< Back How JLR turned from the worst mistake to a money maker for Tata? 10 Nov 2023 JLR brought a ₹21,000 crore debt to Tata Motors. In FY 2009, the company reported a loss of ₹2,500 crores, a first in seven years. Tata bought the British car maker for USD 2.3 billion on June 2, 2008, at the beginning of the recession. The world thought of it as a colossal mistake at the time. The acquisition brought a ₹21,000 crore debt to Tata Motors, and for the first time in seven years, the company posted a loss of ₹2,500 crores. And, now, in the second quarter of the current financial year, JLR recorded two-thirds of Tata Motors’ total profit. So, what changed? JLR’s focus on profitable vehicles like the Defender, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sports clocked 77% of the order book and 64% of total car sales this year. It plans to take its global market share from 12% to 17% by FY 2026. They will eventually wholly exit the low profitability segments like the Jaguar sedan and relaunch them as fully electric sports vehicles starting from £ 100,000 with a range of 700 kilometres. Previous Next

< Back GIFT City, Gujarat, pulling Indian startup HQs back home Ishita Nigam 19 Sept 2023 International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) set up an International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Gujarat to stop Indian startups from setting up headquarters in foreign locations. PhonePe shifted its headquarters back home from Singapore last year, and up to 20 Indian startups are planning to follow suit. Among those who are interested in ‘Desh Wapsi’ or reverse flipping are Groww and Razorpay. These companies set up their base abroad due to high taxes, unsupportive business environment, mandatory guidelines from investors like Y Combinator, and ineffective Intellectual Property Laws. That’s when IFSCA’s International Financial Services Centre was set up in GIFT City, Gujarat. The Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is a foreign territory in India, offering tax exemptions and simplified financial norms. The 530+ startups registered there can transact in foreign currency, move their capital and investments in and out of India, and enjoy a business-friendly environment with access to venture capitalists and fintech centres. SEBI, RBI, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) regulate GIFT City’s functioning. Previous Next

< Back Rupee crosses 90 per dollar for the first time 3 Dec 2025 The Indo-US trade deal, stuck in limbo, is believed to be the primary cause for the decline. The rupee slide had been building up for weeks, but the speed of the decline caught the Indian market off guard. The RBI is believed to have stepped in to calm the volatility. INR has dropped 5.3% this year, its sharpest annual fall since 2022. Major factors causing the decline are believed to be: Weakening foreign investment portfolio flow Indo-US trade deal not moving forward A global shift towards the dollar. Foreign investors have pulled out $17 billion from the Indian stock market this year, and the net FDI and overseas commercial borrowings have been weak. The GDP is growing speedily, but so is the trade deficit. The GDP growth rate is at a six-quarter high, but the trade deficit is steeper due to 50% US import tariffs. INR is expected to stay volatile unless foreign flows resume or global market conditions stabilise. Check out my new book, THE BLACK FLAMES , on Amazon Kindle. A gripping, high-stakes mystery. ⭐⭐⭐⭐.6 stars on Amazon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on Goodreads Previous Next

< Back Vietnamese automaker VinFast to set up manufacturing in India Ishita Nigam 28 Sept 2023 Deemed as Tesla’s rival, VinFast is the 17th most valuable car maker in the world with a valuation of $25.7 billion. Vietnamese automaker VinFast has shortlisted Tamil Nadu and Gujarat to set up its manufacturing unit in India. VinFast will be the first Vietnamese automaker in the country if its plans go through. It is the Electronic Vehicles arm of Vietnam’s largest corporation, Vingroup. It set up its first facility in North Carolina, the US, in July this year. VinFast is expected to offer affordable and value for money EVs with its facility in India. Last month, the carmaker’s valuation shot up 700% to $191 billion after enlisting on Nasdaq, making it the third largest car maker in the world by market capitalization after Tesla and Toyota. But soon, stock volatility saw its valuation crash by $140 billion this month to land at $25.7 billion. Despite selling just 7,400 cars in 2022, and all in Vietnam, Vinfast expects to sell up to 50,000 units this year globally. Previous Next

< Back India, Ireland to set up Joint Economic Commission 10 Mar 2025 Around 15 of the global top 30 semiconductor makers in terms of revenue are in Ireland. During the Indian External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar’s two-day visit to Ireland, the two countries agreed to establish a Joint Economic Commission (JEC) to coordinate on trade and global economic issues like the World Trade Organisation. This was the first visit by an Indian external affairs minister to Ireland and the first high-level visit after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ireland in 2015. The formal agreement will be signed this year. The JEC senior officials will meet once every two years to strengthen bilateral ties and promote collaboration in AI, cybersecurity, fintech, and semiconductors. Also, S Jaishankar inaugurated new Consulate Generals of India in Belfast and Manchester on March 7th and 8th. The EU’s College of Commissioners led by Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, visited India on February 27-28. During the meeting, India and Ireland decided to finalise the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by this year-end. Never miss another post from SalestorrsNews150. Follow Salestorrs on WhatsApp , LinkedIn , Facebook , X , and Instagram . Previous Next

< Back Govt assessing 3D Scanners' utility for Indian airports 16 Dec 2024 It is evaluatin how useful the 3D computed tomography X-ray (CTX) and Full Body Scanners (FBS) will be for Indian airports. 3D CTX scanners, commonly used in the US and Europe, allow passengers to keep liquids and electronics in their cabin luggage while screening. While earlier these were expected at Indian airports by May 2024, an influential multi-agency committee set up by the government is evaluating whether 3D CTX and FBS scanners can address the nation’s specific security and cultural requirements. Indians often wear religious items like metallic bangles, which are sometimes difficult to remove. The agency is in discussions with the manufacturers about making India-specific scanners and guidelines. Their utility guidelines will also be customised to suit the Indian perspective. The committee is evaluating an FBS especially tailored for India that will promote less intrusive security checks and eliminate the need for physical pat-downs. Indian airports face long queues and a constant supply of plastic trays, which increases during winter when an additional tray is needed to keep the jackets. Previous Next

< Back Trump’s $5 million Gold Card may replace EB-5 visa 27 Feb 2025 It will be implemented if the Trump administration receives Congress and the Senate approval. The EB-5 visa introduced by the Congress in 1990, allows foreigners to invest $800,000-1 million in incorporating a company in the US and employing at least 10 people. Between September 2021-22, 8,000 people obtained this visa. However, the EB-5 visas carry the risk of fraud and difficulty in verifying the source of funds. The Trump administration plans to introduce the ‘gold card’ to replace EB-5 within two weeks. It is a green card offering permanent legal residency, or US citizenship, and cancels any taxes on foreign income earned outside the US. The $5 million citizenship fee will ensure only the ultra-rich apply. For business owners, tax savings on significant foreign income can easily cross the $5 million threshold within a few years. Trump aims to reduce the $35-trillion government deficit with it. However, EB-5 is a law. He will have to amend the citizenship law to introduce gold cards. Never miss another post from SalestorrsNews150. Follow Salestorrs on WhatsApp , LinkedIn , Facebook , X , and Instagram . Previous Next

< Back Iran-Israel War: Indian oil imports, exports to EU impacted 16 Jun 2025 The Middle Eastern war entered Day 4 with neither Iran nor Israel ready to back down. An Israel-Iran war can impact the Indians present in the two fighting nations and the Indian economy. India has strong relations with two countries as energy partners. India imports 85% of its crude oil. Disruptions in the Middle East, especially the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of global oil trade, could hike prices. Along with the Red Sea, this route carries Indian exports to Europe and Russia. India doesn’t directly import oil from Iran. Still, the impact was visible in the Sensex, which dropped 573 points on Friday when Israel launched ‘Operation Rising Lion’ against Iran’s key military figures and nuclear infrastructure. Crude oil prices spiked by 8% on Friday. Using the Cape of Good Hope adds around 20 days per trip and USD500-1,000 per container, thus leading to a 50% hike in overall logistical costs. Around 20,000 Indians are in Israel, and 10,765 are in Iran, including students. Never miss another post from SalestorrsNews150. Follow Salestorrs on WhatsApp , LinkedIn , Facebook , X , and Instagram . Previous Next

< Back Russia plans to manufacture trains and components in India 30 Nov 2024 Moscow wants to set up manufacturing facilities in India to cater to domestic demand. As Russia aims to cater to its growing domestic demand, it is considering investing in train and component manufacturing in India. Moscow already has a few supply contacts from India that it intends to expand. The news came a week after Indian Railways awarded the contract for making the new version of Vande Bharat Express trains to three companies, including Kinet Railway Solution – a joint venture between Transmashholding (TMH), which is a Russian rolling stock company, and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited. Kinet will manufacture and maintain 1920 coaches for Vande Bharat sleeper coaches for 35 years, as per a ₹55,000 crore agreement. TMH CEO Kirill Lipa outlined three reasons why Russia wants to manufacture trains in India. The first is the favourable investment climate, including low interest rates. TMH plans to develop facilities in India to manufacture trains and components to serve the Indian market and abroad. Previous Next

< Back How Cuemath is changing the rules of sales Ishita Nigam 6 Sept 2023 The $400 million worth edtech platform, Cuemath is defying the rules of selling in the industry by converting salespeople into tutors and relying on referrals for selling. Indian edtech industry suffered from the aftereffects of obsessive selling and misselling. While running to get millions of dollars of funding, it lost touch with the fundamentals of its product - quality education. That's what prompted Cuemath founder, Manan Khurma to take the reigns back from Vivek Sunder, a former P&G and Swiggy. Khurma asked all its employees, including the salespeople, to start teaching so they could understand the product better. To refine the system, Cuemath fired around 300 employees between May and August this year. Defying the industry practices and the lead generation channels Sunder created, Khurma is moving away from using his tutors as salespeople, rather focus on referrals. He is relying on AI integration to make a successful product that sells itself. Previous Next

< Back NVIDIA partners with Indian conglomerates for AI expansion 28 Oct 2024 It is partnering with key tech companies to boost India’s AI capabilities and make it more affordable and accessible. To accelerate AI adoption in India, NVIDIA has partnered with Reliance Industries to build a large-scale AI infrastructure with NVIDIA’s GB 200 supercomputer and other tech deployed for developing scalable AI set-up. It has collaborated with Tech Mahindra to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) to develop sovereign large language models (LLMs) and agentic and physical AI infrastructure. Tata Communications and Yotta Data Services will embrace NVIDIA’s Hopper and Blackwell AI chips to power the largest supercomputers, while Infosys will adopt NVIDIA’s AI Stack to create smaller LLMs for different industries. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will partner with it to fuel AI adoption across industries and launch industry-specific solutions. NVIDIA formed alliances with Flipkart and Zoho to build LLMs in Indian languages. Hanooman AI introduced Everest 1.0, a generative AI foundational model built using NVIDIA’s GPUs. It supports 35 languages with expansion plans for up to 90 languages. Previous Next

< Back Govt planning wider coverage under social security schemes 15 Oct 2024 The revised Jan Suraksha model may provide higher insurance and pension coverage, doubling life and accident cover limits. The Centre is planning to upgrade the Jan Suraksha model to offer wider coverage for life and accident insurance and pension by linking all Jan Dhan account holders. It is also considering increasing the minimum guaranteed pension under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), which is currently ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 per person. Under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), the insurance cover is ₹2 lakh. Currently, insurers and banks have to settle claims within 14 days of receipt, giving one week each to the bank and the insurer. Centre plans to hike premium rates and push prompt claim payment. Banks are advised to proactively inform deceased account holder nominees by identifying the corresponding customers from core banking solutions. Centre had revised annual premium rates to ₹436 for PMJJBY’s life insurance scheme and ₹20 for PMSBY’s accidental death and disability scheme in 2022. Source: ET Previous Next