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No insurance policy to comply with Madras HC order on 5 yr bumper to bumper cover

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Suspense continues on whether vehicle buyers will have to shell out a huge amount towards insurance premium upfront for five years from Wednesday onwards to comply with the Madras High Court order.

As things stand now, new car buyers in Tamil Nadu from Wednesday onwards, have to pay huge sums as premium for five years.

It is learnt the industry lobby body, General Insurance Council is exploring various options including legal ones to wriggle out of the situation.

But where is the policy is the question?

“The IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India) has to approve such a product first. There is no five-year bumper-to-bumper car vehicle insurance policy,” Saharsh Damani, CEO, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) told IANS.

Non-insurance industry officials told IANS, none of the insurers have a five year bumper-to-bumper insurance policy for cars and two wheelers.

Such a product has to be designed after doing actuarial calculations.

Industry officials starting from the sectoral regulator IRDAI and the insurers are keeping mum on the issue though claiming to serve the interests of the insuring public.

Recently, the Madras High Court by an order made the costly bumper-to-bumper insurance cover compulsory for all new private cars sold from September 1, 2021.

The court also ordered circulation of the judgement by the Additional Chief Secretary, Transport Department, Chennai, to all the insurers and the said officers must ensure that the above direction is followed scrupulously in letter and spirit without any deviation.

“Why should the insurers issue any instructions. They will be happy if the order is implemented as they will get lump sum premium income upfront,” an insurance intermediary not wanting to be quoted told IANS.

The headless IRDAI has not issued any public notice/guidance in this regard.

The Tamil Nadu government is also silent on this aspect as the court had ordered the circulation of its order to Additional Secretary, Transport Department.

“We have not got any circular from the head office in this regard,” an official of a public sector general insurer told IANS preferring anonymity.

The court posted the matter for September 30 for reporting compliance.

“The insurers will be silent as the court had not ordered them. It is for the IRDAI to issue necessary instructions making personal accident insurance cover for occupants of a private car and the pillion riders of two wheelers compulsory. Now it is optional,” Americai V. Narayanan, Chairman, ICM Insurance Brokers Pvt Ltd told IANS.

Narayanan said the bumper-to-bumper insurance cover will cost more than the comprehensive insurance cover as the claims under the former will be settled on replacement cost basis while under the latter depreciation will be applied on the component cost.

Vehicle insurance policies are two parts — own damage (insurance for the vehicle against damage, theft) and third party liability (liability for third parties).

The third party insurance cover is mandatory whereas the insurance cover for vehicle damage is not mandatory.

The Madras High Court order is for making insurance cover for vehicles mandatory.

“It is a patently untenable order (court’s order) and would not stand legal scrutiny if the vehicle makers or any other aggrieved party goes on appeal,” D. Varadarajan, a Supreme Court advocate specialising in company/competition/insurance laws, told IANS.

Commenting on the lack of awareness on the part of car owners about the liability for occupants of the car the court while hearing a case ordered: “Therefore, this court directs that whenever a new vehicle is sold after 01.09.2021, it is mandatory for coverage of bumper-to-bumper insurance every year, in addition to covering the driver, passengers and owner of the vehicle, for a period of five years.”

“Thereafter, the owner of the vehicle must be cautious in safeguarding the interest of driver, passengers, third parties and himself/herself, so as to avoid unnecessary liability being foisted on the owner of the vehicle, as beyond five years, as on date there is no provision to extend the bumper-to-bumper policy, due to its non-availability,” the court ordered.

Business

‘Innocent Unless And Until Proven Guilty’: Adani Group Issues Statement In The US Bribery Indictment; Denies Charges, Calls Them Baseless

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The Adani Group, which has been at the eye of the storm since the beginning of the new day, has issued a statement in the US Indictment matter.

Adani Denies Charges

The company, in a statement procured by the conglomerate-owned IANS, said, “The allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied.”

Furthermore, the statement asserted its stance and added, “As stated by the US Department of Justice itself, “the charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” All possible legal recourse will be sought.”

Committed to Highest Standards

The Adani Group further added that it has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations.

US Court Indicts Adani and Co.

The company, in an attempt to assuage stakeholders, partners and employees, said that the company is a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws.

The storm was kicked off by a post from short-seller group Hindenburg, which shared the news of the US Federal Court’s indictment of Gautam Adani and seven others associated with the company.

Billionaire Gautam Adani has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay over USD 250 million (about Rs 2,100 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange of favourable terms for solar power contracts.

The press release from the US court elaborated on the allegations and claimed that the company and its leadership had indulged in mass bribery activity, in which the company bribed Indian officials to bag a contract for its Adani Green Energy company.

This in turn led to misleading American investors and global financial investors.

The court reportedly also issued an arrest warrant against Gautam Adani and seven others.

Adani Shares Tank

In the aftermath of the report, Adani Group company shares tanked at Dalal Street. With Adani Enterprises shares hitting the lower circuit, losing 20 per cent of their value. The situation was the same with the other Adani stocks, including Adani Green Energy, which is in the middle of the new storm.

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Bharat NCAP Awards 5-Star Crash Test Rating to Mahindra Thar Roxx

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The Mahindra Thar Roxx has earned a prestigious 5-star rating in Bharat NCAP’s latest crash tests, reflecting its commitment to safety. Recently evaluated under stringent testing, the SUV excelled with a 31.09 out of 32 score for adult occupant protection and 45 out of 49 for child safety.

Tested in its AX5L and MX3 variants, the Mahindra Thar Roxx delivered notable results, scoring 15.09 out of 16 in the Frontal Offset test and a perfect 16 out of 16 in the Side Impact test. The assessment revealed strong protection for most areas, with adequate ratings for the driver’s chest and lower legs.

The Mahindra Thar Roxx has received high marks for child occupant safety, scoring 24 points in Bharat NCAP tests, along with 12 points for CRS (Child Restraint System) installation and a Vehicle Assessment Score of 9. This top-tier safety rating applies to all Thar Roxx units produced from November 2024 onward, underscoring Mahindra’s dedication to enhancing safety features across its SUV range. Additionally, Mahindra’s XUV400 and 3XO models have also achieved 5-star safety ratings, further emphasizing the automaker’s commitment to robust safety standards.

The Mahindra Thar Roxx offers two interior themes – Classic Ivory and a new Dark Mocha Brown. Comfort and convenience are prioritizing with ventilated seats, leatherette upholstery, a digital driver display, a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen, a high-quality Harmon Kardon sound system, a panoramic sunroof, rear AC vents, wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-way adjustable driver’s seat, combining practicality with luxury.

Mahindra Thar 5-door comes packed with safety and interior upgrades to enhance its appeal. On the safety side, it includes essentials like six airbags, three-point seatbelts for all occupants, hill control features, electronic stability control, and a seatbelt reminder. Advanced driver-assist features, such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping support, lane departure alerts, and a 360-degree camera system with blind spot monitoring, add an extra layer of protection.

Mahindra Thar Roxx offers two engine choices: a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and a 2.2-litre diesel. The petrol engine comes in two setups—150 bhp and 330 Nm of torque for the manual, and 174 bhp with 380 Nm for the automatic. The diesel option is available only with four-wheel drive.

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Business

Why The Indian Stock Market Struggled: Inflation, FPI Outflows, And Currency Pressure; Everything You Need To Know

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The Indian stock market on Wednesday (November 13) wrapped the another challenging day, marking the fifth consecutive session of losses.

The Sensex and Nifty, the two benchmark indices, both ended lower amid concerns over inflation and a broad selloff in metal stocks.

Market Snapshot

By the close of the trading session, Sensex was down by 984.23 points, or 1.25 per cent, ending at 77,690.95. Nifty 50 followed suit, shedding 324.40 points, or 1.36 per cent, to settle at 23,559.05.

The day saw a sea of red on both the Sensex and Nifty, with the majority of stocks ending lower. Among the few gainers were NTPC, Tata Motors, and Infosys, which saw minor upticks on BSE.

However, the broader market was dominated by heavy losses, especially in stocks such as JSW Steel, State Bank of India (SBI), Adani Ports, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), and Tata Steel, all of which posted declines.

Reasons behind the sharp decline

One of the major factor contributing to the market’s downward trajectory is the growing concern related to inflation.

As per the data which released by the Ministry of statistics and Programme Implementation regarding the India’ retail inflation, it showed that for the month of October, it surged to 6.21 per cent, breaching the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) upper tolerance limit of 6 per cent for the first time in over a year. The primary factors that contributed to surge include rise food prices, driven by the extended monsoon season and crop damage.

Adding to the pressure is the continued outflow of foreign portfolio investments (FPIs). On November 12, FPIs sold shares worth Rs 364.35 crore, bringing the total outflows for November to Rs 23,911 crore

The Indian rupee also struggled on November 13, weakening by 1 paisa to close at 84.38 against the US dollar.

The rise of the US dollar, which surged 1.8 per cent in November, has been exacerbated by the US presidential election result and higher bond yields. The US 10-year bond yield spiked to 4.42 per cent, further diverting capital away from emerging markets like India.

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