Page 6 - Industry News

New Year's Eve frenzy: Grapes, biryani, pizzas among most-ordered items

The surge in sales activity, across different platforms, came even as gig worker unions had called a nationwide strike

Car sales zoom 26% in Dec on GST cut, year-end rush lifts wholesale demand

For calendar year 2025, domestic PV wholesales stood at 4.55 million units, marking a 5.7 per cent YoY increase

Coal India posts 4.6% output growth in December, but offtake drops 5.2%

Coal India on Thursday reported a 4.6 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) growth in production and a 5.2 per cent fall in offtake in December. The miner, along with its eight subsidiaries, produced 75.7 million tonnes (MT) of coal in December 2025, higher than 72.4 MT in the same month in 2024. However, the offtake was at 64.9 MT in the month under review, lower than 68.5 MT in December 2024. Coal India's cumulative production fell by 2.6 per cent to 529.2 MT in April-December FY26 from 543.4 MT in the nine-month period of the preceding FY25. Offtake during the period also slipped 2.2 per cent to 544.7 MT from 557 MT in April-December 2024-25. Coal India, under the Ministry of Coal, is India's largest coal mining company.

Power consumption rises 7% to 138.39 billion units in Dec amid cold wave

Power consumption grew nearly 7 per cent to 138.39 billion units (BU) in December from 129.39 BU a year ago, as the use of heating appliances like geysers and blowers increased on account of severe cold in North India. According to the government data, the peak power demand met or the highest supply during December also rose to 241.20 GW from 224.23 GW recorded in December 2024. The peak power demand had touched an all-time high of about 250 GW in May 2024. The previous all-time high peak power demand of 243.27 GW was recorded in September 2023. However, this summer (April onwards), the record peak power demand was 242.77 GW in June. According to government estimate, peak power demand was expected to touch 277 GW in the summer of 2025. Experts said as cold intensified in December, use of heating appliances like geysers and blowers increased. This increased the demand as well as consumption of electricity in various parts of the country, especially North. They said power consumpti

In an AI world, BPM industry embraces AI to rethink the BPO future

Explaining the rationale behind the acquisition, Capgemini chief executive officer Aiman Ezzat said the BPM industry remains one of the fastest-growing segments

Treasury income under pressure for banks in Q3 as yields stay elevated

RBI repo rate cuts fail to ease yields across tenors

Carmakers flex dealer, service networks to drive growth beyond metros

Network scale seen as central to tapping smaller markets

Auto registrations hit record 28 mn in 2025, EV sales steal the spotlight

India's vehicle registrations crossed 28 million in calendar year 2025 for the first time, driven by steady overall demand and strong growth in electric two-wheelers and passenger EVs

India can save $1 bn in crude imports by replacing 10% diesel with LNG

Reducing liquid-fuel demand will lower exposure to global oil price shocks as India remains heavily dependent on imported crude oil, said the country's petroleum regulator

Bharat Taxi to roll out by January-end after successful pilot in Delhi

The cooperatives-backed ride-hailing service Bharat Taxi will be officially launched in Delhi and other cities by the end of January, following an encouraging response during its soft launch, a senior cooperation ministry official said on Thursday. The digital platform, operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Ltd, was introduced in the capital on a pilot basis on December 2, 2024. "We have received a very good response for the Bharat Taxi service during the soft launch. The official launch will be done by month-end," Panjak Kumar Bansal, Additional Secretary in the Cooperation Ministry, told PTI. The service has been recording an average of 5,500 rides daily, including 4,000 from the airport and 1,500 from other locations across cab, auto and bike categories, Bansal said. More than 1.4 lakh drivers have registered on the app so far. Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Ltd is promoted by eight leading cooperative organisations -- Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul), IFFCO, KRIB

NMDC sees 15% growth in December iron ore output, sales grow 19%

State-owned NMDC on Thursday reported a 14.64 per cent year-on-year rise in iron ore production and 18.67 per cent growth in sales in December. The miner produced 5.40 million tonnes (MT) of iron ore in December 2025, higher than 4.71 MT in the same month in 2024. Iron ore sales rose to 6.64 MT in the month under review from 3.91 MT in December 2024. NMDC's cumulative production rose to 36.89 MT in April-December FY26 from 30.77 MT in the nine-month period of the preceding FY25. Sales during the period also surged to 34.92 MT from 31.80 MT in April-December 2024-25. NMDC, under the Ministry of Steel, is India's largest iron ore mining company, catering to the country's over 20 per cent need for the key steel making raw material.

Hyundai Motor India records 6.6% sales growth to 58,702 units in Dec

Hyundai Motor India Ltd on Thursday reported a 6.6 per cent year-on-year growth in total sales at 58,702 units in December 2025. This includes monthly domestic sales of 42,416 units and exports of 16,286 units, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) said in a statement. "Driven by the positive momentum from GST 2.0 reforms, Hyundai Motor India recorded a robust 6.6 per cent year-on-year growth in total monthly sales for December 2025," HMIL Managing Director and CEO Tarun Garg said. The company delivered a 26.5 per cent year-on-year growth in export volume in December, he added.

Rajasthan grounds ₹8 trillion of Summit MoUs, signalling execution focus

The official said the state recorded a series of policy, investment and governance milestones in 2025 that are reshaping its economic landscape

Wheat sowing almost complete, prospects bright this rabi: Agri Commissioner

India has nearly completed wheat sowing for the current rabi season, with crop conditions looking promising, Agriculture Commissioner PK Singh said on Thursday. Wheat was sown across 32.26 million hectares as of December 29 in the ongoing 2025-26 rabi (winter) season compared to a total coverage of 32.8 million hectares in the previous year, Singh said. "Barring some parts of Bihar, wheat sowing has been completed across the country. The total acreage may reach last year's level," Singh told PTI. More than 73 per cent of the sown area has been planted with climate-resilient and bio-fortified seed varieties that will help counter any weather aberrations, he noted. "Due to timely and early sowing, the prospects for the wheat crop look bright, and it is in excellent condition as of now. No problems have been reported from wheat-growing areas," the official said. Sowing of pulses and oilseeds has been completed, and rice planting will continue until January-end in southern India, he .

Festive demand lifts Audi India's retail sales to 4,510 units in 2025

German luxury carmaker Audi on Thursday reported retail sales of 4,510 units in India in 2025. Healthy festive-season demand and growth in Audi Approved (pre-owned cars), SUVs and the performance and lifestyle car range, further supported by GST 2.0, provided a timely boost to customer confidence and the overall luxury car market, Audi India said in a statement. "While market dynamics presented inherent challenges, our performance underscored the fundamental strength of the Audi vision and the invaluable loyalty of our customer base," Audi India Brand Director Balbir Singh Dhillon said. On the road ahead, he said, "Stepping into 2026, our mandate is one of clear focus and intensified purpose. We are prepared to translate market challenges into sustainable momentum through innovative product launches, enhanced customer experience and initiatives prioritising people-centric growth".

Renault India reports 33.4% jump in sales to 3,845 units in December

Renault India on Thursday reported a 33.4 per cent increase in sales to 3,845 units in December 2025 compared to the same month of 2024. The company said it witnessed strong sales acceleration in the second half of CY2025, driven by consistent improvement in quarterly performance and a sharp surge in December. "The H2 performance of CY2025 clearly reflects the direction we have taken for Renault in India. After a phase of portfolio transition, the consistent recovery from Q3 onwards, culminating in a strong Q4 and our best monthly performance in December, confirms that the course correction we initiated is delivering tangible results," Renault Group India CEO Stephane Deblaise said. On the road ahead, he said, "With the right building blocks now in place, we are entering the next phase with confidence, and the return of the iconic Duster will mark a significant step forward in Renault's renewed journey in India".

UPI ends 2025 strong with record 21.63 bn transactions worth ₹27.97 trn

India's UPI processed a record 21.63 billion transactions worth ₹27.97 trillion in December, helping the platform close 2025 with its strongest-ever annual volumes and values

New tobacco excise duty rules: What changes, what stays, price impact

Before the latest notification, cigarettes and other tobacco products were taxed under a layered structure combining GST with multiple cesses, including a compensation levy

CBAM may force steel, aluminium exporters to cut prices by 15-22%: GTRI

EU's carbon border levy enters its payment phase from January 1, 2026, with Indian steel and aluminium exporters facing price pressure and tougher emissions data compliance

Star ratings mandatory from Jan 1 for TVs, fridges, LPG stoves, chillers

The government has made energy efficiency star-labelling mandatory on a host of appliances, including refrigerators, televisions, LPG gas stoves, cooling tower, and chillers from January 1. According to a gazette notification issued by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, the new regulation for energy efficiency star-labelling will also apply on deep freezers, distribution transformers and grid connected solar inverter. Earlier, star labelling was voluntary on these items like frost-free refrigerators, direct cool refrigerators, deep freezers, RAC (cassette, floor standing tower, ceiling, corner AC), colour televisions and ultra-high definition televisions. An official on condition of anonymity said the list of mandatory appliances for star labelling is updated from time to time. The draft regulation for these appliances was introduced in July 2025 for public feedback and these changes are based on the response received from stakeholders. Star labelling was earlier made mandatory on r