JULY 20248TOP STORIESINDIA'S AUTOMOBILE EXPORTS SURGE BY 15.5% IN JUNE QUARTERAutomobile exports from India increased 15.5% year on year in the June quarter, with shipments increasing across all verticals except three-wheelers, as per SIAM data. Overall shipments in the first quarter of the current fiscal year totaled 11,92,577 units, compared to 10,32,449 units in the same period previous year.Passenger car exports were 1,80,483 units in the first quarter, up 19 percent from 1,52,156 in the same period last year. Maruti Suzuki India dominated the space in shipments during the review period, with 69,962 units. It exported 62,857 units in the first quarter of fiscal 2023-24. Hyundai Motor India exported 42,600 vehicles during the April-June quarter. It shipped 35,100 units during the same period last year.Two-wheeler exports were 9,23,148 units in the first quarter, up 17 percent from 7,91,316 in the previous year. Commercial vehicle shipments increased 8% year on year to 15,741 units in the first quarter, compared to 14,625 units the previous year. However, three-wheeler shipments decreased by 3 percent year over year to 71,281 units in the April­June quarter of this year from 73,360 units in the corresponding period last year.The fact that exports have begun to perform well is encouraging for the sector, according to SIAM President Vinod Aggarwal."I think that's a very good sign that exports seem to have bottomed out, especially in the commercial vehicle segment... we have started seeing the growth from the first quarter this year," he noted. Tata Power-led power distribution companies (Discoms) have invested Rs 4,245 crore in infrastructure expansion and network upgrades in Odisha over the past 3-4 years, as reported on Friday. Operating in joint ventures with the government of Odisha, these Discoms include TP Central Odisha Distribution (TPCODL), TP Western Odisha Distribution (TPWODL), TP Southern Odisha Distribution (TPSODL), and TP Northern Odisha Distribution (TPNODL), collectively serving over 9 million customers.Out of the total investment, Rs 1,232 crore has been allocated through various government-backed schemes. This investment has facilitated the laying of 2,177 circuit kilometers (Ckms) of 33 kilovolts (KV) lines and 19,809 Ckms of 11 KV lines, along with the addition of 30,230 distribution transformers to enhance the distribution network's reliability in both rural and urban areas.The company has also commissioned 166 new primary substations (PSS), with 55 percent of them being automated. These enhancements have resulted in an average power supply of 23.68 hours per day in urban areas and 21.98 hours in rural areas, surpassing national averages.Moreover, the network improvements have led to a reduction in Aggregate Transmission and Distribution (AT&C) losses, which averaged 17.79 percent in Odisha during the financial year 2023-24. These efforts underscore Tata Power's commitment to improving the power infrastructure and reliability in the state of Odisha. TATA POWER TO EXPAND INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK ACROSS ODISHA
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