Buoyed by strong response to its newly launched SUV Creta, Hyundai Motor India ltd (HMIL) is increasing the output of the model by over 16 per cent to around 7,000 units a month.

The company, which launched the vehicle in July, has received over 40,000 bookings and is trying to reduce the waiting period.

Bajaj Auto today reported a 2% increase in total sales in August at 3,41,965 units as against 3,36,840 in the same month of 2014.

Motorcycle sales during the month also grew by 2% to 2,90,436 units as against 2,84,302 units in August last year, the company said in a BSE filing.

Banking shares are continue reeling under pressure with the country’s largest PSU bank State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank and Bank of India hit their respective 52-week lows.

The CNX PSU Bank index, a gauge of public sector banks, hit a fresh 15-month low on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on the back of weak macro economic data.

NTPC is examining whether to acquire the Sarni thermal power station of a state government company, in Madhya Pradesh's Betul district. NTPC sources said 'due-diligence' is on.

A state government source said, “NTPC already has presence in Madhya Pradesh, as they run one of the largest thermal power stations, the Vindhyachal project. It would be better to hand over the Sarni project to them or run it as a joint venture. Much will depend upon their due-diligence. SBI Caps is doing it.” NTPC would not comment.

Maruti Suzuki launched its first hybrid vehicle on Tuesday, upgrading the diesel Ciaz with hybrid features at a price cheaper by up to Rs 20,500 than the variant being phased out. The hybrid Ciaz SHVS sports features such as idle engine start/stop, power assist and brake energy regeneration. It claims 28.09 km a litre, highest in the country. The earlier Ciaz diesel offered 26.2 km a litre.

The vehicle helps us participate in India’s vision of promoting hybrid vehicles, said managing director Kenichi Ayukawa. In a hybrid system, the energy saved while decelerating/braking, otherwise lost, is stored in the battery and assists during acceleration.

Infosys, India's second-largest information technology (IT) services company, is looking at bringing more automation to all its new projects by the end of the financial year. The model, people-plus-software, was the way forward, chief executive Vishal Sikka said. Under this model, software would help lower the number of people engaged in projects, lowering customers' cost and improving their profit margins.

I am impatient to see that 'people-plus-software' is brought to all our clients as quickly as possible. Last week, we laid out a very clear goal to our sales team that we have to bring this model to every client before the end of this year, Sikka said at the JPMorgan Asia CEO-CFO Conference held at New York on Tuesday. We are going to track that goal aggressively.

Rating agency Fitch today downgraded Punjab National Bank's (PNB) Viability Rating by one notch to 'bb' on the growing risk to the bank's capital position from mounting stock of stressed assets. It warned IDBI Bank about vulnerability to a downgrade due to rise in the stressed asset ratio.

It affirmed the Long Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at "BBB-" for banks including State Bank of India (SBI), PNB, Canara Bank, IDBI Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda and its subsidiary in New Zealand. For Chennai-based India Bank IDR has been affirmed at "BB+". The outlook on IDRs is stable.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed his fourth parivartan rally in Bhagalpur in an attempt to boost the Bharatiya Janata Party's chances in the upcoming Bihar polls.

Attacking Nitish Kumar & Lalu Yadav at the rally, Modi said, Those who have ruled the state for 25 years, they must give an account of the work done by them but they are questioning me​. Nitish and Lalu are spreading poison of casteism and communalism.

Engineering major Larsen & Toubro today said it has bagged a contract worth Rs 1,070 crore in Saudi Arabia for constructing ballastless tracks for Riyadh metro lines.

State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation may approach the government to seek premium pricing on natural gas produced from its KG basin.

Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan had last week Friday said that premium pricing will only be available to developers of new blocks.

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