Govt Asks Auto Companies To Test Mileage With AC On
India’s automotive and transport policymakers are pushing for a significant revision in how fuel-efficiency tests are conducted. The government has proposed that tests by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) include the impact of air-conditioner usage, especially in hot-weather conditions where AC load substantially affects fuel consumption. This move is intended to produce test results that more accurately reflect real-world driving scenarios for Indian consumers. Why AC Use Matters for Fuel Efficiency Fuel-efficiency ratings play a crucial role in shaping buyer decisions, regulatory norms, and environmental policies. Currently, vehicles undergo standardized laboratory tests without considering auxiliary loads such as the air conditioner, which many drivers use routinely due to India’s warm climate. Since an AC compressor places additional load on the engine, fuel economy typically drops when the system is in use. By factoring AC usage into test cycles, ratings could better approximate the on-road mileage that consumers experience. Current Testing Regime and Its Limitations ARAI currently conducts fuel-efficiency tests under established protocols that simulate standardized driving conditions. While these tests are internationally recognised and facilitate comparisons across models, they do not include elements such as AC load, variable traffic patterns, and environmental factors like temperature and humidity. Critics… Read MoreBusiness Archives - Trak.in - Indian Business of Tech, Mobile & Startups
Trends that will rev up India’s EV landscape in 2026
While India's public EV charging network has grown rapidly, the actual number of reliably functional chargers is much lower than the total installed count. Over the last three years, the number of public chargers has grown more than fivefold, crossing the 30,000-mark nationwide. Cities like Delhi, Bangalore, and Chennai are installing new stations every week. And yet, utilisation remains painfully low. According to industry reports, less than 10% of chargers are being used regularly. The year 2026, thus, becomes the critical year to close this gap and build an ecosystem that works as smoothly in practice as it does on paper.Why the outlook remains strongSupported by subsidies, increased awareness, and new product launches, the EV sector has grown rapidly since FY2022. Factors like improved product choices, better charging infrastructure, more financing options, and lower battery prices are set to drive further expansion. The government is encouraging EV development through a multi-faceted approach. The PM e-Drive scheme includes investments in electrifying mass transport, building charging and testing facilities, and demand incentives for certain automotive segments. This has boosted investor confidence and momentum in the sector. Trends that will define the EV ecosystem in 2026Smart charging goes mainstream: EVs often charge in clusters- at… Read MoreYourStory RSS Feed
How India Is Wiring Its AI Stack For Bharat-Scale Deployment
2026 Outlook: AI, robotics, biotech, unicorns and the road ahead
At the start of 2026, Prime Venture Partners did what venture capitalists are both famous and infamous for - they looked into the future.“This is one of those episodes where the year-end episode next year is probably going to debunk almost everything we say,” Sanjay Swamy said candidly. “But let’s use our wildest imagination, a little bit of rationale and logic for entrepreneurs listening to the show.”That seesaw between imagination and humility ran through the entire conversation. And in many ways, it reflects where startup building itself stands today in 2026.Betting early in biotechVenture capital has always been about taking bets others can’t yet see. As Brij Bhushan put it plainly, “The VC world is about taking bets that others can’t see. And if you’re wrong, so be it.” What’s changing is where those bets are being placed.Amit Somani pointed to sectors that traditional VC models once avoided. “We’ve taken a bet in biotech - something we wouldn’t have normally done earlier,” he said. These are businesses with long gestation periods, sometimes with no revenue visibility for years. “Revenue for the next three years is zero. And yet it could be very big at some point.”Bhushan believes biotech in India… Read MoreYourStory RSS Feed
Indian VCs call for policies to encourage deeper pools of domestic...
India—the third-largest startup ecosystem—stands on the shoulders of venture capital (VC) firms that make bold investments and back passionate founders to ring in the next startup success story. While the country has been reeling from a funding winter, which lasted from 2023 to 2024, the VC ecosystem has corrected its course and is in a phase of disciplined maturity. Last year, Indian startups raised $11 billion—the lowest since 2020—with VCs writing fewer but larger checks, signalling a cautious and selective approach. In 2025, many VCs also raised new funds, albeit calling for greater participation from domestic institutional investors. “India has strong founder talent and operating depth, but long-term domestic pools like insurance and pension capital remain underrepresented at later stages. Enabling this participation through calibrated frameworks would strengthen capital continuity and reduce over-reliance on any single source of funding,” noted Navin Honagudi, Managing Partner at Elev8 Venture Partners.Echoing a similar sentiment, Kunal Khattar, Founder at mobility-focused fund, AdvantEdge, noted that policies should be rolled out to reduce reliance on foreign VCs, and that the government should create stronger incentives for insurance and pension funds to invest in SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs). Firms are also looking for greater predictability and longevity for tax… Read MoreYourStory RSS Feed
