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Passenger vehicle retail sales fall 7% in August: Automobile dealers’ body FADA

Total sales across categories declined 26.81 per cent to 11,88,087 units last month as against 16,23,218 units in the year-ago month.

Total sales across categories declined 26.81 per cent to 11,88,087 units last month as against 16,23,218 units in the year-ago month.

Entry level passenger vehicles were in high demand as personal mobility is being preferred with current pandemic showing no signs of slowing down, he added.

FADA(Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations) President Vinkesh Gulati noted that urban centres were also now showing signs of recovery.However, the overall demand is still not back to pre-COVID-19 levels as banks and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) continue to have a cautious approach towards funding, especially commercial vehicles, he added.

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Climate change may cause 26% habitat loss for snow trout in Himalayan rivers: Study

The study says mountain systems across the globe are conspicuously sensitive to on-going climate alterations and the condition is much more detrimental in the Himalaya, where the rate of warming, and thus the glacier meltdown, is much higher than elsewhere.
The study reiterates that if the countries across the globe continue their greenhouse emissions as usual (mentioning it as the ‘business-as-usual scenario’), “the species (snow trout) would lose a net habitat of 16.29% till the year 2050 which would further increase to 26.56% in the year 2070.”

“As it stands, the snow trout faces serious threats due to river valley modifications, destructive fishing practices and exotic salmonid introductions,” it says.

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Mahindra Insurance Brokers launches paybima.com

Jaideep Devare, managing director, ‎Mahindra Insurance Brokers said, “The financial services industry is witnessing the rise of a new tech-savvy millennial customer segment, augmented by increasing internet penetration and smartphone usage. PayBima, with its advanced analytics and personalised customer journeys, reinvent our offerings and leverage technology to cater to the evolving needs of our customers.”

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RBI in process of constructing digital payment index to assess extent of digitisation: Exec director

“RBI is in the process of…constructing and periodically publishing a composite digital payment index (DPI) to capture the extent of digitisation. The DPI could be the key to accurately measure the deepening and penetration of digital payments across the country,” he said while addressing a webinar organised by the US-India Business Council.

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Pandemic e-commerce surge spurs race for ‘Tesla-like’ electric delivery vans

UPS, Amazon.com Inc  and other e-commerce delivery companies are both creating and shaping the emerging market for electric vans and trucks. Economics and competitive advantages created by data will drive the market for electric commercial vehicles.

Demand for electric commercial vehicles is accelerating in part because battery range, long a concern for fleets, has improved dramatically, while battery costs have fallen.

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UK PM plans law banning large gatherings as COVID-19 cases rise

“We need to act now to stop the virus spreading. So we are simplifying and strengthening the rules on social contact making them easier to understand and for the police to enforce,It is absolutely critical that people now abide by these rules and remember the basics washing your hands, covering your face, keeping space from others, and getting a test if you have symptoms,”  UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

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US, European Covid-19 vaccine developers pledge to uphold testing rigour

According to the statement, the nine companies pledge to follow established guidance from expert regulatory authorities such as the FDA.

Among other hurdles, approval must be based on large, diverse clinical trials with comparative groups that do not receive the vaccine in question. Participants and those working on the trial must not know which group they belong to, according to the pledge.

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