Desi firms enter race to make Li-ion batteries

Sharda Motor Industries, a New Delhi-based manufacturer of auto parts such as suspensions and catalytic converters, and the Kinetic group of Pune have become two of the rare Indian firms to dare to enter the cut-throat world of lithium-ion battery manufacturing. The supply of Li-ion batteries is currently almost completely controlled by Chinese companies, which […]

BEML gets mega truck order from MoD

BEML Ltd, formerly Bharat Earth Movers, said it received an order worth Rs 758 cr to supply ‘high mobility’ vehicles to the ministry of defence, Government of India. The vehicles would take the shape of armoured fighting vehicles, and trucks for moving troops, ammunition and stores to far-flung, difficult terrains in operational areas, the equipment […]

Tata Motors to increase CV prices from January

Following automakers like Honda, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Auto, Maruti Suzuki, Kia Motors, MG Motor and Renaut, Tata Motors too has announced a decision to increase vehicle prices from next month. However, unlike most others, Tata Motors will increase prices for commercial vehicles only, while leaving passenger vehicles alone for now. Around half of the […]

STEEL PRICES: Mahindra increases tractor prices, autos next?

Mahindra & Mahindra, one of India’s largest makers of tractors, said it plans to increase the prices of its tractors from January 1 to offset increasing commodity prices. “Details of the price increase across different models will be communicated in due course,” it said. The move comes in the wake of record sales of tractors […]

Ashok Leyland introduces VRS 2020 scheme

Ashok Leyland, which had introduced a voluntary retirement scheme and an employee separation scheme for its executives in August last year, has approved yet another VRS scheme this year. In a notification, the company said its directors “approved the introduction of Voluntary Retirement Scheme (“VRS”) for all eligible employees” of the company. The approval, it […]

END of LOCKDOWN? Volvo Eicher gets nod to restart production

VE Commercial Vehicles, a joint venture between Sweden’s Volvo Group and India’s Eicher Motors, said it has received permission from the government to restart manufacturing operations at its commercial vehicle manufacturing plant in Madhya Pradesh. Considering the wider lock-down in place, it said, it is not planning on any immediate ramp-up in manufacturing operations. “The […]

Amara Raja reports ‘continued demand slowdown’

Amara Raja Batteries Ltd, India’s biggest manufacturer of lead acid batteries, reported a modest increase in revenue, and said it continued to face a demand slow down in its key markets of automobiles and telecom. “The automotive sector is facing challenges of demand uncertainty due to social, regulatory and technological changes,” said Vice Chairman and […]

Ashok Leyland gets BSVI certifications for its heavy trucks

Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja Group, said it has received BS-VI emission norm certificates for all its heavy duty truck, ahead of the April 1 deadline for the switch over to the new fuel and emission standard. All of the company’s trucks with a rating of 16.2 tons or above have received certificates from […]

Hero Splendor is the first BS-VI bike in India

Two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp Ltd said that it has received the BS-VI certification for its Splendor iSmart motorcycle, becoming the first two-wheeler manufacturer in India to receive the stamp. Hero MotoCorp said that it received the Type Approval Certificate from International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) for the Splendor iSmart model, after it was successfully […]

Setco gets orders for clutches for BS-VI trucks

Setco Automotive Ltd, the largest clutch manufacturer in the medium and commercial vehicle segment (MHCV) in India, said it received approvals from leading truck manufacturers for supply of BS-VI compliant clutches. BS or Bharat Stage refers to emission regulation standards set by Indian regulatory bodies. BS norms are largely similar to the European emission norms […]

Volvo Eicher to set up new 40,000 truck plant at Bhopal

Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles, which manufactures Eicher branded trucks and buses in India, said it would increase its capacity by 44% by setting up a new, 40,000-trucks-per-year plant in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. At present, the joint venture between Eicher Motors and AB Volvo has a capacity of manufacturing 90,000 trucks per year at its […]

Fitch Ratings changes JLR’s outlook to ‘negative’ from ‘stable’

Fitch Ratings has revised Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc’s outlook to ‘negative’ from ‘stable’, indicating a higher risk of a downgrade in its credit rating in the future. The move comes in the wake of higher investments by the company into research and development and rising depreciation of past investments, resulting in more cash burn […]

Mahindra launches high-power tractors under Novo brand in India

Mahindra & Mahindra launched two high-power tractors under its Novo brand. The 65 horsepower variant with two-wheel drive has a starting price of Rs 9.99, while the 75 HP variant with four-wheel drive costs Rs.12.5 lakh. Currently most of the tractors available in India are in the 30-40 horsepower range. Like most tractors sold in […]