Armed with swanky showrooms, decked with plush fixtures, and offering indulgences such as high-end perfumes and customisable accessories, BMW, Mercedes, Audi are rolling out the red carpet for the well-heeled.

From attractive EMIs to assured buyback guarantees, luxury carmakers have lined up a slew of offers to woo customers this festival season to address dwindling sales amid rising inventories.

The growing complexity of E2Ws and the evolving threat landscape make it challenging to guarantee complete immunity from attacks.

Electric two-wheeler (e2W) maker Ather Energy has submitted preliminary papers to the Securities and Exchange Board of India to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO). According to the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP), the IPO will comprise a fresh issue of equity shares valued at Rs 3,100 crore, alongside an offer for sale of 22 million equity shares by its promoters and investor shareholders.

...But sales of domestic passenger vehicles dropped 2% to 3% year-on-year in August owing to low demand.

The rise of startups and a thriving entrepreneurial culture in Tier-II and Tier-III cities is contributing to the increasing sales of high-end cars.

Mahindra is coming up with the Thar Roxx. MG Motor India announced a third electric vehicle Windsor. Hyundai and Kia are expected to introduce updated versions of the Alcazar and Carnival respectively.

The two-wheeler segment has shown signs of recovery in the first half (H1) of calendar year (CY) 2024, largely driven by improving performance in rural areas. According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, rural contribution to two-wheeler sales surged by 57-60 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2024-25, indicating a rising demand in these regions. Experts believe that this trend will continue, supported by a favourable monsoon season and government initiatives aimed at rural development.

As the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) is set to crack down on companies to ensure compliance with printing QR codes on top-selling brands to curb counterfeiting, top pharma companies say they welcome the regulator's mandate and that they are on track. They also view it as a positive step to ensure patient safety. Sheetal Arora, CEO of Mankind Pharmaceuticals, which has already adopted QR codes in 20 of their products, stated: "We strongly advocate for mandatory implementation of barcodes and QR codes on medicines as this initiative will not only protect patients but also strengthen the integrity of our healthcare system by reducing circulation of counterfeit drugs."

Car sales are experiencing a challenging phase with around Rs 60,000 crore worth of inventory lying unsold with dealers.

India's three-wheeler exports, which have been on a downhill trajectory over the past few years, are showing no signs of recovery in FY25, with key markets like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Egypt witnessing subdued demand. In May, the country's exports plummeted 11.3 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y).

Varanasi, Detroit, and Venice have been selected to host a global initiative aimed at creating sustainable transportation solutions for cities as part of the 'Toyota Mobility Foundation's Sustainable Cities Challenge'. The initiative is a $9 million programme that will see these cities collaborate with innovators to develop and implement new mobility solutions. The cities, located in the US, India, and Italy, were chosen from a shortlist of 10 cities announced in November 2023.

India's luxury car rental market is experiencing a surge in demand, particularly in Tier 1 cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi, with executive travellers, especially from the tech sector and younger demographics like the millennials and the Gen Z, increasingly renting high-end vehicles for special occasions and domestic travel. Luxorides, a luxury car rental company, observed a 40 per cent year-on-year rise in bookings in 2024 (until April) on popular routes like Delhi-Rishikesh, Delhi-Vrindavan, and Delhi-Jim Corbett National Park, as well as Chandigarh-Manali and Chandigarh-Ladakh.

In recent months, several pharma multinational corporations (MNCs) are increasingly turning to Indian companies to expand market reach in the country's pharmaceuticals sector. Sanofi's partnerships with Dr Reddy's, Cipla, and Emcure, AstraZeneca and Mankind Pharma - teaming up for asthma medication distribution - are a few instances of this trend. This strategy allows MNCs to leverage established Indian networks and reach a wider audience. Indian companies also benefit from global brands and expertise, say analysts.

Classic Legends, the owner of the Jawa and Yezdi brands, is embarking on a revival plan - from nearly doubling its dealership count in India, introducing more models, to focusing on exports to Asean markets. It recently introduced the Jawa 350 motorcycle to take on Royal Enfield. The company plans to add more models this year.

Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), a subsidiary of Tata Motors, on Friday announced that it has commenced production at its second factory in Sanand, Gujarat, which it had acquired from Ford India last year. This new facility will unlock an additional manufacturing capacity of 300,000 units per annum, which is scalable to 420,000 units. The new facility is spread over 460 acres and is adjacent to Tata Motors' existing passenger vehicle facility in Sanand.

Smaller players manufacturing electric two-wheelers (E2Ws) are unlikely to raise prices of their models initially in 2024 in order to ensure volumes do not drop. The prices of E2Ws range from Rs 90,000 to Rs 1 lakh, the players being Lohia Auto, Godawari Electric, Emobi, etc. As India's E2W sector gears up to go past one million in 2024, manufacturers are likely to maintain price stability, underpinned by strategic independence from subsidies under Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric (and Hybrid) Vehicles II (FAME II), localisation efforts, sustainability initiatives, and a focus on affordability.

India's electric two-wheeler (E2W) sector is expected to cross the one million mark in 2024 fuelled by rising demand, increased production, and affordability, industry experts said, even as several original equipment makers are expanding their penetration to rural areas. Improved battery technology and innovative features are also likely to fuel growth, they said. "E2W sales will breach the 1-million mark in 2024 as the demand for electric two-wheelers is expected to continue growing due to factors such as environmental awareness, government incentives, and improvements in technology," Hyder Khan, chief executive officer (CEO), Godawari Electric Motors, said.

Luxury carmaker Lamborghini has announced that its hybrid super sports car, Revuelto, is sold out in India and globally for 2024. The strong demand for the Revuelto is driven by a growing number of new customers, including a 20 per cent increase in first-time buyers in India. Lamborghini is also evaluating the possibility of opening new dealerships in smaller towns in eastern and southern India within the next one to two years.

'We've got a huge track record and success in bringing several biosimilars to the market.'