
Auto recap, May 7: Benelli TRK 502 launched, Lexus LM 350h booking reopens, major discount on Honda cars & more…
Here is your quick check on the biggest developments in the world of automobiles.
Given the rapid progress in the automotive sector, keeping up with developments can be challenging. However, HT Auto is committed to providing timely updates on significant changes in the industry. Below is a summary of the main highlights from Wednesday, May 7.
2025 Benelli TRK 502 launched at ₹ 6.20 lakh with new features & hardware
The 2025 Benelli TRK 502 has been launched in India, bringing substantial upgrades to the middleweight adventure tourer. The 2025 Benelli TRK 502 arrives in two variants, with the TRK 502 priced at ₹ 6.20 lakh, while the TRK 502X is priced at ₹ 6.70 lakh. Both variants have seen a price hike of ₹ 35,000 compared to the older versions. Moreover, the new yellow paint scheme on the TRK 502X commands an even higher price tag of ₹ 6.85 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom, India.
Also Read : 2025 Benelli TRK 502 launched at ₹ 6.20 lakh with new features & hardware Lexus LM 350h bookings reopened in India. Check details
Lexus India has announced the reopening of bookings for the LM 350h. The Lexus LM 350h was launched in India in March 2024. However, later in September 2024, the bookings for the luxury MPV were halted in order to cater to the existing orders amid the ongoing supply challenges. Hikaru Ikeuchi, President of Lexus India, acknowledged customers' patience and ongoing interest in the LM 350h, noting that the reopening of bookings reflects the demand for the model. He said the decision also aligns with Lexus India's focus on meeting customer expectations and providing products that cater to evolving preferences for refined and distinctive mobility experiences.
Also Read : Lexus LM 350h bookings reopened in India. Check details Honda Cars India offers discounts up to ₹ 76,100 in May
Honda Car India has launched special promotions for most of its offerings, including the Amaze, City and Elevate models, throughout May. Honda has been offering significant discounts across its vehicle lineup every month. Which usually include a loyalty bonus, buyback offers, an exchange bonus, corporate packages and a complimentary seven-year extended warranty. Listed below is a summary of the promotions available in May for each model.
Also Read : Honda Cars India offers discounts up to ₹ 76,100 in May. Check details Rolls-Royce, Land Rover, McLaren, Bentley to get more affordable as India-UK Free Trade Agreement greenlit
Cars and motorcycles made in the United Kingdom are all set to get more accessible in India as both countries have greenlit the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Under the new FTA, the tariff on fully imported made-in-UK vehicles will drop from over '100 per cent' to just '10 per cent' under a quota. The India-UK FTA especially benefits British luxury automakers, including Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, Lotus, Aston Martin, and McLaren, as well as two-wheeler players like BSA (owned by Classic Legends), Norton (owned by TVS) and Triumph Motorcycles.
Also Read : Rolls-Royce, Land Rover, McLaren, Bentley to get more affordable as India-UK Free Trade Agreement greenlit
Get insights into Upcoming Cars In India, Electric Vehicles, Upcoming Bikes in India and cutting-edge technology transforming the automotive landscape.
First Published Date: 08 May 2025, 07:05 AM IST
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The Hindu
27 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Structural cracks emerge in the India-U.S. strategic partnership
What is going wrong with India-U.S. ties, often celebrated by both sides as a definitive partnership of the 21st century? Is this just a glitch caused by a strident strain of American nationalism and its volatile champion, President Donald Trump, or is the current turmoil a sign of structural tensions that had been simmering beneath the rhetoric? Last week, only days ahead of the meltdown, this is how a State Department official described the prospects of ties with India to The Hindu: 'The U.S.-India relationship is both strong and a high priority for the administration. The U.S. has long-term, strategic interests in partnering with India, including cooperating on space, defence, energy, trade, and technology. In the first six months of this administration, President Trump and Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi announced the COMPACT Initiative, and we've seen numerous high-level touch points between our leaders from the White House to cabinet officials. This shows the dedication the Trump administration has to the U.S.-India relationship.' Watch | Analysing the economic and strategic impact of Trump's tariffs on India And then the cracks came out in the open, and how. While the above statement reflects an optimistic strand — Secretary of State Marco Rubio shares this view, going by his past statements — a more sceptical approach towards India is gaining currency among the influencers of American strategy in Washington DC. They point to structural factors that could derail the gains made after a nasty showdown between the two countries after Pokhran 2 in 1998. A recent article by Ashley J Tellis titled 'India's Great-Power Delusions' is an example. Mr. Tellis used to be a strong votary for American 'strategic altruism' towards India. Also Read | India, Russia can take their 'dead economies' down together: Trump Strategy in both India and the U.S. is now hostage to the fickle sentiments of respective nationalist audiences. In this game, the U.S. and India are not equal. There is a fundamental conflict between India's need to constantly advertise itself on the world stage and American scepticism of such power projections by anyone else, friend or foe. India used to maintain a benign strategic demeanour, articulating its ambitions in terms of human development, and carefully calibrating its claims for a larger global role. There was a bipartisan view that India's rise would be a global good. The rise of America First splintered American strategic outlook, and now only one part of it continues to be optimistic about India, while a strong strand is of concern. India sceptics These sceptics range from those who see an illiberal turn in India's trajectory to someone like Senator Lindsay Graham, a Trump acolyte. The India First foreign policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to be more assertive internationally and also adhere to — not abandon — India's traditional path of strategic autonomy. India's new normal, which predicts military strikes in response to terrorism, is difficult for the U.S. to encourage. The American fear of a nuclear flashpoint undermines India's status as a stabilising power. Mr. Trump is specially concerned about nuclear instability. As a superpower, the U.S. is proud of its capacity to have parallel partnerships with rival pairs — Qatar and Saudi Arabia-UAE, South Korea and Japan, India and Pakistan, for instance. It would argue that each relationship stands on its own individual context and merits. The U.S. would not appreciate the same logic thrown back at it by its partners, however, and India's relations with Iran and Russia have been of particular concern for it. While the U.S. does not like India questioning its ties with Pakistan, it questions India on its ties with Russia and Iran. India has interests in an increasing geographical spectrum of the planet, and its super power ambitions under Mr. Modi only heightens this desire of multiple alliances. According to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, it is 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' — 'with all, development of all' - in foreign policy. 'India is among the few that can simultaneously engage with Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Iran, the democratic West and the Global South, and the BRICS and QUAD,' he said on March 23. This advantage of India could have been a currency in its relations with the U.S., and the world. But as it turns out, each one's relations with other countries is creating more rift in India-U.S. ties. A strategic lock-in within the U.S. does not sit well with Indian nationalism, and certainly not of with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) which views the West with scepticism. India's neighbourhood, which is of critical interest for the U.S., is now again a source of tension between the two countries. Mr. Trump did not care much about India's ties with Russia, as he himself wanted to reset the U.S.-Russia relationship. With his hopes of mediating an end of the Ukraine war dimming, the one point of convergence between America First and India First lost traction. What is left is U.S. concerns about India's involvement with BRICS, Russia and Iran and India's resentment with the new thaw in U.S.-Pakistan relations. The Trump administration is, on the one hand, exploring a detente with China; and on the other, scaling up cooperation with Pakistan, partly to wean it off from Beijing. Pakistan is also back in American calculus as a counter terrorism partner — just at the moment India is trying to expose its support for terrorism. India has always leveraged its market in ties with the U.S. But protectionist measures increased in the recent years as India sought to build up its manufacturing sector. Indian market has remained an unrealisable dream for the U.S. By insisting on a complete opening up of the market, Mr. Trump has brought it to a head. These are all structural factors that take the shine off India-U.S. ties, a trade deal or not.
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Trump tariffs may drag India's FY26 GDP growth by 20-40 bps: Economists
India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2025-26 (FY26) is likely to take a hit of 20-40 basis points (bps) as the steep 25 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on Indian exports takes effect from August 1, economists said. However, the impact is likely to remain limited as India's economy is domestically oriented and the country has relatively lower goods exports to the US than other emerging market peers, experts said. 'At these tariff rates, if the burden of higher tariffs is equally split between Indian producers and consumers, it could directly shave off 0.3 percentage point from India's GDP growth. The penalty rate, if levied, would shave off further from growth, and there could be an indirect growth drag as well, led by lower capital inflows and investments,' HSBC said in a statement. Apart from the 25 per cent tariff, Trump on Wednesday threatened to impose a penalty on India for buying Russian oil and defence equipment. Radhika Rao, senior economist, DBS Bank, said that the US is the largest export partner for India at 18 per cent of total exports, comprising smartphones, pharma, textiles, gems & jewellery, iron & steel, and machinery, among others. 'Goods exports were frontloaded in the first half of the year, with a payback likely in the second half until clarity surfaces on the exact landing rate. We had previously estimated around 25-30 bps of impact on growth if rates were uniform across sectors,' she added. Rajani Sinha, chief economist, CareEdge Ratings, said that factoring in the higher reciprocal tariffs and additional penalty on India's exports to the US, the potential impact on India's GDP could be around 0.3-0.4 percentage point. 'India's domestically driven economy and relatively lower goods exports to the US at around 2 per cent of GDP should offer some resilience. Going ahead, India-US trade negotiations are expected to continue and could bring some reprieve,' Sinha added. Echoing similar views, Aditi Raman, associate economist, Moody's Analytics, said that while the US is India's largest trade partner, the Indian economy is relatively more domestically oriented than most of the region and relies far less on trade. 'Pharmaceuticals, gems, and textiles are key sectors that are likely to be hit. A point of contention is market access to the key agricultural and dairy sector, which India has historically been reluctant to grant," she added. Goldman Sachs in a statement said that if the new tariffs are enforced, that would constitute a potential incremental drag of around 0.3 percentage point (annualised), based on India's goods exports exposure of roughly 4 per cent of GDP to US final demand. It also cautioned against indirect impact through the 'uncertainty channel' on domestic investment. 'Elevated policy uncertainty in the US can cause Indian firms, particularly those exposed to US tariffs, to postpone investment decisions,' it added. Meanwhile, Nomura Asia in a note said that its FY26 GDP growth forecast is maintained at 6.2 per cent, but flagged a downside risk of 0.2 percentage point as exports to the US account for 2.2 per cent of India's GDP, and include pharma, smartphones, gems & jewellery, industrial machinery, auto components, textiles, and iron & steel, most of which will likely face margin pressure.

Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Trump tariffs may drag India's growth by 20-40 bps in FY26
India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2025-26 (FY26) is likely to take a hit of 20-40 basis points (bps) as the steep 25 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on Indian exports takes effect from August 1, economists said. However, the impact is likely to remain limited as India's economy is domestically oriented and the country has relatively lower goods exports to the US than other emerging market peers, experts said. 'At these tariff rates, if the burden of higher tariffs is equally split between Indian producers and consumers, it could directly shave off 0.3 percentage point from India's GDP growth. The penalty rate, if levied, would shave off further from growth, and there could be an indirect growth drag as well, led by lower capital inflows and investments,' HSBC said in a statement. Apart from the 25 per cent tariff, Trump on Wednesday threatened to impose a penalty on India for buying Russian oil and defence equipment. Radhika Rao, senior economist, DBS Bank, said that the US is the largest export partner for India at 18 per cent of total exports, comprising smartphones, pharma, textiles, gems & jewellery, iron & steel, and machinery, among others. 'Goods exports were frontloaded in the first half of the year, with a payback likely in the second half until clarity surfaces on the exact landing rate. We had previously estimated around 25-30 bps of impact on growth if rates were uniform across sectors,' she added. Rajani Sinha, chief economist, CareEdge Ratings, said that factoring in the higher reciprocal tariffs and additional penalty on India's exports to the US, the potential impact on India's GDP could be around 0.3-0.4 percentage point. 'India's domestically driven economy and relatively lower goods exports to the US at around 2 per cent of GDP should offer some resilience. Going ahead, India-US trade negotiations are expected to continue and could bring some reprieve,' Sinha added. Echoing similar views, Aditi Raman, associate economist, Moody's Analytics, said that while the US is India's largest trade partner, the Indian economy is relatively more domestically oriented than most of the region and relies far less on trade. 'Pharmaceuticals, gems, and textiles are key sectors that are likely to be hit. A point of contention is market access to the key agricultural and dairy sector, which India has historically been reluctant to grant," she added. Goldman Sachs in a statement said that if the new tariffs are enforced, that would constitute a potential incremental drag of around 0.3 percentage point (annualised), based on India's goods exports exposure of roughly 4 per cent of GDP to US final demand. It also cautioned against indirect impact through the 'uncertainty channel' on domestic investment. 'Elevated policy uncertainty in the US can cause Indian firms, particularly those exposed to US tariffs, to postpone investment decisions,' it added. Meanwhile, Nomura Asia in a note said that its FY26 GDP growth forecast is maintained at 6.2 per cent, but flagged a downside risk of 0.2 percentage point as exports to the US account for 2.2 per cent of India's GDP, and include pharma, smartphones, gems & jewellery, industrial machinery, auto components, textiles, and iron & steel, most of which will likely face margin pressure.