Business
JLR recovery set to have lifted economy in October despite pre-Budget nerves
A manufacturing rebound led by Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) recovery could deliver a lift to economic growth in October despite pre-Budget nerves weighing on businesses, economists think.
Official figures will show estimates for UK gross domestic product (GDP) on Friday December 12.
Some businesses have indicated that activity in the economy slowed in the lead up to the Budget, delivered on November 26, as speculation over possible tax measures grew.
But economists think that an improvement in manufacturing could help lift overall growth.
GDP fell by 0.1% in September, with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reporting that a “marked fall” in car production during the month reflected the impact of a cyber attack on JLR.
The carmaker was forced to pause production of its cars for more than a month after being targeted by hackers, having a knock-on impact for the wider sector and resulting in a costly recovery.
“Given that production resumed gradually from mid-October, there’s likely to have been a partial rebound in manufacturing output that month,” Andrew Goodwin, chief UK economist for Oxford Economics, said.
He is expecting a flat month for the services sector to leave GDP up 0.1% for October.
Economists for Investec are forecasting a slightly bigger increase of 0.2% for the month, which it said was “consistent with our view that the economy will have expanded by close to 1.5% over 2025 as a whole”.
The next dataset will be watched closely for any signs of the impact of uncertainty ahead of the Budget on overall activity.
Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane said last month that speculation was partly to blame for data being weaker than economists were expecting for the third quarter.
He said the prolonged worries over the Budget and leaks over possible tax hikes had “caused businesses and consumers to hunker down”.
Business surveys have also suggested that firms were deferring spending until after the Budget and noticing some hesitancy from households about big purchases.
However, activity in the private sector grew in October with manufacturing returning to growth, according to an influential survey by S&P Global.
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Asda boss rejects profiteering claims as petrol price tops 150p
Motorists are facing higher fuel prices ahead of Easter break due to the conflict in the Middle East, the RAC says.
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E-cheques coming soon? RBI unveils Payments Vision 2028, plans wider oversight of digital players – The Times of India
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday unveiled its ‘Payments Vision 2028’ document, outlining a roadmap that includes exploring electronic cheques, expanding regulatory oversight to digital platforms, and strengthening safeguards in the fast-growing payments ecosystem, PTI reported.The central bank said it will examine the introduction of e-cheques to combine the advantages of paper instruments with the speed and reliability of digital payments. “To leverage the unique benefits of paper-based instruments and the speed and reliability of electronic payments, and cater to new business use cases, the introduction of electronic cheques in India shall be explored,” the RBI said.Alongside, the RBI is considering widening the regulatory ambit to include entities such as e-commerce marketplaces and centralised platforms that play a growing role in facilitating digital transactions.“In addition, e-commerce marketplaces and centralized platforms have been assuming significant responsibilities that could have implications on the orderly functioning of the payments ecosystem. These aspects shall be examined in detail and, if required, the scope of direct regulations shall be extended to cover such entities,” the document said.The vision document also proposes allowing users to enable or disable transactions across digital payment modes, similar to controls available for card transactions.To address fraud risks, the RBI is exploring a “shared responsibility framework” under which both the issuing bank and the beneficiary bank would share liability in cases of unauthorised digital transactions.The central bank also plans to review cheque design and security features, introduce a Domestic Legal Entity Identifier (DLEI) framework for better transaction traceability, and bring in a Cyber Key Risk Indicators (KRI) framework for non-bank payment system operators.Other initiatives include exploring white-label solutions in the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS), developing interoperability in the Trade Receivables e-Discounting System (TReDS), and introducing a ‘Payments Switching Service’ to ease customer migration across platforms.The RBI said it will also review the cross-border payments ecosystem to improve efficiency and streamline authorisation processes, alongside publishing periodic reports on global and domestic payment trends.Additionally, the central bank aims to enhance access to payment data and reimagine the card payments ecosystem by promoting secure tokenisation, improved transparency in pricing, and greater choice for users and merchants.
Business
Hetero rolls out generic semaglutide exports to over 75 countries – The Times of India
Hyderabad: Pharma player Hetero on Friday said it has rolled out exports of its generic semaglutide injection portfolio as part of a multi-year plan to widen access to treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity in more than 75 countries.The Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company said initial rollouts are under way in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, with additional launches planned in other markets subject to regulatory approvals.The injectable therapies will be sold under the brand names Truglyx, Rolmodl and Moto G. Semaglutide belongs to the GLP-1 class of medicines, which are used in diabetes care and weight management.Hetero said the export launch is part of its broader strategy to improve access to advanced cardio-metabolic therapies, particularly in emerging markets.The company said the products will be offered in multi-dose disposable pen devices designed in line with innovator formats and will be available in several strengths, including 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg, 1.7 mg and 2.4 mg, allowing dosing flexibility for both diabetes and obesity treatment.Hetero said it is also awaiting approval from India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) after completing clinical trials in type 2 diabetes and obesity and plans an India launch after regulatory clearance.Hetero managing director Dr Vamsi Krishna Bandi said the company aims to provide high-quality, affordable generic semaglutide through a single global product platform backed by its manufacturing and development capabilities.He said Hetero would use its commercial networks across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America to support supply and access. The Hyderabad-headquartered Hetero operates in more than 145 countries and employs over 30,000 people.
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