Manufacturing Financial News

President Donald Trump’s promised tariffs on softwood lumber risk disrupting the supply chain for something nobody wants to be caught without: toilet paper.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The manicured lawns of US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort were crammed earlier this month with beautiful vehicles from European luxury brands like Lamborghini, Ferrari and Bugatti. The annual Palm Event was an opportunity for the super-rich to schmooze and show off, but it was also a celebration of automotive excellence, international specialization and consumer choice.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. SHENZHEN, China—One of the most popular events at a Chinese exporters’ exhibition last week was a session teaching merchants how to sell more in Russia. Hundreds of attendees listened intently as employees of Russian e-commerce companies explained what Russian consumers like to buy online.

₹3 lakh, here are five excellent choices that deliver versatility without compromise:The Suzuki V-Strom SX is priced at ₹2.16 lakh (ex-showroom), with the manufacturer currently offering discounts of up to ₹15,000 as of February 2025. This bike boasts a 249 cc single-cylinder, oil-cooled engine paired with a six-speed transmission, generating 25 bhp at 9,300 rpm and a peak torque of 22 Nm at 7,300 rpm.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Hero MotoCorp Ltd, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, is navigating rough terrain. A shrinking market share, a string of high-profile management exits, and struggles in the premium and electric vehicle (EV) segments have put India’s motorcycle giant on the defensive.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus here on Friday, official media reported. Yunus, on a four-day visit to China, took part in the country's Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Hainan after his arrival there on Wednesday. He arrived in Beijing on Thursday and was received at the airport by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. Gearing up for his meeting with Xi, Yunus called on China on Thursday to reduce interest rates for Chinese loans and waive commitment fees on Chinese-funded projects. In his meeting with the Chinese Executive Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, Yunus sought Chinese support in an array of development projects, Bangladesh media reports said. He also called for a reduction of interest rates for Chinese loans from three per cent to 1-2 per cent to Bangladesh and sought a waiver of commitment fees on the Chinese-funded projects in Bangladesh. China is Bangladesh's fourth-largest lender after Japan, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, with total loans disbursed since 1975 coming to USD 7.5 billion, according to a report in the Daily Star newspaper of Bangladesh.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) shares rose by 1.7% in early trade to Rs 4,234.95 on the BSE on Friday after the company officially amended its contract with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for the delivery of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1 Final Operational Clearance (FOC) fighter jets. The original contract, signed on December 23, 2010, was valued at Rs 5,989.39 crore. Due to revisions in the delivery schedule, the contract’s value has now been updated to Rs 6,542.20 crore.

BEML shares will be in focus on Friday after the company secured a Rs 405 crore contract from Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation for manufacturing, supplying, and launching standard gauge metro cars. The contract also includes training personnel and providing comprehensive maintenance for up to 15 years under the Bengaluru Metro Rail Project, according to an exchange filing on Thursday.

Samvardhana Motherson International Ltd (SMIL) advanced 3.8% to their intraday high of Rs 137 on the BSE after the company stated that the recently announced US tariffs on imported products, including automotive components, are not expected to materially impact its financials at present. In a regulatory filing on Thursday, SMIL informed exchanges that a significant portion of its products supplied to U.S. customers are either manufactured domestically within the U.S. or are compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Based on this, the company has assessed that the Executive Orders issued by the U.S. government imposing tariffs are unlikely to have a significant financial effect.

NSE SME platform on Friday. Ahead of the listing, the company's shares are having a muted GMP of Rs 0 in the grey market. This indicates a flat to negative listing at the bourses, but could change depending on the sentiments in the secondary market. The company will utilise the Rs 44 crore it raised from the public offer for purchase of vehicles, working capital requirements and general corporate purposes.

Investors can check Shri Ahimsa Naturals IPO allotment status through NSE and also via the registrar's website.

Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said the ongoing process of rationalizing customs duties and withdrawing the 6 per cent equalization levy, which began in 2023, is independent of any global events and will continue. Sitharaman said customs duty reductions are part of India's broader objective to strengthen its manufacturing hub and boost battery and advanced chemistry capacities. Replying to a debate on the Finance Bill 2025 in Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman said, «Consistently, budget after budget, we are coming up with a reduction in duties so that India's aspiration for being a manufacturing hub and India's aspiration in building capacities for battery manufacturing and advanced chemistry is being supported. So, this is a consistent thing.» «I heard quite a few members say, „Oh, the tariff war has started, so in response to the tariff announcements made by President Trump, here we are doing it. No, we have been doing it since 2023, steadily, every year. Newer items are being brought in, keeping in mind Atmanirbhar Bharat and, at the same time, Viksit Bharat's requirements, as well as simplifying the customs duty and compliance details,“ Sitharaman said. »So, this is an ongoing process. It has nothing to do with today's global situation but is a process that will continue even in the future," she added.

General Motors and Ford. Trump unveiled on Wednesday his plan to implement a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks effective on April 3, while the duty on auto parts begins on May 3. Investors are also bracing for a wave of reciprocal tariffs Trump plans to unveil on Wednesday, although the president has hinted there may be room for flexibility. In a volatile session on Wall Street, General Motors tumbled over 7% and Ford slid 3.9%. Car parts manufacturers Aptiv and BorgWarner each lost around 5%. Tesla edged up 0.4%, with investors betting the electric vehicle maker will be hurt less by tariffs because of its largely domestic production. Apple added 1.05%, helping limit the S&P 500's loss. Trump's mercurial trade policies have created uncertainty on Wall Street, as investors fret over potential disruptions to supply chains, hampered investment, and the specter of inflation threatening global economic growth.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Bengaluru-based electronics designer and manufacturer, Indkal Technologies, is closing its next venture capital-backed funding round—raising $100 million by June this year. Speaking with Mint, Anand Dubey, chief executive of Indkal Technologies, said that the company is close to finalizing its upcoming funding round, and before this it will also make its first product announcement as a design-led electronics manufacturing firm.

Wang Chuanfu, the founder and CEO of BYD, has made one of the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturing businesses, starting his journey when he was poor.

bilateral trade agreements. Accompanying political energy and encouraging words reflect a dramatic departure from sobering scepticism of the recent past. The big change is, of course, Donald Trump's unsheathing of tariffs. Inevitably, trade negotiations with the US are the principal driver. Not every trade agreement will be uniform. Concessions will likely vary, depending on strategic vulnerability. As India's most consequential business, technology and foreign policy relationship, the US will get priority in timing and substance. This is rooted in realism. It's the same approach every other major trade partner of Washington will take. In a volatile world, marked by American recalibration and retrenchment, there are significant gains to becoming among the earliest countries to find accord with the Trump administration. Gains will be both tangible and intangible.

US auto tariffs, the luxury carmaker said. Ferrari said it would stick largely to its financial targets for this year, according to a report in news agency Reuters. The new levies on cars and light trucks will take effect on April 3. Ferrari announced that pricing for models imported before April 2 will remain unchanged. However, starting from that date, “new import conditions will be partially reflected in pricing,” with increases of up to 10%. This means the Maranello, Italy-based automaker will absorb part of the 25% tariff hike introduced by Trump on Wednesday. «The commercial terms will remain unchanged for orders of all models imported before April 2, 2025, and for orders of the following three families — Ferrari 296, SF90 and Roma — regardless the import date. For the current remaining models, the new import conditions will be partially reflected on pricing, up to a maximum 10 per cent increase,» the company said in a statement. ALSO READ: 'Elon, I want to thank you': Trump makes it official, makes big statement amid Tesla Takedown protests

Donald Trump's steep tariffs on imported vehicles and parts, vowing retaliation as a widening trade war intensifies, as per a report. Major car exporter Germany urged a firm response from the European Union, while Japan said it «will consider all options», AFP reported. The US duties take effect starting April 3 and impact foreign-made cars and light trucks. Key automobile parts will also be hit within the month. Global stock markets plummeted with automakers like Toyota, Hyundai and Mercedes leading the plunge. In New York, shares in General Motors tumbled with Ford and Stellantis also declining. France Finance Minister Eric Lombard condemned the «hostility,» saying the only solution for the European Union is to «raise tariffs on American products in response.»

“I am concerned that pure politics could damage our prospects in future competitions,” admitted an executive at a leading US contractor. The fear? That Trump’s erratic foreign policy could leave allies exposed—or worse, that the US could remotely disable their aircraft if political relations soured.

Jitendra Singh in the House during the Question Hour. «In this Budget a nuclear mission has been announced...I'm sure in the times to come, the history would record that this has been one of the most path breaking decisions in the history of independent India. And if one was asked to define in a single sentence, the hallmark of this decision...is the true vindication of Homi Bhabha's dream,» the minister said while replying queries of the members. About private players' participation in the nuclear sector, Singh said an important component of the nuclear mission is that India will go in with the public-private participation, in a big way, in the manufacturing of small modular reactors, which are particularly relevant to a country like India.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is gearing up to ramp up production of the Tejas Mark-1A, India's indigenously developed fighter jet, after years of delays worsened by issues with engine supplies from the United States, according to a TOI report on Thursday. The first of the 99 engine shipments arrived on March 26, 2025, after General Electric's (GE) aerospace division overcame significant challenges, including reactivating the F404 production line, which had been dormant for five years. This marks a major milestone, but HAL still faces numerous challenges in meeting the ambitious delivery timelines for the fighter aircraft, which is crucial for India’s military preparedness. In response to the ongoing delays, HAL has intensified its efforts to scale up production, with three production lines in operation, said the TOI report. The company’s facilities in Bengaluru and Nashik are expected to play a crucial role in increasing production capacity. According to the report, HAL is confident that it can scale up to a rate of 20 Tejas per year, with plans to further boost production to 24 units annually.