Nitin Kumar, Surajeet Dasgupta &Amp; Anjali Singh

Stories by Nitin Kumar, Surajeet Dasgupta &Amp; Anjali Singh

Classic Legends charts revival plan; to focus more on Asean markets

Classic Legends charts revival plan; to focus more on Asean markets

Rediff.com   18 Jan 2024

Classic Legends, the owner of the Jawa and Yezdi brands, is embarking on a revival plan - from nearly doubling its dealership count in India, introducing more models, to focusing on exports to Asean markets. It recently introduced the Jawa 350 motorcycle to take on Royal Enfield. The company plans to add more models this year.

Tata Motors begins production at new Sanand plant acquired from Ford

Tata Motors begins production at new Sanand plant acquired from Ford

Rediff.com   15 Jan 2024

Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), a subsidiary of Tata Motors, on Friday announced that it has commenced production at its second factory in Sanand, Gujarat, which it had acquired from Ford India last year. This new facility will unlock an additional manufacturing capacity of 300,000 units per annum, which is scalable to 420,000 units. The new facility is spread over 460 acres and is adjacent to Tata Motors' existing passenger vehicle facility in Sanand.

Revised Schedule M elicits mixed response

Revised Schedule M elicits mixed response

Rediff.com   8 Jan 2024

A notification of the revised Schedule M rules by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has elicited mixed responses from the pharma sector and industry observers. While the industry has welcomed the revision of rules, several analysts said that implementation and compliance can become a challenge for smaller pharmaceutical companies. The Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules specifies the good manufacturing practices (GMPs), which aim to ensure quality of drugs made in the country.

Offshore mining: Rules may be eased to bring small players to auction table

Offshore mining: Rules may be eased to bring small players to auction table

Rediff.com   8 Jan 2024

In a bid to attract smaller players to the country's first offshore mineral mining auction, the government is considering easing the regulations related to performance security and upfront payment. The proposed plan involves a cap of Rs 100 crore each for performance security and upfront payment for a production lease (PL). A holder of a composite licence (CL) would only need to pay Rs 50 crore as performance security.

Smaller electric two-wheeler players unlikely to raise prices in 2024

Smaller electric two-wheeler players unlikely to raise prices in 2024

Rediff.com   4 Jan 2024

Smaller players manufacturing electric two-wheelers (E2Ws) are unlikely to raise prices of their models initially in 2024 in order to ensure volumes do not drop. The prices of E2Ws range from Rs 90,000 to Rs 1 lakh, the players being Lohia Auto, Godawari Electric, Emobi, etc. As India's E2W sector gears up to go past one million in 2024, manufacturers are likely to maintain price stability, underpinned by strategic independence from subsidies under Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric (and Hybrid) Vehicles II (FAME II), localisation efforts, sustainability initiatives, and a focus on affordability.

Why India Is Buying 5 Argentine Lithium Mines

Why India Is Buying 5 Argentine Lithium Mines

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2024

The Centre will invest around Rs 200 crore over five years for the exploration and development of these mines.

'I expect 8% growth next year'

'I expect 8% growth next year'

Rediff.com   29 Dec 2023

'We will see a lot of investments from the private sector.' 'As long as we are not impacted by some global events, I think we will be in a strong place.'

Potential bidders set to get three chances in offshore mineral auction

Potential bidders set to get three chances in offshore mineral auction

Rediff.com   28 Dec 2023

For the country's maiden offshore mineral mining auction, the Centre is planning to relax the rules on the number of chances for bidding. Under the newly announced draft Offshore Areas Mineral (Auction) Rules and Offshore Areas (Existence of Mineral Resources) Rules, the ministry of mines is planning to offer three chances to potential bidders in its forthcoming inaugural offshore mining auction. If a single bid is not received during the second attempt, the plan is to initiate a new round of bidding for the third time.

India set to launch first-ever offshore mineral auction in Q1 FY24

India set to launch first-ever offshore mineral auction in Q1 FY24

Rediff.com   28 Dec 2023

In a step towards diversifying its resource base and securing green energy minerals, India is poised to launch its first-ever offshore mineral auction in the first quarter of 2024, announced Union Minister of Mines Pralhad Joshi during the launch event of the National Geoscience Data Repository portal. The government plans to hold auctions in March, offering 10-15 blocks for bidding. Meanwhile, the ministry of mines is currently developing rules and regulations for offshore mining.

Electric two-wheeler sales likely to breach 1 million mark in 2024

Electric two-wheeler sales likely to breach 1 million mark in 2024

Rediff.com   11 Dec 2023

India's electric two-wheeler (E2W) sector is expected to cross the one million mark in 2024 fuelled by rising demand, increased production, and affordability, industry experts said, even as several original equipment makers are expanding their penetration to rural areas. Improved battery technology and innovative features are also likely to fuel growth, they said. "E2W sales will breach the 1-million mark in 2024 as the demand for electric two-wheelers is expected to continue growing due to factors such as environmental awareness, government incentives, and improvements in technology," Hyder Khan, chief executive officer (CEO), Godawari Electric Motors, said.

Luxury carmaker Lamborghini's Revuelto sold out in India, globally for 2024

Luxury carmaker Lamborghini's Revuelto sold out in India, globally for 2024

Rediff.com   7 Dec 2023

Luxury carmaker Lamborghini has announced that its hybrid super sports car, Revuelto, is sold out in India and globally for 2024. The strong demand for the Revuelto is driven by a growing number of new customers, including a 20 per cent increase in first-time buyers in India. Lamborghini is also evaluating the possibility of opening new dealerships in smaller towns in eastern and southern India within the next one to two years.

Rapido drives cabs into Uber, Ola lane

Rapido drives cabs into Uber, Ola lane

Rediff.com   6 Dec 2023

There's a hint of new competition riding into a sector that has attracted attention for being in a duopoly-like situation. Rapido, a commute app known for its budget-friendly bike-taxi services, on Tuesday announced its entry into the cab market, which is currently dominated by marquee brands Uber and Ola. Rapido's cab foray will be enabled by a software as a service (SaaS)-based platform.

'Aim to be among top three biosimilar players in world'

'Aim to be among top three biosimilar players in world'

Rediff.com   30 Nov 2023

'We've got a huge track record and success in bringing several biosimilars to the market.'

Heart Disease: Why Young Women Are At Risk

Heart Disease: Why Young Women Are At Risk

Rediff.com   17 Nov 2023

Practo has witnessed a 215% increase in total consultations related to cardiovascular health, with women in the age group of 25 to 34 contributing to the largest number of consultations.

MP Polls: Of Jobs And Broken Promises

MP Polls: Of Jobs And Broken Promises

Rediff.com   17 Nov 2023

Of the 3,893,149 registered applicants on the MP Rojgar portal, only 21 individuals have been successfully placed in government and semi-government positions since April 2020.

MP: Are Women Voters Shifting Loyalties?

MP: Are Women Voters Shifting Loyalties?

Rediff.com   14 Nov 2023

'This time, triumph will belong to the brother who promises a brighter future, not the one who merely remembers his sisters during elections and then vanishes.'

Green mobility: Hybrid vehicles in the fast lane in India

Green mobility: Hybrid vehicles in the fast lane in India

Rediff.com   25 Oct 2023

At a time when consumers increasingly embrace green mobility solutions, it is not electric cars but hybrids that are taking the lead, as automotive sales data indicate. Since January, 64,097 electric cars have been sold compared to 266,465 hybrids, according to data from the ministry of road transport and highways' Vahan dashboard. Hybrid car sales have surged from 4.42 per cent of the 4.1 million cars sold in calendar year 2022 to 7.2 per cent this year.

Hybrid vehicles take lead in realm of eco-friendly mobility solutions

Hybrid vehicles take lead in realm of eco-friendly mobility solutions

Rediff.com   17 Oct 2023

At a time when consumers increasingly embrace green mobility solutions, it is not electric cars but hybrids that are taking the lead, as automotive sales data indicate. Since January, 64,097 electric cars have been sold compared to 266,465 hybrids, according to data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' Vahan dashboard. Hybrid car sales have surged from 4.42 per cent of the 4.1 million cars sold in calendar year 2022 to 7.2 per cent this year.

'Modi and Trudeau will sacrifice our dreams'

'Modi and Trudeau will sacrifice our dreams'

Rediff.com   9 Oct 2023

As India's diplomatic tensions with the Land of the Maple Leaf escalate, so do the anxieties of countless Punjabis.

Hurdles in biofuel use: Few vehicles, weak ethanol-blended petrol rollout

Hurdles in biofuel use: Few vehicles, weak ethanol-blended petrol rollout

Rediff.com   25 Sep 2023

The limited availability of flexible (flex)-fuel vehicles in the Indian market and the slow rollout of ethanol-blended petrol by oil-marketing companies (OMCs) remain major obstacles to achieving widespread use of biofuels in the transportation sector in India. Recently, two Union ministers have emphasised India's biofuel potential, arguing that it has the capacity and potential to lead a transition towards widespread biofuel adoption. Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari signalled that this transition is well underway and urged car manufacturers to quickly adapt and introduce new biofuel-run vehicles, lest the government resort to taxing diesel vehicles.