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Toyota races ahead with record sales, despite Trump’s tariff turmoil
- Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) sold 193,248 vehicles in June 2025, up slightly by 0.1% year-on-year.
- For Q2 2025, TMNA reported 666,469 vehicle sales, a 7.2% increase over the same period in 2024.
- Electrified vehicles accounted for nearly 47% of June sales and about 48% for Q2, highlighting strong demand for hybrids and electric models.
- Popular Toyota models like Sienna (+73.9%), Tacoma (+48.4%), Camry (+10.6%), and Grand Highlander (+31.3%) showed significant sales increases in Q2 2025.
- This robust performance comes despite tariff uncertainties and market volatility, driven by strong consumer demand and Toyota’s diversified product lineup including many electrified models.
Maruti, Hyundai Hit Record Car Sales on Navratri Day 1 Amid GST Cuts Boosting Affordability
- Maruti Suzuki sold 30,000 cars on the first day of Navratri, its best single-day sales in 35 years.
- Hyundai Motor India recorded 11,000 car sales on the same day, its highest in five years.
- GST 2.0 reforms lowered taxes on small cars to 18%, cutting prices and boosting demand significantly.
- Bookings for Maruti’s small cars rose by 50%, with around 80,000 customer enquiries recorded.
- Dealers and automakers credited GST cuts and festive sentiment for the surge in car sales and customer confidence.
India’s Smartphone Exports to US Fall 58% Despite Tariff-Free Status: Think Tank Flags Alarming Trend
- India’s smartphone exports to the US dropped by 58% from May to August 2025, going from $2.29 billion to $964.8 million.
- This drop is surprising because there are no tariffs on smartphones in the US.
- The decline happened steadily over the months: $2 billion in June, $1.52 billion in July, and then the biggest fall in August.
- The US is still the largest buyer of Indian smartphones, buying $10.6 billion worth in the fiscal year 2025.
- Experts are calling for an urgent investigation to find out why exports are falling—possible reasons include production shifts or supply issues.
Recent US H-1B Visa Changes Do Not Impact Indian Tourist Visas: What Travellers Should Know
- The new $100,000 fee applies only to new H-1B visa applicants from September 21, 2025; existing visa holders and renewals are not affected.
- Indian tourists applying for B-1/B-2 visitor visas are not impacted by the H-1B fee hike or policy changes.
- Tourist visa rules and processes remain the same for Indians traveling for tourism, business meetings, or family visits.
- Initial panic among Indian H-1B workers has been eased with clarifications that tourist visas remain unaffected.
- Other visa policy updates include mandatory in-person visa interviews and enhanced digital background checks, affecting all visa applicants but not specifically linked to H-1B changes.
SEBI Clears Adani Group, Dismisses Hindenburg Manipulation Allegations
- SEBI has cleared Adani Group companies and key individuals, dismissing allegations of stock manipulation made by Hindenburg Research.
- The regulator found no violations or wrongdoing after a detailed probe.
- No penalties or directions were imposed against the Adani entities or Gautam Adani.
- The allegations claiming use of complex structures to manipulate stocks were unproven.
- This order restores confidence amid prior controversies from the Hindenburg report.
RBI Simplifies Rules for Payment Aggregators with Stronger Safeguards
- They are classified based on transaction type: physical, online, and cross-border.
- Non-bank aggregators must have ₹15 crore net worth initially, ₹25 crore by year 3.
- Customer money must be kept in separate escrow accounts.
- Cross-border aggregators need RBI approval and limits apply.
- Strict checks on merchants, fraud prevention, and strong security are mandatory.