MAM
Truebil announces ‘sober’ campaign for safer driving
MUMBAI: Truebil, an omni-channel platform for buying and selling of pre-owned cars, launched its ‘I am sober’ campaign, aimed at ensuring a safe and secure night of merrymaking for its users this New Year’s eve.
During the campaign, users who bought cars from Truebil outlets on 31 December were provided with breathalyser equipped car keys. The breathalyser and the car keys will both be fitted with a nano-chip and the car keys will only unlock if the driver’s alcohol consumption limit is within the legal amount. To avoid any inconvenience Truebil ensured it sent out its own drivers to pick up and drop off customers who were above the legal alcohol limit.
Drunken driving is one of the major factors for fatal road-accidents in the country, with Delhi alone reporting the prosecution of as many as 28,006 motorists for driving under the influence last year. The problem assumes epic proportions during New Year’s Eve, when people attend numerous parties during a single night and often drive recklessly on a ‘high.’ With the government, bars, restaurants and many public-service bodies also making arrangements such as booking cabs, providing temporary stay-ins or drop-off facilities, Truebil’s initiative provides further strength to the arrangements required to make the last night of 2017 a joyous one for everybody.
Truebil co-founder and chief of marketing and growth Shubh Bansal says, “The amount of DUI cases and drunken driving related accidents reaches a peak every New Year’s eve, and even after numerous efforts, the pattern repeats itself every year. We at Truebil decided to contribute towards ensuring safety on the last night of 2017 by ensuring our users are not able even start their vehicles if they have consumed alcohol above the legal limit. This initiative has been initiated considering the long-term benefit of our users while ensuring that they begin the New Year in a joyous note instead of dealing with the repercussions of a drunk driving induced accident.”
Brands
Tata Sons defers decision on chairman N Chandrasekaran’s third term
Term runs till 2027, but board differences are stalling extension talks
MUMBAI: Tata Sons has deferred a decision on whether to extend the tenure of its chairman, N Chandrasekaran, injecting fresh uncertainty into the leadership timeline of India’s largest conglomerate.
The board had last year cleared a third executive term for Chandrasekaran running until February 2027, when he turned 65. However, deliberations on any further extension were put on hold this week after differences emerged during a board meeting, CNBC-TV18 reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The pause underscores internal strains as the group pushes through an aggressive investment cycle while grappling with uneven financial returns. The Economic Times reported that Chandrasekaran himself asked for discussions on his reappointment to be deferred after some directors raised concerns about mounting losses at several newer businesses.
Those concerns were led by Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, the principal shareholder of Tata Sons. Other board members countered that losses were expected in early-stage, capital-intensive ventures designed to secure the group’s long-term position.
Since taking charge in 2017, following the ouster of Cyrus Mistry, Chandrasekaran has driven a phase of expansion and consolidation. Over the past five years, the tata group has nearly doubled revenue and more than tripled net profit and market capitalisation, while committing about Rs 5.5 lakh crore to investments aimed at making the conglomerate “future fit”, according to its latest annual report.
Recent numbers, however, present a more mixed picture. Tata Sons reported a 24 per cent rise in revenue to Rs 5.92 lakh crore in fiscal 2025, while net profit fell 17 per cent to Rs 28,898 crore.
In its annual report, the company said the year opened with expectations of macroeconomic stability and easing inflation. That optimism faded as uncertainty over global trade policy intensified, complicating the operating environment.
For now, the question of leadership continuity at the apex of the Tata Group remains unresolved and closely watched by investors assessing the cost and conviction behind the conglomerate’s long-term bets.
