Maruti Suzuki Dzire becomes India's first sedan to secure 5-Star Bharat NCAP safety rating
The All-New Dzire, along with the New Age Baleno (which secured a 4-star Bharat NCAP rating), is built on Suzuki's 5th-generation HEARTECT platform. It features a host of safety enhancements, including six airbags, Electronic Stability Program+ (ESP), ABS with EBD, Hill Hold Assist, 360 view camera, and Isofix child seat anchorages, among others.Maruti Suzuki's Managing Director and CEO, Hisashi Takeuchi, expressed gratitude for the government's safety initiatives. 'Bharat NCAP empowers Indian customers to make informed decisions, and we are honored that the Dzire has set a new precedent,' he said. Takeuchi also confirmed that all 18 Maruti Suzuki models currently offer ESP as standard—an industry-first in India.advertisementWith growing emphasis on road safety, Maruti Suzuki's safety approach marks a paradigm shift in the Indian auto sector, prioritising occupant protection as a core design principle.Subscribe to Auto Today Magazine
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Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Tesla opens first showroom in India after years of negotiations marking strategic entry starting with Rs 60 lakh
Source: Tesla Tesla is finally accelerating into India's electric vehicle (EV) market with the launch of its first official showroom in Mumbai. The much-anticipated debut marks a significant step for Elon Musk's company as it tests Indian consumer appetite for premium EVs. The showroom is located at Maker Maxity Mall in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and is set to open on Tuesday morning. This launch comes after years of speculation and signals Tesla's entry into one of the world's fastest-growing automobile markets, albeit cautiously, without local manufacturing, for now. Elon Musk's Tesla debuts in Mumbai embracing retail-first entry strategy Tesla's India debut will be marked by the inauguration of its first showroom at Maker Maxity Mall, a prime location in Mumbai's upscale BKC district as reported by ANI . The company teased the announcement on its India-focused X (formerly Twitter) account last Friday, posting 'Coming soon' with a graphic hinting at a July 2025 launch. This move confirms Tesla's long-anticipated plan to begin operations in India initially via imported models, without committing to local production yet. Despite the buzz, Union Minister for Heavy Industries, H.D. Kumaraswamy, clarified in June that Tesla currently has no plans to manufacture vehicles in India. 'They want to sell their cars in India. There's no further development,' he said during a media interaction. This indicates Tesla is adopting a retail-first strategy, starting with showrooms to gauge demand before making deeper investments like setting up gigafactories or assembly plants. Tesla launches Model Y in India with premium pricing Tesla has officially launched the Model Y in India, with prices starting at Rs 60 lakh, as per the company's updated price catalog released on Tuesday. The electric vehicle giant is offering two variants for Indian buyers: Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD): Rs 60 lakh Model Y Long Range RWD: Rs 68 lakh These prices apply to outright cash purchases only, as Tesla has not yet introduced any leasing or financing options in the Indian market. When compared globally, the Indian pricing of the Model Y is significantly higher. For reference, the same model starts at $44,990 in the US, 263,500 yuan in China, and €45,970 in Germany. This price gap is largely due to India's steep import duties and associated logistics costs. According to Bloomberg News , five units of the Model Y have already arrived in Mumbai from Tesla's Shanghai plant. These imported vehicles reportedly attracted over Rs 21 lakh in import duties per unit, in line with India's 70% tariff on fully built EVs priced under $40,000. The launch underlines Tesla's retail-first strategy, as the company continues to import vehicles directly while it assesses the Indian market before committing to local manufacturing or assembly. India's revised EV policy could accelerate Tesla's expansion plans Tesla's India plans have historically been hampered by high import duties—a concern Elon Musk has raised multiple times. However, this may soon change. India's newly launched EV policy offers reduced import taxes and attractive incentives for foreign EV manufacturers, potentially smoothing the path for Tesla's expansion. Earlier this year, Tesla also began hiring for roles in India, signaling early operational groundwork. The government's outreach, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's phone conversation with Elon Musk in April and an earlier meeting during his US visit, hints at growing bilateral cooperation in technology and innovation. What Tesla's launch means for India's EV landscape With the Mumbai showroom launch, Tesla aims to test Indian market readiness for its premium EV lineup, including the Model 3 and Model Y. While price-sensitive Indian buyers may find Tesla's vehicles on the higher end, the brand's arrival adds prestige and momentum to India's growing EV ecosystem. India is already witnessing a surge in electric two-wheelers and budget EVs, but Tesla's entry could redefine consumer expectations in the luxury electric segment, potentially opening doors for competitors like BYD and Mercedes-Benz EQ series to step up their game. While the absence of local manufacturing signals a cautious approach, Tesla's presence in India could be a prelude to larger ambitions. If the new EV policy proves effective, and if demand meets expectations, Tesla might reconsider setting up a manufacturing hub, especially as India offers a large workforce and strategic location for export. Discover everything about the automotive world at Times of India .
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Solving for societal good
The Union minister laid out a vision for an ecologically sustainable growth model that can blend commerce with carbon credits (Image: PTI) Municipal solid and liquid waste in India can be turned into a Rs 5-lakh-crore business, Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari said in his inaugural address at The Times of India Social Impact Summit in Mumbai. 'With the right approach, we can convert waste into wealth, create jobs, and address environmental concerns,' he said. 'Plastics can be turned into fuel, sewage into industrial-grade water, and even garbage into commercially viable products,' he added. Citing a project in Mathura that treats sewage flowing into the Yamuna, he said, 'That treated water is now being used by nearby Indian Oil refinery.' The particulates are treated with organic culture while the extracted sludge is turned into bio-flocculants. 'If we scale this up nationally, the potential is enormous,' he said. Gadkari drew from personal experience, saying: 'For the past nine years, I have been selling treated toilet water from my constituency, earning Rs 300 crore annually.' He highlighted clean energy as another area of potential. 'Thermal plants have traditionally used coal, but NTPC and the Maharashtra govt have started using biomass—also known as white coal. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo It costs Rs 7 per unit but is far cleaner,' he said. With 17 percent of India's land classified as wasteland, he proposed bamboo plantations for biomass. 'We've invested Rs 5 crore to develop 1.5 lakh ha. Tree plantations around mines can earn carbon credits,' he said. A deeper rethinking of CSR in India is the need of the hour, said Sivakumar Sundaram, CEO (Publishing), The Times of India. 'India's CSR investment was approximately Rs 30,000 crore last year,' he said. 'But more important than the quantum is the quality—how we measure impact, how we embed sustainability into strategy, and how we turn compliance into conscience.' The summit was presented by Malabar gold & diamonds with HAL as PSU partner, FUEL (skill partner), E&Y (knowledge partner) and supported by Times Foundation.
Mint
20 minutes ago
- Mint
India bonds yields steady around key levels as RBI to mop up liquidity
MUMBAI, July 15 (Reuters) - Indian government bond yields were largely steady after rising in opening trades on Tuesday, as traders cool their heels around key levels, and eye the response to the central bank's liquidity withdrawal operation. The yield on the benchmark 10-year bond was at 6.3173% as of 10:00 a.m. IST after closing at 6.3163% on Monday. The Reserve Bank of India will conduct a three-day variable rate reverse repo auction for 1 trillion rupees ($11.6 billion). This would be in addition to 1.52 trillion rupees that it withdrew from the banking system on Friday via a seven-day operation. This is the second straight week that the RBI is conducting a shorter duration cash withdrawal operation, after doing a seven-day equivalent. "The market will start absorbing such reverse repos and will not react much going ahead, like we are seeing today," a trader with a private bank said. India's weighted average interbank call money rate as well as weighted average tri-party repo rate eased on Monday, with the latter moving below the RBI's standing deposit facility rate of 5.25%. The facility acts as a floor for the monetary policy corridor. Meanwhile, India's annual retail inflation slowed to a more than six-year low of 2.10% in June, lower than the 2.5% estimated by economists in a Reuters poll and the 2.82% reading in May. This has led to economists trimming down their full-year inflation forecasts and expecting at least one more rate cut. Core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as food and energy and is an indicator of domestic demand, however, accelerated to 4.4%-4.5% in June, from 4.17%-4.20% in May, according to economists. India's overnight index swap rates were little changed with traders awaiting U.S. inflation data. The one-year OIS rate was at 5.54% and the two-year OIS rate was at 5.53%. The liquid five-year was at 5.71%. ($1 = 85.9290 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Dharamraj Dhutia)
