MAM
Hero Motocorp races ahead with 3.88 lakh dispatches in February 2025
MUMBAI: Hero Motocorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, kept the throttle open in February 2025, dispatching 3.88 lakh units. While domestic sales stood at 3,57,296 units, the company also saw a stellar 33 per cent growth in global sales, crossing the 30,000-unit mark for the third consecutive month.
Hero Motocorp reported 3,88,068 total dispatches in February 2025, with 3,57,296 units sold in the domestic market. Motorcycles remained the dominant category, contributing 3,52,312 units, while scooters accounted for 35,756 units. Year-to-date (YTD) figures saw a total of 53,49,583 units dispatched in FY25, up from 51,31,040 in FY24. Exports surged with 30,772 units shipped in February 2025, marking a significant increase from 23,153 units in February 2024, bringing YTD exports to 2,47,911 units compared to 1,69,765 in the previous fiscal year.
Hero Motocorp’s electric vehicle brand, Vida, is riding a strong wave of popularity, dispatching 6,200 units in February. The growing success of the Vida V2 range reinforces the brand’s positioning as an aspirational yet accessible electric mobility solution.
With the onset of the marriage season and new product launches, Hero Motocorp anticipates stronger momentum in the coming months. Strengthening its 125cc scooter lineup, the company has begun deliveries of the Destini 125, with Xoom 125 dispatches set to begin soon.
Further expanding its premium retail footprint, over 64 ‘Premia’ dealerships now offer a seamless buying experience for Hero Motocorp, VIDA, and Harley-Davidson products all under one roof.
Beyond sales figures, Hero Motocorp is accelerating skill development for women in the automotive sector. In collaboration with the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC), the company has launched an upskilling initiative to train 20,000 women over the next 15 months in key automotive sales and service roles.
Hero MotoSports Team Rally made its mark at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, with Nacho Cornejo securing an impressive 6th position. Cornejo showcased unwavering consistency, finishing in the top 10 in every stage and bagging two stage podiums.
Brands
Uber launches hotel bookings feature in partnership with Expedia
From hotel bookings to room service at your door, the ride-hailing giant is making its boldest push yet into everyday life
CALIFORNIA: Uber is done being just a taxi app. At its annual GO-GET product event, the world’s leading mobility and delivery platform unveiled a sweeping set of new features designed to plant itself at the centre of how people travel, eat and shop, hotel bookings included.
The headline move is a partnership with Expedia Group that lets Uber users in the United States book hotels directly within the Uber app, with access to a catalogue that will eventually grow to more than 700,000 properties worldwide. Uber One members get 10 per cent back in Uber One credits on all hotel bookings and savings of at least 20 per cent on a rolling list of more than 10,000 hotels globally. Vacation rentals from Vrbo, Expedia Group’s home-rental brand, will be added later this year. The partnership is expected to expand beyond the United States. From June, Uber rides will also be integrated directly into the Expedia app, with push notifications sent to travellers ahead of hotel check-in to book discounted Uber rides for the duration of their stay.
Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, framed the expansion in terms of the modern condition. “Uber is becoming an app for everything, helping people go, get, and now travel all in one place,” he said. “We’re all living through a moment of real cognitive overload: too many apps, too many decisions, too much noise. At the end of the day, our job is to help people reclaim their time, spending less of it managing the logistics of life and more of it actually living.”
Ariane Gorin, chief executive of Expedia Group, struck a similarly ambitious note. “Travel should feel effortless, and this partnership gets us one step closer to offering a seamless traveller experience,” she said. “By connecting our two-sided marketplace with Uber, we’re bringing Uber rides directly into the Expedia app and Expedia Group’s lodging inventory into the Uber app through our Rapid API technology. Together, we’re helping travellers spend less time planning and more time enjoying the journey.”
Beyond hotels, the product announcements come thick and fast. Travel Mode, available within both the Uber and Uber Eats apps, offers curated recommendations on local favourites, tourist destinations, OpenTable restaurant reservations and on-demand delivery to hotel rooms. Uber One International means the membership programme now works globally, allowing members to earn credits on rides abroad that can be redeemed once back home. A new Shop for Me feature lets users request items from any store, even those not listed on the app. Eats for the Way allows riders in select cities booking an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV to have a drink or snack waiting for them in the car. Voice Bookings, powered by artificial intelligence, lets users book a ride conversationally, without touching their phone. And a redesigned One Search bar consolidates results for places, food and items across the entire Uber platform in a single query.
Uber has now logged more than 72 billion trips since it launched in 2010. The question it is now answering is what comes after the ride. The answer, apparently, is everything else. Whether users want a hotel in Paris, a coffee in the back of a car or a snake plant from the local garden centre, Uber would very much like to be the one to provide it. The app economy’s land grab has a new front-runner.
NOTE: The image used is AI generated and only for representational purposes.
