MAM
Paresh Chaudhry joins Madison PR as CEO
MUMBAI: Paresh Chaudhry has joined as Madison PR. The current CEO Veena Gidwani retires after a stint of 12 years on 30 June.
Chaudhry will be based out of Mumbai.
With over 24 years of experience in brand communication and reputation management experience across industries and key global markets, Chaudhry has worked with companies like Reliance Industries, Hindustan Unilever, Ranbaxy and Wockhardt. His last assignment was as group president -corporate communications, Reliance Industries where he reported to Reliance Industries Limited chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani. At RIL he was responsible for putting together systems and processes for effective global (internal and external) communications at RIL.
Through the years, Chaudhry has been involved in building the Ranbaxy‘s corporate brand in North America, Europe and India. He was also associated with the campaign for aligning regional communication country teams to bring alive â€?the transition to one Unilever brand‘ and driving the corporate name change from ‘HLL‘ to â€?HUL‘. He is also the founder President of the Indian Forum of Corporate Communicators (IFCC).
Madison World chairman and managing director Sam Balsara said, “Paresh‘s cross client category and cross country experience should help him add great value to our FMCG clients. Veena has done a wonderful job in building Madison PR into a specialist Brand PR consultancy and meeting the professional needs of our over 40 clients in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune and I wish her a very happy and fulfilling life ahead.”
Chaudhry said, “I am delighted with the opportunity to work with Madison PR that has carved out a distinct and distinguished niche within the industry and is known for its strong values and relationships with some of the best known companies in Corporate India. I look forward to working with Sam & his team of professionals to take Madison PR to the next level.”
Madison PR is a 12-year-old image management company specialising in innovative brand building techniques and campaigns. Its clients includes the likes of Procter & Gamble, Britannia, Godrej, Levis, Caf?© Coffee Day, Titan Fastrack, Parle Agro and many other brands; and has offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune.
MAM
Auto retail hits record February with 24.09 lakh units
Overall sales surge 25.62 per cent YoY, 2W, PV, CV, 3W and tractors set new February highs.
MUMBAI: February 2026 just floored the accelerator because when auto retail clocks its best-ever month, even the showroom floors feel the need for speed. The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) released February 2026 retail data on 5 March, revealing a landmark performance across segments. Total vehicle retails reached 24,09,362 units, up 25.62 per cent year-on-year, marking the strongest February on record for overall retail, two-wheelers (17,00,505 units, +25.02 per cent), passenger vehicles (3,94,768 units, +26.12 per cent), commercial vehicles (1,00,820 units, +28.89 per cent), three-wheelers (1,17,130 units, +24.39 per cent) and tractors (89,418 units, +36.35 per cent). Construction equipment was the lone exception, dipping 1.22% YoY to 6,721 units.
FADA president C S Vigneshwar said, “Feb’26 has turned out to be a landmark month for the Indian auto retail sector, further strengthening the positive momentum seen after the GST 2.0 announcement. Despite being a shorter month, the industry delivered an exceptional performance.”
Growth was broad-based. Two-wheelers saw urban markets rise 28.96 per cent YoY and rural 22.16 per cent YoY, driven by improved rural liquidity, attractive schemes and the marriage season. Passenger vehicles showed rural growth (34.21 per cent YoY) outpacing urban (21.12 per cent YoY), supporting small-car demand alongside continued SUV strength. Commercial vehicles benefited from freight availability, e-commerce activity and infrastructure push.
Inventory signals improved significantly in passenger vehicles, with levels dropping to 27–29 days closer to FADA’s recommended 21-day benchmark indicating healthier wholesale-retail alignment.
Looking ahead, dealer sentiment remains positive. For March 2026, 75.51 per cent of dealers expect growth, 19.90 per cent foresee stability and only 4.59 per cent anticipate decline, supported by festivals (Navratri, Ramzan, Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Eid) and financial year-end buying. Over the next three months (March–May 2026), 67.35 per cent expect growth (down from earlier optimism), 27.55 per cent flat and 5.10 per cent de-growth, pointing to a shift from sharp rebound to more stable expansion.
In a market where every segment is revving up, February 2026 didn’t just break records, it proved that when policy tailwinds meet rural recovery and retail discipline, the Indian auto story accelerates into overdrive.
