From offering office premises that can be converted into isolation wards to earmarking funds to be used for procuring kits, ventilators as well as personal protective equipment for health care workers, India Inc has put a united front to combat the unprecedented crisis facing the country.

The donation by Tata Sons and Trusts is the biggest sum committed by a corporate and its philanthropic arm since the outbreak of Covid-19. Others, including Reliance Foundation, Mahindra Group, Bajaj Group, and ITC, are lending support too in the battle against the pandemic.

The business will also see a change of guard. Shailesh Chandra, president of EV and corporate strategy, will replace Mayank Pareek as president of PV business, including EV, with effect from April 1. Pareek will be superannuating from the company after a six-year stint at the end of February 2021. Chandra and Pareek will work on transition over the next few weeks.

Some 500,000 drivers and helpers have been left high and dry because of lockdown; many of these trucks are carrying essential goods.

Owing to the poor market conditions and tepid sentiments, the size of the show has shrunk compared to the last edition, which took place in 2018. A majority of the two-wheeler makers, and several car and commercial vehicle makers, have opted out of this year's show, which opens for the media on Wednesday.

From Hyundai to Tata Motors, automakers are staring at a bleak future. With no succor provided in the Budget, the pain for companies is likely to continue for the next two quarters.

Chinese automakers Great Wall Motors, FAW Haima Automobile, and Changan Automobile, after dithering about entering India for some years, have been encouraged by the robust sales performance of the late entrants Kia Motors and MG Motors even in a slowing market.

It's the first time in its 178-year-old history that the iconic British motorcycle firm owned by the Bloor family has got into an alliance. Three years after announcement, the two companies formally signed on the dotted lines on Friday for a long-term partnership, which aims to achieve global scale in a segment in which Royal Enfield has head-start.

This number is more than the total number (1,071) of electric cars sold in India in calendar year 2019. MG has stopped registrations for the ZS and will cater to 2,409 of the total bookings.

The move marks the entry of GWM, one of the largest manufacturers of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-ups, into the Indian market and a complete exit for GM from the country, two years after it stopped selling cars here.

The BS-VI norms are expected to increase the price of two-wheelers by 10-14 per cent.

Morgan Stanley Sales & Trading, US, believes the stock is better value for money than others and has a upside as high as 73 per cent. A slowdown in the economy has hit demand and led to a fall in overall consumption in an auto market which till recently was one of the fastest growing in the world.

Maruti is sticking to this strategy at a time when rival Hyundai is looking to make the most of the monopoly it will have in the compact diesel segment from April 1, 2020, when the BSVI emission norms kick in. The market leader's confidence stems from the rapid shift in favour of petrol in the PV segment. For newer models such as MG Hector and Seltos, nearly 75 per cent bookings are for petrol variants, Kia has 55 per cent from petrol variants. The change in customer preference from diesel variants to petrol has happened quickly over the past few years.

This will ensure its vehicles reach dealers much faster and delivered to buyers in a maximum of three days, reports Shally Seth Mohile.

The entire range of Hyundai's diesel cars - from compact ones to SUV models, including the soon-to-be-launched Aura - will be eco-friendly.

Let alone a discount, they might not even get the model, variant or colour of choice in BS-IV-compliant vehicles.

The growth in the PV segment was primarily led by car market leader, Maruti Suzuki India, which saw its dispatches to dealers grow 4.4 per cent YoY to 144,277 units after 10 months of drop. It was driven by new launches, such as the S-Presso, a mini sport UV.

Mahindra is the latest among a clutch of other manufacturers that have been using services, fuel efficiency and packages as unique selling proposition. Sales of Mahindra's heavy trucks dropped to 3,427 units in the eight months from April to September.

Large chains like the Marriott and Taj that are estimated to consume two million plastic bottles a year have taken a conscious decision to first eliminate PET bottles on their premises and then reduce the use of single-use plastic altogether, saying they are all for a sustainably environment-friendly tomorrow.

Auto sales have been declining for 13 straight months as a broader slowdown in the economy has crippled demand across the country.

The overall volume at India's top four M&HCV makers - Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo Eicher, and Mahindra & Mahindra - fell 59.5 per cent to 31,067 units during the month.

The optimism stems from benign fuel prices, adequate and well distributed rainfall and the recent measures announced by the government to boost liquidity at banks and NBFCs.

Net profit at M&M and Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturing Ltd contracted to Rs 918 crore from Rs 1,238 crore a year ago while revenue and other income decreased to Rs 12,997 crore from Rs 13,551 crore a year ago.

The change in stance follows a strong opposition by automakers of the proposed government plan to ban two-wheelers (below 150cc) and three-wheelers by 2023 and 2025, respectively

While home-grown firms like Tata and Mahindra have been actively participating in the government's e-mobility mission, by launching electrified versions of their existing models, the global firms believe electric is not the best solution for a country where the primary source of power generation is coal, and where infrastructure is a big impediment.

JLR, the maker of Jaguar F-Type and Range Rover Evoque, was a jewel in the crown of Tata Motors till two years back. But, it has been struggling because of the pending Brexit, a sharp contraction in sales in China, a shift in consumer preference from diesel to gasoline in Europe, higher taxes on diesel vehicles, and tightening regulations.

Most of the hotels in the country, including the Indian ones that traditionally owned assets, have embarked upon an asset light model for a faster growth and quicker returns. Lemon Tree is likely to announce a deal with Keys Hotels in the next two weeks.

M&M is keen to increase the number of factories in the Africa region and plans are afoot to have one each in Sudan and Kenya.

In a departure from the past, when IHCL adopted the organic route for entering markets like London and New York, this time around the expansion will be acquisition-led.

Flash Electronics alleges Royal Enfield infringed its patent on regulator rectifier device.

Now, you can own a two-wheeler for Rs 18.5 per day

The used car market is now 1.2 times the size of the new car market.

Teams of both companies are collaborating on all areas of mutual interest including electrification, distribution and product development.

The diesel car becomes too expensive with BS-VI and market assessment says the customer will not buy it at that price, says R C Bhargava, chairman, MSIL. He expects buyer preference to change swiftly in favour of petrol, CNG, and other alternative technologies.

It came on the back of tepid dispatches in the March quarter as consumer sentiment took a knocking, owing to uncertainty ahead of the general election.

Cumulative sale at India's top six passenger vehicle (PV) makers dropped 0.7 per cent to 267,000 units, from 269,000 a year before.

Barely a month after breaking covers, the models -- the Jawa, the Jawa 42 and the Perak -- were sold out, reports Shally Seth Mohile.

The Rs 17.70-lakh Honda Civic competes with the Skoda Octavia, Toyota Corola Altis and Hyundai Elantra.

At a price starting from Rs 849,000 and going up to Rs 12.14 lakh, the XUV300 competes with the Maruti Brezza, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, and Honda WR-V.

Cumulative sales of India's top passenger vehicle makers -- Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors, Honda Cars, and Toyota Kirloskar -- increased to 206,418 units in February over 200,322 units in the same month last year, an increase of 3 per cent.