MAM
Star Plus bounces back, Zee TV in 2nd position
MUMBAI: Star Plus bounced back to the top position among Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) in the penultimate week of 2012. It was at number two position in the previous two weeks, with the top slot occupied by Colors.
In week 51, as per TAM Media Research data for C&S 4+, sourced from Hindi GECs, Star Plus maintained status quo in terms of ratings with 231 GRPs. Its shows like ‘Saathiya Saath Nibhana‘ (5.1 TVR), ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai‘ (4.6 TVR) and ‘Pyar Ka Dard‘ (3.8 TVR) have seen marginal rise in ratings while others like ‘Diya Aur Bati Hum‘ (4.4 TVR), and ‘Ek Hazarome Meri Behena hai‘ (1.7 TVR) have seen a slight dip.
Star Plus could see a spike in viewership next week as it is all set to launch its popular celebrity dance show ‘Nach Baliye‘ on 29 December.
Following Star Plus is Zee TV that added 35 GRPs to its last week‘s tally to register 226 GRPs. The channel had aired Mahasangam (mega episodes) combining two of its daily soaps ‘Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke‘ and ‘Rab se Sona Ishq‘ from 17 December to 21 December.
The two shows on Zee TV collectively ran for an hour every day and clocked an average of 4.5 TVR in the week ended 22 December. Zee TV‘s fiction properties like fear Files (2.3 TVR), ‘Pavitra Rishta‘ (3.8 TVR) and ‘Hitler Didi‘ (3.1 TVR) have seen a rise in viewership.
Taking the number three position among Hindi GECs in week 51 is Colors with 223 GRPs (previous week 239). The channel had launched ‘Jai Jag Janani Maa Durga‘ in the 7 pm slot that debuted with 1.6 TVR on 17 December. The fall in viewership of the channel in week 51 can be attributed to the high-points in the shows like ‘Balika Vadhu‘ and ‘Madhubala‘ in earlier weeks. The two shows had ratings of 4.8 TVR (previous week 5.8) and 3.9 TVR (previous week 4 TVR) respectively in week 51. The other shows of the channel too saw a marginal dip in viewership, while reality show ‘Bigg Boss‘ continues to average 2.5 TVR as in the previous week.
Sony Entertainment Television lost nine GRPs compared to Week 50 to notch 193 GRPs. ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati‘ continues to gain traction as it rated 3.4 TVR. The channel‘s crime-based properties ‘C.I.D‘ (3.4 TVR) and ‘Crime Patrol‘ (2.7 TVR) too continue to garner viewership. However, its shows ‘Adaalat‘ (1.9 TVR), ‘Kya Hua tera Vaada‘ (1.5 TVR) lost eyeballs. Comedy Circus saw increase in numbers as it ended the week with 3.1 TVR (previous week 2.5).
Next in the ranking is Life OK, which saw addition of 15 GRPs to its previous week‘s tally to record 144 GRPs in week 51. The channel had aired the maha-episode of Mahadev on 16 December that gave the show the spike.
Sab, the second GEC from Sony, is just a GRP behind Life OK with 143 GRPs (last week 140).
Sahara One ended the week with 24 GRPs (last week 23).
MAM
Auto retail hits record February with 24.09 lakh units
Overall sales surge 25.62 per cent YoY, 2W, PV, CV, 3W and tractors set new February highs.
MUMBAI: February 2026 just floored the accelerator because when auto retail clocks its best-ever month, even the showroom floors feel the need for speed. The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) released February 2026 retail data on 5 March, revealing a landmark performance across segments. Total vehicle retails reached 24,09,362 units, up 25.62 per cent year-on-year, marking the strongest February on record for overall retail, two-wheelers (17,00,505 units, +25.02 per cent), passenger vehicles (3,94,768 units, +26.12 per cent), commercial vehicles (1,00,820 units, +28.89 per cent), three-wheelers (1,17,130 units, +24.39 per cent) and tractors (89,418 units, +36.35 per cent). Construction equipment was the lone exception, dipping 1.22% YoY to 6,721 units.
FADA president C S Vigneshwar said, “Feb’26 has turned out to be a landmark month for the Indian auto retail sector, further strengthening the positive momentum seen after the GST 2.0 announcement. Despite being a shorter month, the industry delivered an exceptional performance.”
Growth was broad-based. Two-wheelers saw urban markets rise 28.96 per cent YoY and rural 22.16 per cent YoY, driven by improved rural liquidity, attractive schemes and the marriage season. Passenger vehicles showed rural growth (34.21 per cent YoY) outpacing urban (21.12 per cent YoY), supporting small-car demand alongside continued SUV strength. Commercial vehicles benefited from freight availability, e-commerce activity and infrastructure push.
Inventory signals improved significantly in passenger vehicles, with levels dropping to 27–29 days closer to FADA’s recommended 21-day benchmark indicating healthier wholesale-retail alignment.
Looking ahead, dealer sentiment remains positive. For March 2026, 75.51 per cent of dealers expect growth, 19.90 per cent foresee stability and only 4.59 per cent anticipate decline, supported by festivals (Navratri, Ramzan, Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Eid) and financial year-end buying. Over the next three months (March–May 2026), 67.35 per cent expect growth (down from earlier optimism), 27.55 per cent flat and 5.10 per cent de-growth, pointing to a shift from sharp rebound to more stable expansion.
In a market where every segment is revving up, February 2026 didn’t just break records, it proved that when policy tailwinds meet rural recovery and retail discipline, the Indian auto story accelerates into overdrive.
