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Bajaj Auto revs up Q3 with steady profits despite one-off speed bumps
MUMBAI: Bajaj Auto kept its engine humming in the December quarter, even if a few speed bumps slowed the ride. The two-wheeler and three-wheeler major reported a standalone net profit of Rs 2,503 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, broadly steady compared to the previous quarter and up from Rs 2,109 crore a year ago.
For Bajaj Auto Limited, Q3FY26 was a story of volume-led growth tempered by exceptional costs. Total revenue from operations rose to Rs 15,220 crore, compared with Rs 12,807 crore in the year-ago quarter, supported by stronger sales across motorcycles, three-wheelers and exports. Vehicle sales stood at 1.34 million units during the quarter, up from 1.22 million units in Q3FY25.
Profit before tax came in at Rs 3,327 crore, after accounting for exceptional items of Rs 61 crore linked to employee-related provisions. Excluding these one-offs, operating performance remained resilient, reflecting favourable product mix, cost discipline and steady demand in key markets.
Expenses climbed in line with scale. Raw material and component costs rose to Rs 9,868 crore, while other expenses increased to Rs 981 crore, reflecting higher operating activity. Even so, Bajaj Auto maintained strong margins, with basic earnings per share at Rs 89.7 for the quarter, compared with Rs 75.5 a year earlier.
For the nine months ended December 31, 2025, the company reported a profit of Rs 7,079 crore, up from Rs 6,102 crore in the corresponding period last year. Revenue from operations for the nine-month period stood at Rs 42,727 crore, compared with Rs 37,862 crore a year ago, underscoring consistent momentum through the fiscal.
Segment-wise, the automotive business remained the primary growth driver, delivering quarterly segment revenue of Rs 15,429 crore and profit before tax of Rs 3,212 crore. The financing segment also showed improvement, while the investments portfolio continued to provide stability to overall earnings.
While exceptional charges took some shine off headline profits, Bajaj Auto’s underlying performance points to a business still firmly in gear. With volumes holding up, margins intact and capital employed rising to nearly Rs 38,000 crore, the company appears well placed to navigate cost pressures and shifting demand in the quarters ahead.
In short, the ride may not have been flawless, but Bajaj Auto finished the quarter with enough torque to stay ahead of the pack.
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Thomas Cook India, SOTC and Booking.com team up for smarter corporate stays
Global hotel choices meet Indian corporate controls for seamless business travel
MUMBAI: Business travel just got a major upgrade. Thomas Cook (India) and its group company SOTC Travel have joined forces with Booking.com to offer Indian corporates world-class accommodation options with a side of convenience.
The collaboration brings Booking.com’s vast global inventory, more than 31 million listings across 220 countries, straight into Thomas Cook and SOTC’s corporate booking platforms. From luxury hotels and resorts to homes and apartments, business travellers now have an unprecedented range of choices, all while staying within company travel policies.
Thomas Cook and SOTC president & group head of global business travel Indiver Rastogi said, “Today’s business travellers want more choice, flexibility and transparency. By linking Booking.com’s extensive inventory with our managed corporate tools, we’re delivering exactly that: policy control, price clarity and service support that businesses can trust.”
The offering is designed with the Indian corporate traveller in mind. Key features include transparent pricing with GST-compliant invoices, curated hotel options for SMEs to large enterprises, coverage across 2,500 plus Indian cities, verified traveller reviews, essential business amenities, and integrated policy control for approvals, budgets and credit limits.
Booking.com VP partnerships Mark van der Linden added, “Corporate travellers in India want the same seamless experience they enjoy in personal trips, with the right corporate guardrails. This partnership makes our global accommodation inventory enterprise-ready, combining choice, flexibility and localised support.”
With real-time booking access on desktop and mobile, enterprise-specific rates, loyalty benefits, and future integrations into Thomas Cook’s TravelOne platform, the partnership promises to make corporate travel smoother, safer and smarter than ever.
