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Festive Prospects: Healthy demand to sustain despite challenges says Maruti Suzuki

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Maruti-Suzuki

Passenger vehicle (PV) demand is expected to maintain growth momentum in the coming months despite rising ownership cost as well as production challenges.

Accordingly, PV market leader Maruti Suzuki India believes the upcoming festive season will boost buying sentiments.

Lately, the sequential sales’ momentum has been subdued due to rising ownership and operating cost.

According to Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki India: “Healthy sales momentum is expected to be maintained during the main festive period starting from mid-October. Till now, the festival of Onam saw a decent sales uptrend. However, there are uncertainties on the supply side.”

In India, the main tranche of the festive season commences from Navratri till Diwali.

“Factors such as shift to personal mobility from shared transport, lower interest rates, migration towards established brands as well as pent up demand are giving a push to sales momentum,” he said.

“Rural sector is also doing well because the income levels have improved.”

Presently, the auto giant’s 40 per cent sales come from the rural areas while 60 per cent is from urban India.

Last month, the auto major’s total sales rose to 130,699 units from 124,624 units sold during the corresponding period of 2020.

The total sales in the month included domestic sales of 105,775 units, off-take to other OEM of 4,305 units and exports of 20,619 units.

However, on a sequential basis, it had sold 162,462 units in July 2021.

“Production has been impacted due to electronic components shortage in August. This is critical as cost and waiting period increases due to lesser production.”

The automobile major has reported an 8 per cent fall in its vehicle production in August.

It produced a total of 113,937 units last month, compared to 123,769 units in August 2020.

Besides, vehicle acquisition cost has gone up due to rising commodity prices and high regulatory levies.

India’s auto market is considered to be highly price sensitive unlike those of Japan and the European Union.

At present, the industry is grappling with rising costs of steel, plastics and rare metals in addition to high forms of levies, insurance and road tax.

Recently, the company had to go in for a price hike due to rising commodity prices, especially those of steel, copper, rhodium and palladium amongst others.

“Earlier, we tried not to raise prices to revive demand by cost cutting and other measures. But continuously rising material cost has left us with no options.”

Notably, 70 per cent of the overall vehicle cost is of manufacturing materials.

“Till now, we had to increase prices four times, in January, April, July for CNG cars and Swift and in September. Currently, commodity prices have started to soften-up a bit, the industry believes that the material cost will plateau out on these levels and soften more in Q3FY22 and Q4FY22.”

Furthermore, this phenomenon has in some degree countered the positive effects of easy availability of finance along with low interest rates.

Additionally, vehicle operating cost has surged as a result of exponential rise in fuel prices.

“Running cost, largely depends on fuel efficiency and its price. Costs of diesel and petrol are at their peak, thereby negatively impacting car sales.

“Positive thing is that CNG running costs are now much less than before and CNG cars are gaining traction.”

Business

15th Rozgar Mela: EPFO hands over job letters to 976 new recruits

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New Delhi, April 26: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Saturday handed over appointment letters to 976 new recruits as part of the 15th edition of the Rozgar Mela.

The Rozgar Mela was held across 47 locations nationwide. The event, addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via videoconferencing, saw the distribution of over 51,000 appointment letters to newly inducted youth in various government departments, including EPFO.

“As part of this significant recruitment drive, EPFO welcomes new recruits to strengthen its workforce, ensuring efficient delivery of social security services to millions of subscribers across India,” said the Labour Ministry.

Appointment letters to 345 Accounts Officers/Enforcement Officers and 631 Social Security Assistants were issued as part of the drive.

The newly-appointed personnel will contribute to EPFO’s mission of providing provident fund, pension, and insurance benefits, supporting the government’s vision of a robust and inclusive economy.

EPFO has established recruitment vertical in head office to ensure regular recruitments and developed a recruitment calendar complying with directions of Union Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya.

“During last one year, EPFO has recruited 159 Assistant Provident Fund Commissioners, 84 Junior Translation Officers, 28 Stenographers, 2674 SSAs among others. Further recruitment of APFCs, EO/AO, PAs and ASOs are underway,” according to the ministry.

The Rozgar Mela aligns with the Prime Minister’s commitment to prioritizing employment generation and empowering youth for nation-building.

EPFO’s participation underscores its dedication to transparent and merit-based recruitment, leveraging modernized processes to enhance service delivery. The new recruits will have access to training through the iGOT Karmayogi platform, besides formal training enabling them to upskill and excel in their roles.

EPFO said it extends its congratulations to all appointees and reaffirms its resolve to foster a future-ready workforce that drives India’s social security framework towards greater heights.

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Steel backbone of our economy, coal and mines strong foundation: G Kishan Reddy

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Mumbai, April 26: Steel serves as the backbone of India’s economic progress and a vital enabler of the national vision for ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, Union Minister of Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, said on Saturday.

Addressing the 6th edition of ‘Steel India 2025’ here, the minister highlighted how India is setting new global benchmarks in infrastructure development, from the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, the world’s highest railway bridge, to the historic Pamban Bridge in Tamil Nadu — all made possible by the growing strength of the steel sector.

Every milestone in the nation’s infrastructure journey, he remarked, is forged in steel — reflecting the momentum and aspirations of a Nation on the move.

Reddy further stated that India’s steel sector has grown at an impressive pace in recent years, positioning the country as the second-largest steel producer globally.

Citing the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the minister referred to steel as India’s “Sunrise Sector” — a key driver of domestic consumption, industrial expansion and self-reliance through the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.

Reddy expressed confidence that through close collaboration between the Centre, state governments and industry stakeholders, India will not only meet its raw material requirements domestically but also emerge as a global leader in sustainable, self-reliant steel production.

He urged all participants at the conference to contribute actively to shaping policies that will secure a greener and more resilient future for the nation’s steel ecosystem.

The Union Minister emphasised that if steel forms the backbone of India’s economy, the coal and mining sector represents the strong foundation on which it rests.

He highlighted the importance of raw material security, especially in the context of the current session on Raw Material Strategy and the Shift in Raw Material Mix.

Ensuring the availability of critical raw materials like iron ore, coking coal, limestone, and essential alloying elements such as manganese, nickel, and chromium, he noted, is both an economic necessity and a strategic imperative.

India recently achieved a landmark milestone of 1 billion tonnes of coal production and dispatch in the last financial year — a transformative step toward national energy security.

While efforts to enhance renewable energy are underway, the minister reaffirmed that coal will remain central to India’s energy and industrial landscape in the foreseeable future.

Focusing on coking coal, a critical input in steel manufacturing, Reddy pointed out that it constitutes nearly 42 per cent of steel production costs. India currently imports around 85 per cent of its coking coal needs, rendering the industry vulnerable to international price volatility and supply chain disruptions.

The minister called upon private stakeholders to actively participate in washeries, beneficiation plants, and block auctions. Pulverised Coal Injection (PCI) trials using domestic coal have already shown promise for import substitution, and greater innovation in beneficiation can further improve outcomes.

The minister also emphasised the importance of timely utilisation of greenfield mines, as reiterated by the Prime Minister.

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Foreign investors make notable return to Indian equity markets in April

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New Delhi, April 26: Foreign investors have made a notable return to Indian equity markets this month, emerging as net buyers over the past two weeks, analysts said on Saturday.

In just the last seven trading sessions, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have turned decisively positive on Indian equities. This shift is largely attributed to a weakening US dollar, revisit of tariff agreements and a renewed sense of optimism surrounding India’s economic trajectory.

“Amid a challenging global backdrop, marked by sluggish growth in major economies like the United States and China, India continues to stand out higher for its economic resilience,” said Manoj Purohit, Partner and Leader, FS Tax, Tax and Regulatory Services, BDO India.

India is forecast to grow at a robust rate of over 6 per cent in FY26 and remains the only fastest-growing economy, making it a compelling destination for global investors.

“FPI inflows are expected to remain strong in the near term, providing additional support to the ongoing market rally. As global investors reassess their strategies, India’s economic fundamentals and earnings potential position it as a beacon of stability and growth in a turbulent events happening globally,” Purohit explained.

This month (till April 24), FPIs purchased equities worth Rs 22,716.43 crore while they sold equities worth Rs 17,196.33 crore, with net investment of Rs 5,520.1 crore.

Last month, FPIs ramped up buying in the second half of March 2025, driving a recovery in select sectors. BFSI led the inflows with a turnaround from $380 million selling to $2,055 million buying, netting $1,675 million for the month.

Telecommunications and metals and Mining also saw net inflows of $360 million and $219 million, respectively, according to a recent note by Bajaj Broking. Overall, FPI interest remained focused on BFSI, with most other sectors facing continued selling pressure.

With a strong economic outlook, policy reforms and a resilient market, India remains an attractive destination for global capital. The government’s continued focus on infrastructure, digital growth, and ease of doing business further boosts investor confidence.

The recent move by RBI to keep the existing corporate bond and G-sec limits unchanged for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) is a testimony of the government’s intent to keep gateway open for offshore participants to continue infusing funds in India market.

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