MAM
FIA motorsports event to take place in India after 13 years
MUMBAI: This should come as a pleasant surprise for Indian motorsports fans.
After a gap of 13 years, India will see a major international motorsports event taking place in the country, this year. The last round of the FIA (FIA is the motorsports’ world body) Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2003, the MRF India Rally, will kick off in Mumbai on 5 December. The rally will take place in Pune till 7 December.
The Himachal Rally Association (HRA), Western India Automobile Association (WIAA), Western India Sports Association (WISA) and SportzPR are all involved in organising this event in India. Over 20 international teams from Japan, Germany, Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand are expected to participate in the Championship. ESPN-Star Sports will air a half-hour wrap-up of the event everyday.
HRA chairman Nazir Hoosein says: “Our aim is to give the rally the status of World Rally Championship (WRC) with in the next three to four years. This could put as much as $20 million into the local economy. New Zealand, for instance, was able to fill 4,500 hotel rooms each night when the WRC event was held there.”
Hoosein reminisces, “About 23 years ago, I had announced the Himachal Rally and it had a successful run of 10 years. Unfortunately, after that nobody expressed interest. Now hopefully, we will be able to attract attention again.”
The rally will start at the government engineering college in Pune and end at the monumental “seat of the Peshwas” (Maratha rulers).
While talking about the preparations, Hoosein says, “Last December we had run a candidate event in Bangalore. We will start with ceremonies at the Gateway of India, Mumbai. It is hard to tell what kind of impact the recent bomb blast in that area will have on countries expressing interest, but we have tried to convince them that it’s not a regular occurrence.”
Earlier too, the FIA Rally saw hard times, when the Calidonia Rally was cancelled and the Chinese leg was canned because of SARS, landslides and floods in the region. Initially it was supposed to have seven rounds.
The rally course in Pune will be of 250 kms. There are plans to hold a round of Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) also simultaneously. Presently, Naren Kumar is leading the INRC with 30 points.
The rally headquarters will be set up at the Taj Blue Diamond in Pune and Park Ferme at the Talera Gardens. SportzPR will be in charge of organising an auto exhibit as well as corporate hospitality at important stages of the tournament. They will take care of the promotional activities as well. The aim, they say, is to make Pune the hub of racing.
HRA plans to conducted further activities in Mumbai, Khandala and Lonavala, in the future. Hoosein adds that the event would give car manufactures a chance to showcase their wares. “In 1980 you had Fiat, Ambassador and the jeep. Today companies like Mitsubishi, Ford, Hyundai, which participates in the WRC, manufacture vehicles in the country,” Hoosein says.
Cars that one can expect to see on the race course in Pune include the Mitsubishi Lancer, Subaru Impreza, Suzuki Ignis, Ford Escort.
The Indian viewers can also catch the WRC action from different countries on Ten Sports.
A marketing campaign to generate interest and excitement about the event will kick off sometime in November and will encompass television, print and the Internet.
Brands
Maharashtra panel orders Lodha to refund Rs 5 crore to homebuyers
Consumer court flags unfair practices in long-running property dispute case
MUMBAI: In a sharp rebuke to one of India’s biggest real estate players, the Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Macrotech Developers to refund nearly Rs 5 crore to a senior citizen couple, Uttam and Anindita Chatterjee. The ruling, delivered on March 13, 2026, calls out the developer for “deficiency in service” and “unfair trade practices”, bringing closure to a dispute that has stretched over a decade.
The case traces back to 2015, when the couple booked a 3-BHK flat at World Towers in Lower Parel for Rs 12.22 crore, with possession promised within a year. What followed was a series of changes that complicated matters. After deciding to exit the project, they were persuaded to shift to a 4-BHK in another development priced at Rs 8 crore, with delivery scheduled for 2018. However, within months, the price was allegedly increased to Rs 10 crore. After demonetisation reshaped the market, similar flats were reportedly being offered at lower prices, but the couple were not given the benefit.
Despite paying over Rs 2.83 crore, the couple neither received possession nor clarity. Instead, in 2018, the developer unilaterally cancelled the booking, retained part of the amount as earnest money, and argued that the buyers were investors rather than consumers. The commission rejected this claim, observing that casual references to “investment” do not take away consumer rights when the purchase intent is residential.
The bench also held that the developer could not penalise buyers for payment delays while failing to meet its own delivery commitments. It noted the lack of formal documentation for revised terms and termed the prolonged retention of funds without delivering a home as exploitative.
As part of its order, the commission directed the developer to refund Rs 2.83 crore paid by the couple, along with interest at 10 per cent per annum, amounting to around Rs 2.12 crore. In addition, Rs 1 lakh has been awarded for mental agony and Rs 50,000 towards litigation costs, taking the total payout to over Rs 5 crore. The developer has been asked to comply within two months.
For now, the ruling serves as a reminder that in real estate, shifting terms and delayed promises can carry a significant cost.
