Business
Ford rolls out new ad campaign amid industry-wide uncertainty
Ford on Wednesday rolled out a new advertising campaign that the company said will mark a “fundamental shift” in its branding strategy — and comes as the auto industry deals with major uncertainty.
The automaker’s new strategy, titled “Ready, Set, Ford,” goes beyond vehicle-first advertising, Ford said, and instead focuses on the people who buy its cars. It involves four fundamental promises: capability, passion, community and trust.
The auto industry is facing a crucial crossroads as companies deal with President Donald Trump‘s tariffs and an overall consumer pullback in spending. Despite uncertainty with various sectoral tariffs, Trump’s auto tariffs have remained more or less unchanged, with a 25% tariff charge on imported cars and auto parts.
That timing, Ford Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Materazzo said, is intentional.
“The auto industry is in the midst of historic disruption. We are fortunate in the sense that Ford has an incredible 122-year history to leverage,” she said. “So because of that, we felt like there’s no better time to double down on our commitment to our brand and our consumers than now.”
Materazzo said the company engaged in extensive research ahead of the rollout, finding a common theme of uncertainty and anxiety from consumers due to a range of factors, including the political climate and the economy.
“The other thing we found is that consumers are surprisingly optimistic and resilient, especially when they feel empowered, and they’re seeking brands that help them navigate this uncertainty,” she said.
Ford has long championed its American roots and declared it’s the “most American automaker.” That identity is now crucial to the automaker’s brand, Materazzo said, and builds on its “America for America” campaign that offered employee pricing to all consumers shortly after tariffs were initially announced.
The new strategy aims to leverage Ford’s iconic brand while simultaneously signaling that the car company is entering a new era, Materazzo said. It will unify all of Ford’s global brands for the first time in decades under the new campaign, allowing the company to “represent ourselves very consistently around the globe,” she added.
“By Q1 of 2026, all of our global markets will be in market with ‘Ready, Set, Ford,'” Materazzo said. “The majority of them will do that by Q4 of this year.”
The first rollout of the ad is kicking off in conjunction with this week’s Thursday Night Football game, as the automaker aligns itself with the NFL season, one of the largest moneymakers for advertisements leading up to the Super Bowl.
During the Covid pandemic, the auto industry pulled back significantly on advertising and marketing budgets as it dealt with supply chain issues left companies without enough vehicles to sell. Many automakers returned to advertising during the NFL season last year as vehicle inventory levels returned to more normal levels.
Even as the macroenvironment signals uncertainty, Materazzo said the company is focused on continuing to deliver on its legacy and invest in its brand.
“The industry is in the middle of a transition right now. I don’t think all brands will survive, but I think those that not just survive, but thrive, will be the ones who recognize that one of their most valuable assets is their brand,” she said. “And if you don’t invest in your brand, you’re really disadvantaging your business for the long term.”
India’s budget focuses on infrastructure and defence spending and tax breaks for data-centre investments.
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Business
New Income Tax Act 2025 to come into effect from April 1, key reliefs announced in Budget 2026
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that the Income Tax Act 2025 will come into effect from April 1, 2026, and the I-T forms have been redesigned such that ordinary citizens can comply without difficulty for ease of living.
The new measures include exemption on insurance interest awards, nil deduction certificates for small taxpayers, and extension of the ITR filing deadline for non-audit cases to August 31.
Individuals with ITR 1 and ITR 2 will continue to file I-T returns till July 31.
“In July 2024, I announced a comprehensive review of the Income Tax Act 1961. This was completed in record time, and the Income Tax Act 2025 will come into effect from April 1, 2026. The forms have been redesigned such that ordinary citizens can comply without difficulty, for) ease of living,” she said while presenting the Budget 2026-27
In a move that directly eases cash-flow pressure on individuals making overseas payments, the Union Budget announced lower tax collection at source across key categories.
“I propose to reduce the TCS rate on the sale of overseas tour programme packages from the current 5 per cent and 20 per cent to 2 per cent without any stipulation of amount. I propose to reduce the TCS rate for pursuing education and for medical purposes from 5 per cent to 2 per cent,” said Sitharaman.
She clarified withholding on services, adding that “supply of manpower services is proposed to be specifically brought within the ambit of payment contractors for the purpose of TDS to avoid ambiguity”.
“Thus, TDS on these services will be at the rate of either 1 per cent or 2 per cent only,” she mentioned during her Budget speech.
The Budget also proposes a tax holiday for foreign cloud companies using data centres in India till 2047.
Business
Budget 2026 Live Updates: TCS On Overseas Tour Packages Slashed To 2%; TDS On Education LRS Eased
Union Budget 2026 Live Updates: Union Budget 2026 Live Updates: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament, her record ninth budget speech. During her Budget Speech, the FM will detail budgetary allocations and revenue projections for the upcoming financial year 2026-27. Sitharaman is notably dressed in a Kanjeevaram Silk saree, a nod to the traditional weaving sector in poll-bound Tamil Nadu.
The budget comes at a time when there is geopolitical turmoil, economic volatility and trade war. Different sectors are looking to get some support with new measures and relaxations ahead of the budget, especially export-oriented industries, which have borne the brunt of the higher US tariffs being imposed last year by the Trump administration.
On January 29, 2026, Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2025-26, a comprehensive snapshot of the country’s macro-economic situation, in Parliament, setting the stage for the budget and showing the government’s roadmap. The survey projected that India’s economy is expected to grow 6.8%-7.2% in FY27, underscoring resilience even as global economic uncertainty persists.
Budget 2026 Expectations
Expectations across key sectors are taking shape as stakeholders look to the Budget for support that sustains growth, strengthens jobs and eases financial pressures:
Taxpayers & Households: Many taxpayers want practical improvements to the income tax structure that preserve simplicity while supporting long-term financial planning — including broader deductions for home loan interest and diversified retirement savings options.
New Tax Regime vs Old Tax Regime | New Income Tax Rules | Income Tax 2026
Businesses & Industry: With industrial output and investment showing resilience, firms are looking for policies that bolster capital formation, ease compliance, and expand infrastructure spending — especially in manufacturing and technology-driven sectors that promise jobs and exports.
Startups & Innovation: The startup ecosystem expects incentives around employee stock options and capital access, along with regulatory tweaks that encourage risk capital and talent retention without increasing compliance burdens.
Also See: Stock Market Updates Today
The Budget speech will be broadcast live here and on all other news channels. You can also catch all the updates about Budget 2026 on News18.com. News18 will provide detailed live blog updates on the Budget speech, and political, industry, and market reactions.
We are providing a full, detailed coverage of the union budget 2026 here, with a lot of insights, experts’ views and analyses. Stay tuned with us to get latest updates.
Also Read: Budget 2026 Live Streaming
Here are the Live Updates of Union Budget 2026:
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