Business
Tata Motors, Maruti, Ashok Leyland, Hero: In Auto Stocks Rally, Optimism Over PM Modi’s GST Move
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Shares of auto majors, including Hero MotoCorp, Maruti Suzuki India, Ashok Leyland, TVS Motor and Bajaj Auto, rally 5-8% amid expectations of a GST rate cut.
Tata Motors rose nearly 3% on Monday.
The domestic equity market surged on Monday following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on GST reforms, S&P Global’s rating upgrade on India, and other positive global cues. While the benchmark indices, the BSE Sensex and the NSE Nifty, are up by over 1.3% each, the automobile stocks are fuelling the rally the most, with the Nifty Auto Index trading higher by an impressive 4.5%.
Shares of auto majors, including Hero MotoCorp, Maruti Suzuki India, Ashok Leyland, TVS Motor and Bajaj Auto, rallied 5-8% on Monday morning amid expectations that the GST rate on vehicles could be reduced from 28% to 18%.
Maruti Suzuki on August 18 hit its all-time high of Rs 14,048 apiece on the NSE, which is up nearly 8.7% compared with the previous close. Ashok Leyland was up by 7.7% at Rs 131.25, Hero MotoCorp was trading higher by 6.7% at Rs 5,024, TVS Motor Company rose 6.8% to Rs 3,226.8, Hyundai Motor India surged by 8.39% to Rs 2,428 apiece on the NSE.
Tata Motors also rose nearly 3% on Monday to Rs 685 in morning, while Mahindra & Mahindra was up by 4.5% at Rs 3,412. Bajaj Auto was trading higher by 3.7% at Rs 8,521.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day Speech during the weekend announced a major overhaul in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure. Though he did not announce any details, reports said the Centre is considering scrapping the current 12% and 28% GST slabs, realigning most items into the 5% and 18% categories. Certain sin or luxury goods may be placed in a new 40% bracket.
The Centre is reportedly expected to lower the GST on passenger vehicles (PVs) and two-wheelers, enhancing their affordability quotient. Currently, two-wheelers are taxed at 28%. Analysts believe a cut to 18% is highly probable.
Brokerage Notes
Global brokerage firm Jefferies in its note said, “All the listed 2W OEMs – Bajaj, Hero, TVS, and Eicher – should benefit from this cut. We see a low probability of differential GST between entry-level and premium 2Ws.”
In passenger vehicles, small cars currently face an effective tax of 29-31% including compensation cess, making Maruti Suzuki one of the biggest potential beneficiaries of a rate cut. SUVs, however, are taxed at 45-50%, a rate Jefferies said is unlikely to change.
“Hybrid vehicles attract a similar GST rate as ICE vehicles, compared with 5% for EVs. Any reduction in GST on hybrids could be positive for Maruti,” the brokerage added.
Commercial vehicles, also taxed at 28%, may see a reduction to 18%. Ashok Leyland, along with Tata Motors and Eicher Motors, would be key gainers in such a scenario, Jefferies said.
Domestic brokerage firm Motilal Oswal Financial Services in its report on August 18 said automobiles will be one of the key segments that stand to benefit from GST rationalisation.
Passenger vehicle makers Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors, currently paying 28% GST, are expected to benefit significantly if rates are lowered to 18%. Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland may also see demand tailwinds as GST on trucks and buses comes down to 18% from the current 28%, said Motilal Oswal in the report.
Arun Agarwal, vice-president (fundamental research) of Kotak Securities, said, “The potential GST cuts for the automotive products to 18% would lower on-road prices across segments. We believe lower prices would stimulate demand recovery, and the impact would be more in the mass-market segment. Auto manufacturers (OEM) would gain from higher revenue and potentially higher margin, resulting in possible earnings upgrade.”
Auto ancillaries would also gain from the potential GST cut. However, the impact would vary depending on geographical exposure. Auto ancillary companies having higher revenue exposure in the domestic market stands to benefit more, whereas the gains for global suppliers would be lower given higher export exposure and tariff-related uncertainty, he added.
The government is reportedly planning to propose a simplified two-slab GST structure of 5% and 18%, replacing the current four-tier system of 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%.
Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h…Read More
Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h… Read More
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NEW DELHI: People with job cards assigned under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme will be able to get work without disruption when transition takes place to new rural employment framework under Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act.Even though exact timeframe is not known yet, rural development ministry officials said the VB-G RAM G scheme will come into force in the coming financial year after the Centre frames and notifies the rules. After govt notifies the Act’s commencement date, states will get six months to make their schemes to enable implementation of the law.To ensure there is no disruption and job guarantee is upheld during transition from MGNREGA, it has been proposed to enable workers to use the same job cards issued under MGNREGA with Aadhaar-based eKYC.The officials said that as of now, around 75% of job cards have been verified with eKYC under the ongoing scheme. Moreover, ongoing projects under MGNREGA, if incomplete when the transition happens to the new scheme, would stay on course.Meanwhile, work is on to frame rules, lay out regulations on normative allocations, fund flow plan, IT framework, a national-level steering panel and social audits.Under the new law, focus will be on transparency to weed out leakages and duplicacy of work,the social audit system will be strengthened, and technology leveraged to create systems to establish work progress, timely wage payment and accountability through ‘e-measurement’ books, sources said. Demand for work will have to be entered on a digital platform. Officials made it clear the new law in no way interferes with demand-driven character of the scheme.
Business
Gurugram Attracts Rs 86,588 Crore In Real Estate Investments In 2025 As RERA Clears 131 Projects
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Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to safeguard homebuyer and investor interests
Gurgaon Real Estate (Representative Image)
Gurugram emerged as one of India’s top real estate investment destinations in 2025, with projects worth Rs 86,588 crore receiving regulatory approvals during the year, according to data from the Gurugram Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Gurugram RERA).
Market observers said the numbers reflect strong investor confidence in the NCR’s largest commercial and residential hub.
Gurugram RERA registered 131 projects in calendar year 2025, representing development potential of 35,455 units across housing and commercial segments.
A striking feature of the data was the dominance of large-ticket projects. Just 28 major developments accounted for investments worth Rs 59,360 crore, highlighting the growing influence of institutional capital and large developers in shaping Gurugram’s property market.
Residential assets continued to attract the bulk of investment interest. Of the total units approved, 31,455 were residential, underscoring sustained end-user demand and long-term confidence in the city’s housing fundamentals.
According to Authority data, the residential mix included 17,405 group housing units, 5,720 mixed land use units, 4,040 residential floor units, 2,122 affordable group housing units, 1,954 units under the Deen Dayal housing scheme, and 214 residential plotted colony units.
Market observers said this diversified supply pipeline indicates capital deployment across both premium and mass segments, helping reduce concentration risk and deepen market resilience.
On the commercial side, Gurugram RERA approved about 4,000 commercial units, of which 168 were dedicated to IT parks, reinforcing Gurugram’s position as a preferred hub for technology firms and Global Capability Centres.
Analysts noted that the combination of office-led employment growth and residential expansion continues to make Gurugram attractive for long-term capital deployment.
Industry experts said the scale of investments approved in 2025 highlights Gurugram’s ability to attract capital despite global uncertainty, supported by infrastructure growth, a strong corporate base and an improving regulatory environment.
“With a large pipeline of approved projects and sustained interest from developers and institutional investors, Gurugram is expected to remain a key real estate investment destination in the coming years,” a Gurugram-based real estate expert said.
Tighter regulatory checks
Alongside rising investments, Gurugram RERA strengthened regulatory oversight to enhance transparency and safeguard homebuyer and investor interests.
“These steps included stricter scrutiny of developer submissions, mandatory site inspections by domain experts, and public consultation through mandatory notices before project registration,” an Authority official said.
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January 16, 2026, 07:44 IST
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National Startup Day highlights India’s thriving startup ecosystem, celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation driven by founders, unicorns and Startup India mission
National Startup Day 2026 honours Indian startups, entrepreneurs and innovators driving economic growth and job creation.
National Startup Day 2026: India’s startup ecosystem has evolved into one of the world’s most vibrant and promising innovation hubs. To recognise the contribution of entrepreneurs, founders and startups transforming ideas into impactful solutions, National Startup Day is observed every year on January 16 across the country.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022, the day celebrates visionary entrepreneurs who play a crucial role in economic growth, employment generation and technological advancement.
National Startup Day serves as a reminder that innovation, backed by determination and policy support, can reshape society and create global impact.
National Startup Day 2026 Theme
The official theme for National Startup Day 2026 is yet to be announced. However, the core focus areas are expected to revolve around:
- Innovation and emerging technologies
- Entrepreneurship and leadership
- Self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat)
- Startup India Mission
- Youth empowerment
- Job creation
How Startups Are Shaping India’s Future
India currently ranks as the third-largest startup ecosystem globally, with over 1.59 lakh startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of early 2025. Backed by 100+ unicorns, the ecosystem continues to grow rapidly.
Metro cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR lead this expansion, while Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are emerging as new innovation centres, adding diversity and scale to India’s entrepreneurial journey.
Startups across fintech, edtech, health-tech, e-commerce and deep-tech are addressing real-world challenges and gaining global recognition. Technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain and IoT are increasingly driving innovation, according to Startup India ecosystem reports.
Industry-Wise Startup Impact
DPIIT-recognised startups have generated over 16.6 lakh direct jobs across sectors as of October 31, 2024, strengthening India’s employment landscape.
- IT Services: 2.04 lakh jobs
- Healthcare & Life Sciences: 1.47 lakh jobs
- Commercial & Professional Services: 94,000 jobs
Through the Startup India initiative, the government continues to focus on skill development, funding access, ecosystem collaboration and global outreach.
Key Initiatives Under Startup India
- Capacity building and mentorship
- Outreach and awareness programmes
- Ecosystem development events
- International exposure and global linkages
- Collaboration between startups, corporates and institutions.
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January 16, 2026, 07:00 IST
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