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.
Railways is testing waters for locomotives to run on lithium-ion batteries, the most common ones used in electric vehicles.
Experts say local demand, government policies in retail and refining sector are attracting foreign players.
The fuel delivery scheme mainly targets consumers that buy in bulk.
Of the 272-km Udhampur-Baramulla rail line, nearly 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal is incomplete.
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.
Though bids for 43 Train 18 sets were invited first, orders for only three were given, including one for Spanish major CAF and Medha Group that supplied for the first Vande Bharat train.
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
There was a plan to increase the Railways' revenue by augmenting carrying capacity. This target has, however, become the source of a bitter battle between two ministries - the railways and steel - and provoked serious arguments over the "Make in India" programme.
The railways heritage lines that are part of the UNESCO-accorded sites list include Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and Kalka Shimla Railway.
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.
'Are all roads in India privatised? Are governments not playing a role in airports or ports? If they (private players) want to set up lines for a specific requirement, I see no reason to object. It will expand the opportunity and passengers will also benefit.'
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.
If the reforms are implemented, multi-brand retail majors such as Future Group and Reliance Retail might enter the fuel retail space.
At the end of 2018-19, the Tata group had a consolidated debt of Rs 2.77 trillion. Tatas not only plan to avoid big-ticket acquisitions for now, the group's main focus will be on improving key metrics and reduce debt, say Shally Seth Mohile & Dev Chatterjee.
The Ratlam division of the national transporter is planning to provide head and foot massages to passengers in 39 trains originating from Indore railway
One of the major challenges before the government is that the annual average refill by a PMUY consumer is 3.28 cylinders compared to seven for others.
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