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Honda steers ahead with 50,000 Adas-enabled cars on Indian roads
MUMBAI: Honda Cars India has hit the accelerator on safety, crossing the milestone of 50,000 Adas-enabled cars on Indian roads. With its Honda Sensing technology making waves, the company is reaffirming its commitment to a future of accident-free driving aligning with Honda’s global goal of achieving zero traffic collision fatalities by 2050.
First introduced in India with the Honda City e:Hev in 2022, Honda Sensing has rapidly expanded across the lineup, making its way to the Honda City (2023), the Elevate (2023), and most recently, the Amaze (2024). The third-generation Amaze now holds the title of India’s most affordable Adas-equipped car, bringing advanced driver assistance technology within reach of more customers.
With safety now a key purchase driver, Adas-equipped variants account for 60 per cent of elevate sales, a whopping 95 per cent of City sales, and 30 per cent of Amaze sales. Among customers choosing ADAS models, half cited safety tech as their top reason for purchase.
Honda Cars India vice president for marketing & sales Kunal Behl said, “At Honda Cars India, safety is at the core of everything we do. The 50,000 ADAS milestone reflects our commitment to making roads safer while also demonstrating the growing acceptance of advanced safety technology among Indian consumers.”
In 2023, Honda became the first automaker in India to introduce Adas in manual transmission models, ensuring safety innovation isn’t limited to automatic variants.
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Lotus Chocolate FY26 profit drops sharply, Q4 slips into loss
Revenue steady at Rs 579.55 crore, Q4 loss at Rs 4.47 crore
MUMBAI: Sweet on the top line, slightly bitter on the bottom Lotus Chocolate’s FY26 numbers tell a story that’s more dark cocoa than milk. The company managed to hold its revenue steady for the year, but profitability took a visible hit, capped by a loss-making fourth quarter. Lotus Chocolate Company Limited reported revenue from operations of Rs 579.55 crore for the year ended March 31, 2026, marginally up from Rs 573.75 crore in FY25. Total income rose to Rs 615.61 crore, compared with Rs 574.56 crore in the previous year, supported by a sharp jump in other income to Rs 36.06 crore from just Rs 0.81 crore.
However, the gains at the top did little to cushion profitability. Net profit for FY26 fell dramatically to Rs 0.10 crore, down from Rs 17.23 crore in FY25, reflecting significant cost pressures across the business.
The March quarter proved particularly challenging. The company reported a net loss of Rs 4.47 crore in Q4 FY26, compared with a profit of Rs 0.14 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 1.42 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 138.01 crore, down from Rs 150.21 crore in Q3 FY26 and Rs 157.52 crore in Q4 FY25.
Expenses remained elevated throughout the year. Total expenses rose to Rs 614.44 crore in FY26 from Rs 551.50 crore in FY25, eating into margins. A key swing factor was the cost of materials consumed, which stood at Rs 304.44 crore, while changes in inventories also reflected volatility, with a negative impact of Rs 62.44 crore in the previous year reversing to a positive Rs 52.93 crore this year.
Employee benefit expenses nearly doubled to Rs 34.00 crore from Rs 17.98 crore, while finance costs surged to Rs 16.31 crore from Rs 7.11 crore, indicating higher borrowing and funding costs. Depreciation and amortisation expenses also increased to Rs 3.92 crore from Rs 1.81 crore, reflecting ongoing investments.
On the balance sheet front, total assets stood at Rs 275.96 crore as of March 31, 2026, slightly higher than Rs 270.34 crore a year earlier. Borrowings remained significant, with current borrowings at Rs 89.00 crore, highlighting continued reliance on external funding.
Cash flow dynamics showed improvement in operations, with net cash generated from operating activities at Rs 93.23 crore, compared with a negative Rs 129.60 crore in FY25. However, financing outflows remained high at Rs 74.90 crore, driven largely by repayment of borrowings and interest costs.
Despite stable revenue, the sharp drop in profitability underscores the pressure of rising input costs, higher finance expenses and operational adjustments. The contrast between steady sales and squeezed margins leaves Lotus Chocolate at a crossroads proving that in business, as in confectionery, the real test isn’t just in the sweetness of sales, but in the richness of returns.
