYLine aims to enhance overall customer ownership experience. Each Mercedes-Benz dealership in India will now run on its own instance of Zoho CRM with independent operations, while adhering to some centrally defined processes and standards.The firms noted that the rollout was supported by executing over 5,000 man-days of user acceptance testing and another 3,000 man-days of user acceptance training, demonstrating the project scale and execution. SKYLine is designed to combine Mercedes-Benz India's legacy IT systems with Zoho's architecture into a multi-instance, vertical platform powered by Zoho CRM and Qntrl, Zoho's workflow orchestration solution.As Zoho's CEO Mani Vembu stated that the partnership provides a decentralised but connected ecosystem that gives each dealership decision-making powers for their operations while integrating into the corporate offices in real-time. He also mentioned that "To meet these complex needs, we co-developed middleware capabilities alongside our evolving Qntrl platform, enabling seamless communication across legacy protocols."With SKYLine, Mercedes-Benz India is setting a new standard in the industry for digital transformation within the luxury automotive space, enabling agile local flexibility while still maintaining control from head office in the comfort of a premium experience for customers. In a test of leadership and strategy, Oil India Chairman Ranjit Rath is navigating a major financial hurdle -- the company's $300 million dividend from its Russian ventures remains trapped in local banks after U.S. sanctions hit two key oil fields.Oil India, along with Indian Oil Corp and Bharat PetroResources, has a 23.9 percent investment in JSC Vankorneft and 29.9 percent in Tass Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha.The investments made through Singapore-based special purpose vehicles were meant to ensure transparency and compliance for overseas investments.Due to tightening restrictions from Washington regarding Russian energy assets, dividend payment transfers have ceased. Rath noted that Oil India is attempting to seek legal opinion to the possibility of legitimately reclaiming the funds but whetted an interested outcome in a careful and prudent way.This predicament illustrates the balance which Indian energy companies' must take amidst global sanctions and international relationships. Rath is concerned with financial stewardship, but he is also supporting a long-term and productive strategy and risk-reward balance to protect the company's interest while complying with international regulations.As the situation unfolds, Ranjit Rath's leadership will be closely watched, marking a defining moment for Oil India in managing global partnerships under pressure. TOP STORIES8NOVEMBER, 2025
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