Explore Business Standard
India
Reduction in customs duty on imported cars under the India-EU free trade agreement could enable the growth of the luxury car segment in India, which currently remains minuscule, BMW Group India President and CEO Hardeep Singh Brar said on Monday. The domestic luxury car segment accounts for just 1 per cent of the overall passenger vehicle segment. The India-EU Free Trade Agreement would be a historic milestone benefiting both sides by expanding trade and enabling deeper exchange of technology and innovation, Brar said in a statement. "From an automotive industry perspective, we hope the FTA will include balanced, win-win provisions that help stimulate demand in the luxury segment while strengthening supply chain integration which is especially important in the current geopolitical context," he added. If customs duties on completely built units are reduced, it would help expand the luxury car market in India, Brar stated. "While CBUs (completely built units) currently account for a
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that people are paying a heavy price for air pollution with their health and the country's economy, and that children and the elderly are bearing the brunt the most. In a post on his X account, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha urged people to speak up against air pollution. He also asked them to write to him, sharing their views on how it has affected crores of Indians. "We are paying a heavy price for air pollution -- with our health and with our economy. Crores of ordinary Indians bear this burden every day," Gandhi wrote. "Children and the elderly suffer the most. Livelihoods, especially of construction workers and daily wage earners, are severely impacted," he wrote. Noting that the crisis cannot be forgotten until next winter, the former Congress president said, "The first step towards change is to raise our voices." He further asked people to share the story of "how air pollution has affected you or your loved ones" at ...