The revenue growth of the Indian auto component industry is projected to expand by 8-10 per cent in FY26, according to a report on Thursday.

Credit rating agency ICRA expects operating margins to remain range-bound and hover at 11-12 per cent in FY25 and FY26, supported by benefits from operating leverage, higher content per vehicle and value addition, while remaining vulnerable to any significant unfavourable movements in commodity prices and foreign exchange rates.

The disruption along the Red Sea route has resulted in a surge in ocean freight rates by 2-3 times in CY2024, compared to CY2023.

The government on Wednesday said that a recent circular issued by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has no impact on the overall FASTag customer experience.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) issued a clarification after reports surfaced, citing the NPCI circular dated January 28, regarding the change in FASTag rules which reportedly declines transactions on FASTags which are not active for more than 60 minutes prior to read time and up to 10 minutes after read time.

"The Circular has been issued by NPCI to facilitate resolution of disputes between Acquirer Bank and Issuer Bank on FASTag status while vehicle crosses Toll Plazas," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said.

The circular also aims to ensure that the FASTag transactions are created within a reasonable time of vehicle passing a toll plaza so that customers are not harassed by late transactions.

"All National Highway Toll Plazas operate on ICD 2.5 protocol which gives real-time tag status, hence the FASTag customers can recharge any time before crossing the toll plaza," the ministry said.

Some toll plazas on state highways are still on ICD 2.4 protocol which needs regular updates of tag status.

Domestic annual sales of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles are forecast to reach 1.1 million units by the end of the current financial year, driven by the government’s ongoing push for cleaner fuels, according to a Crisil report released on Wednesday.

This will take the CNG vehicle count in India to 7.5 million, a 3 times increase from 2.6 million in fiscal 2016, and translate into a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of around 12 per cent, the report states.

The rapid uptake has been undergirded by the expansion of the CNG infrastructure, with the number of filling stations set to rise to over 7,400 from 1,081 in fiscal 2016, etching a CAGR of 24 per cent.

The report also states that rising sales of CNG passenger vehicles has driven up their penetration in the overall passenger vehicle population to 15-16 per cent this fiscal-end vs 5.6 per cent in fiscal 2016.

The availability of over 30 CNG car variants, compared with single digit not long ago, thus catering to diverse consumer preferences, has accelerated adoption.

Global brokerage Jefferies on Wednesday said it remains optimistic about the two-wheeler industry in India, especially with recent income tax cuts in the Union Budget to boost consumption.

According to the firm, two-wheeler registrations in India grew at 4-5 per cent in January and the first half of February, following a strong performance during fiscal years 2022-24.

Jefferies projects a 13 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the two-wheeler industry from fiscal 2024 to 2027, which translates to a modest 3 per cent CAGR over the longer period from fiscal 2019 to 2027.

“The domestic industry is seeing divergent growth among companies, with TVS Motor Co. outperforming with double-digit growth and registration market share rise”, Jefferies said in a note.

"Hero MotoCorp Limited and Bajaj Auto Limited, conversely, are lagging in domestic two-wheeler growth," it added.

While the high capital intensity of the life insurance sector necessitates substantial investments to sustain growth, the increase in FDI limits will provide the much-needed capital boost to the sector, enabling insurers to expand their mortality coverage and increase penetration, according to a report released by rating agency ICRA on Wednesday.

ICRA expects growth in sum assured in the retail segment for insurers to continue to outpace the growth in retail new business premiums (NBP).

Private insurers saw a surge in retail sum assured by 41 per cent YoY in 9M FY2025 (30 per cent in FY2024), higher than the retail NBP growth of 17 per cent (7 per cent in FY2024).

Given the shift in product mix from the high value of new business (VNB) margin non-participating (non-par) products to low VNB margin unit-linked investment plan (ULIP) products, the pressure on the VNB margins is likely to continue, resulting in increased sum assured and rider attachments in a bid to offset the negative impact of the product shift, the report states

With Tesla finally gearing up to enter India later this year, the Elon Musk-run electric vehicle (EV) major is set to take a "top-down approach" - launch expensive models in the country first and then follow it up with the cheaper vehicles.

The electric car maker is reportedly set to import its fully-built Model Y from its Berlin Gigafactory, as the electric SUV is manufactured in right-hand drive configuration in the European facility.

The Tesla Model Y would cost Rs 60-70 lakh, considering the revised import duty structure recently announced by the government.

The country has reduced basic customs duty on high-end cars priced above $40,000 from 110 per cent to 70 per cent.

The right-hand-drive Model 3 is also made in Shanghai but that’s unlikely to arrive first owing to constraints on Chinese car imports.

According to industry experts aware of the development on the Tesla front, there are currently no plans for local assembly of Tesla vehicles.

Mobile phone exports from India are projected to exceed approximately Rs 1,80,000 crore this fiscal (FY25), representing approximately 40 per cent growth over the previous fiscal year, industry data showed on Tuesday.

In the 10 months this fiscal (April-January), India reached Rs 1,50,000 crore in mobile exports, with January alone surging past Rs. 25,000 crore in exports, according to data shared by the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA).

There has been estimated over 680 per cent growth since the inception of the PLI scheme in FY20-21.

Mobile phones export is the largest growth driver within electronics, with the U.S. standing out as a key market for India’s smartphones.

Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in India’s urban areas among persons of age 15 years and above has risen to 50.4 per cent in the October–December quarter in 2024 -- from 49.9 per cent in the same quarter of the previous year, reflecting an increase in employment in the country, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics on Tuesday.

LFPR for males of age 15 years and above in urban areas increased to 75.4 per cent during October-December period, from 74.1 per cent during the same quarter in 2023, reflecting overall increasing trend in male LFPR.

LFPR among females of age 15 years and above for urban areas increased to 25.2 per cent during the quarter from 25 per cent in the same period of the preceding year.

The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which is another indicator of employment, also went up in urban areas among persons of age 15 years to 47.2 per cent in Oct-Dec, 2024 from 46.6 period in the same quarter of 2023, according to the government data.

The Indian stock market on Tuesday traded in a narrow range amid mixed signals from global markets.

Despite fluctuations, the benchmark indices ended the day with only marginal losses.

The Sensex touched a low of 75,531 during intra-day trade but managed to recover slightly, closing 29 points lower at 75,967.

Similarly, the Nifty 50 fluctuated between 22,801 and 22,992 before settling at 22,945, down just 14 points from its previous close.

India's most valuable private sector companies in the 2024 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 have a cumulative value of $3.8 trillion (Rs 324 lakh crore, up 40 per cent), which is higher than the GDP of India and the combined GDPs of the UAE, Indonesia, and Spain, according to the report released on Tuesday.

These 500 companies recorded a 20 per cent increase in their workforce during 2024, adding nearly 1.4 million new jobs and expanding to a total of 8.4 million employees. They now employ around 16 per cent of India's total workforce, highlighting their significant role in national employment, the report states.

In terms of market dominance, the Tata Group holds the crown while the Adani Group has strengthened its grip. Tata Group has retained its leading position with 15 companies, contributing 10 per cent of the total cumulative value in the 2024 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500. Adani Group expanded its presence by adding one more company, bringing its total to 9 companies this year, the report states.