Brands
Hyundai India posts record April sales with 17-per cent growth
Domestic sales hit 51,902 units, exports stand at 13,708 units
MUMBAI: Hyundai is clearly shifting gears and April has put the pedal firmly to the metal. Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has reported its highest-ever domestic sales for the month of April, clocking 51,902 units in April 2026, marking a 17 per cent year-on-year growth. The milestone sets a strong tone for the new financial year, signalling sustained demand momentum across its portfolio. Alongside domestic performance, the company recorded export volumes of 13,708 units for the month, underlining its continued strength in overseas markets.
The growth has been driven by a mix of refreshed models and special editions across segments. Recent launches and updates including the Exter, Verna, Ioniq 5, Creta Summer Edition, Grand i10 NIOS Vibe Edition and Venue Knight Edition have helped keep the line-up competitive in an increasingly crowded market.
A standout performer was the Venue, which recorded its highest-ever monthly domestic sales of 12,420 units. The model’s 5-Star Bharat NCAP safety rating, including for the VENUE N Line, appears to have bolstered consumer confidence, reflecting a broader industry shift where safety credentials are becoming a key purchase driver.
Tarun Garg, Managing Director and CEO, HMIL, said the company has carried forward recent momentum into the new financial year, with product interventions and safety-focused positioning playing a central role in driving growth.
The numbers suggest Hyundai’s strategy is ticking multiple boxes fresh product cycles, safety-led messaging and steady export performance. If April is any indication, the company isn’t just starting the year strong, it’s aiming to keep the engine running at full throttle.
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.
