Five stories from India’s consumer economy this morning, and the numbers underneath them.
1. Used-car transfers cost ten times the official fee
The Ease of Vehicle Ownership Index 2026, released by IndiaTech and Consumer VOICE, examined ownership transfers across 15 states covering more than 85% of India’s organised used-car market. Tamil Nadu’s official fee is about Rs 800; at RTOs in Hosur and Krishnagiri buyers paid Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000. In Muzaffarpur it reached Rs 14,000. Every respondent used an agent, 63% could not estimate the total cost, and 39% were still waiting for their registration certificate after the sale closed. The read is that the money buys knowledge of the process, not the process itself. (Autocar Professional)
2. Dabur’s food business outgrew its core
Dabur India reported September-quarter revenue of Rs 3,563.07 crore, up 11.7%, and profit attributable to owners of Rs 505.50 crore, up by the same 11.7%. EBITDA rose 12.7% to Rs 645.82 crore, lifting the margin ten basis points to 18.1%. Consumer care, about 83% of revenue, grew 11.4%. Food grew 14.1% to Rs 531.38 crore. No volume number was disclosed, which for 11.7% value growth is the one figure that would say whether this was more product sold or the same product priced higher. (InCred Money)
3. Orkla India’s input bill outran its revenue
Orkla India, which owns MTR and Eastern, grew September-quarter revenue 19.4% to Rs 776.16 crore and profit after tax 19.2% to Rs 91.42 crore. Raw and packing material cost rose 27.2%, and purchase of stock-in-trade rose 63.6%. The EBITDA margin still held at 15.8%, flat on a year ago. Employee cost growing 2.1% against revenue growing 19.4% explains part of that. Buying 63.6% more finished goods to resell suggests a growing share of what Orkla sells is made by somebody else, which on these numbers is a reasonable read rather than a settled fact. (InCred Money)
4. GIVA raised Rs 975 crore for 160 stores
GIVA has raised Rs 975 crore, about $103 million, led by Multiples Alternate Asset Management, with Epiq Capital and Edelweiss Discovery Fund participating. The silver and lab-grown-diamond brand has around 425 stores and will add 160 in FY27, weighted toward tier II and tier III cities. FY26 revenue was Rs 865 crore against Rs 505 crore in FY25, with a negative EBITDA margin that has narrowed from double digits to single digits. Profitability after tax is promised for FY28. The last announced valuation was Rs 4,500 to Rs 4,600 crore; this one is higher by an amount GIVA has not disclosed. (Inc42)
5. Mercedes wants 20% of its India sales electric by 2027
Mercedes-Benz expects battery-electric cars to be more than 20% of its India sales by 2027, up from a high-single-digit share this year, chairman Ola Kallenius said in India on Tuesday. He also said combustion engines will stay in the portfolio another 10 to 15 years, diesel included. Electric cars were 8.5% of India’s overall passenger-vehicle retail in September, so a 20% luxury share would run well ahead of the broader market. At Rs 1 crore the price gap between an electric and a petrol model matters far less than at Rs 10 lakh, which perhaps makes the target less steep than it reads. (Autocar Professional)
The full edition, with three more briefs and the deeper reads on each story, is here: https://theinsightlabs.in/daily/2026-11-05
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