Connect with us
Thursday,19-September-2024
Breaking News

Business

Economic recovery to drive road traffic up 12-14% this fiscal

Published

on

Traffic

Road traffic volume will grow 12-14 per cent in the current fiscal, driven by economic recovery, continued industrial production, and increased preference for personal mobility fuelled by the pandemic, after declining 4-5 per cent in the last one year.

Resilient performance of the sector through the pandemic and adequate liquidity maintained by players would continue to support their credit profiles, a CRISIL Ratings study of 25 toll road assets across 11 states indicates.

Says Anuj Sethi, Senior Director, CRISIL Ratings, “Road traffic grew 57 per cent on-year in the first quarter this fiscal, albeit on a significantly contracted base of last fiscal, which saw more stringent restrictions. The bounce-back has been faster compared with the first wave, with normalcy returning in July as against September last fiscal. Consequently, traffic growth is likely to be healthy at 12-14 on-year.”

Commercial traffic, which is closely linked to the macroeconomic environment, is expected to log healthy growth this fiscal. Personal mobility, on the other hand, is likely to gain preference over public transport or shared mobility due to pandemic-related concerns, thereby driving passenger traffic.

With both these growth engines expected to fire, the sector’s growth prospects look brighter.

CRISIL’s base-case estimate, though, factors a modest impact of a possible third wave, and could see a downside of 200 basis points (bps) if it is more severe than anticipated.

The sector faced multiple headwinds over the last 2-3 fiscals, with revision in axle-load norms of commercial vehicles, economic slowdown and the pandemic affecting traffic.

To be sure, the sector remained resilient through the pandemic. A strict nationwide lockdown and restrictions on industrial activity disrupted traffic well into the second quarter of last fiscal.

However, once restrictions eased, there was a healthy bounce-back, limiting the decline in traffic to a better-than-expected 4-5 per cent last fiscal. This fiscal has seen a much stronger bounce-back after the second wave-induced restrictions in the first quarter.

While traffic in north, east and central regions remained fairly resilient due to lower caseload and thereby a faster relaxation of movement restrictions, the more industrialised southern and western states saw a comparatively sharper decline due to more stringent restrictions and slower recovery.

Says Anand Kulkarni, Director, CRISIL Ratings, “The credit profiles of players in the road sector are expected to remain strong, and their debt-servicing ability has not deteriorated due to the pandemic-related disruptions. Average debt service coverage ratio of the CRISIL Ratings sample is likely to be healthy at around 1.9x this fiscal, similar to our pre-pandemic estimates, after contracting by a modest 0.3-0.5x last fiscal. Additionally, adequate liquidity maintained by these players (debt service reserve of 3-6 months) would support their credit profiles.”

Healthy performance will continue to support investor activity in the sector, and CRISIL Ratings foresees strong monetisation potential in the sector through infrastructure investment trusts, private sales and toll-operate-transfer modes.

That said, an intense third wave impacting economic activity could moderate the sector outlook and will bear watching.

Business

New TVS Apache RR 310 Hits Indian Market at Rs 2.75 Lakh: All You Need to Know

Published

on

TVS has introduced the 2024 edition of its flagship Apache RR 310 in India, starting at Rs 2.75 lakh (ex-showroom). The updated model brings several enhancements, including segment-first aerodynamic winglets integrated into the side fairing, aimed at improving stability and performance.

The latest version of the TVS Apache RR 310 comes with a starting price of Rs 2.75 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Racing Red model. However, this variant does not include the bi-directional quick-shifter. For those looking to add this feature, it will cost approximately Rs 17,000 extra. The 2024 lineup also introduces a new Bomber Grey color option, priced at Rs 2.97 lakh (ex-showroom), offering a stylish and performance-focused upgrade.

The 2024 TVS Apache RR 310 retains its 312cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with a 6-speed gearbox, but now offers improved performance. The updated model produces 37 bhp at 9,800 rpm and 29 Nm of torque at 7,900 rpm. TVS also claims that it accelerates faster than before, shaving 0.43 seconds off its 0-100 km/h time, making it a more exciting choice for riders looking for speed and agility.

The 2024 TVS Apache RR 310 keeps its familiar trellis frame, supported by upside-down front forks and a rear monoshock for improved handling. Braking is handled by disc brakes. It also comes with a 5-inch TFT display that offers Bluetooth connectivity and navigation.

The updated electronics package includes new features like tyre pressure monitoring, cornering ABS, traction control, and cruise control. While the overall design remains similar, it gets refreshed decals and is available in three colours: Bomber Grey, Racing Red, and Race Replica.

TVS has introduced two performance kits for the new Apache RR 310: the Dynamic kit, priced at Rs 18,000, and the Dynamic Pro kit at Rs 16,000. The Dynamic kit enhances the bike’s handling with fully adjustable suspension, a tyre pressure monitoring system, and a brass-coated drive chain. The Dynamic Pro kit, meanwhile, focuses on safety and stability, offering race-tuned dynamic stability control for better on-road performance. These upgrades allow riders to customize their experience for both performance and safety.

Continue Reading

Business

Jio network down: users are facing problems

Published

on

Some Jio users in Mumbai are experiencing network outages, causing the issue to trend on Twitter. According to reports on social media, the disruptions have affected specific areas in the city. One user claimed that the Reliance Jio IDC Data Centre caught fire, potentially causing service interruptions. The user tweeted, “Reliance Jio IDC Data Centre caught fire, some services down due to that.

The network of Reliance Jio, one of the leading telecom companies in India, has been down for the last 1 hour. So users are facing a lot of problems. Many have posted about this on social media and tagged Reliance Jio. Reliance Jio network is down since last 1 hour.

Due to this, many works of Jio users have been stopped. A user posted on X and informed that the Jio service has been shut down due to a fire in the IDC (data center). Repair work is going on here. The network will be restored soon. But Reliance Jio has not given any official information about this yet. Therefore, users are asking when the network will be restored.

Reliance Jio service has been discontinued. Most of the users have no signal in their mobiles. 20 percent reported internet connectivity disruption on Down detector. 14 percent people are facing problems in running Jio fiber. Reliance Jio’s website is also not working properly and users are unable to access the Jio app.

There are more than 10 thousand complaints on Downdetector around 12 noon. More outage issues have been reported from cities like Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai. Users across the country are complaining about Jio service being down. Jio on X is also trending down. People are sharing memes for Jio.

Reliance Jio services have once again been suspended in many parts of the country. Today i.e. on 17th September it started from Mumbai, the financial capital of the country and now Jio is down in all the cities of the country. Earlier in May and June 2024 also, Jio services were suspended in Mumbai. Users are constantly complaining on social media about Jio being down but there is no concrete solution and assurance from the company yet.

Users on social media claim that Jio services have been suspended across Mumbai. There is a network problem for several hours. Many users have also complained about the broadband service. Outage tracker Downdetector has also confirmed Jio’s outage. According to Downdetector’s map, it has stopped in New Delhi, Lucknow, Nagpur, Cuttack, Hyderabad, Chennai, Patna, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Guwahati.

More than 10 thousand people have complained on Downdetector in just 1 hour. On this site, 67 percent people complained about lack of signal, 20 percent about mobile internet and 14 percent about Jio Fiber.

Continue Reading

Business

‘Take A Trip To Vietnam For Your iPhone 16’: X User Proposes Cost-Effective Way To Buy The Latest Apple Smartphone

Published

on

Apple recently launched its latest iPhone series, the iPhone 16 series. In addition, the company also launched the latest Apple Watch along with the latest version of Apple AirPods.

Trip To Vietnam For Apple

Apple products from time immemorial have been known for their exorbitant and sky-high pricing. Many have often made memes about having to sell their organs to be able to afford one of their iPhones.

Now, with the latest launch, and X user has found a way to cut corners by taking a trip.

According to the user, an aspiring iPhone buyer in India should take a trip to the East Asian nation of Vietnam to be able to get the new iPhone 16 at a cheaper rate.

However, the user also notes that these savings can only be made, if the buyer is intending to buy the advanced iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Savings Only iPhone 16 Pro

The user said, “Plan your #iPhone16 purchase with a trip to #Vietnam and spend the same amount you would be spending buying it here in India.”

In addition, the user also added, “But the savings work only if you are planning to buy the #iPhone16Pro or the #iPhone16ProMax”.

In addition, the user also surmised an instance of users travelling to the UAE an purchasing these phones.

According to the user, the Visa fees & fight rates don’t make Dubai that lucrative unless flying somewhere via UAE or planning for the #iPhone16ProMax only”.

As per the statistics produced by the user, the most expensive iPhone 16 Pro Max will cost an Indian buyer Rs 1,44,900 a piece. In Vietnam, however, it would cost a buyer Rs 1,18,992.

This marks a difference of Rs 25,908. Meanwhile, in the UAE, particularly in Dubai, the same phone would cost the buyer Rs 1,16,550, marking a difference of Rs 28,350.

The iPhone series will be available in India from September 20, with the pre-order for the phone starting on September 13.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending