Indian manufacturers have huge potential to tap into the global market as more businesses are looking at suppliers and opportunities in India, said Parag Sharma, vice-president of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, India and Asia Pacific Region, Stellantis.

Speaking in Coimbatore city on Thursday (September 10) at the inaugural of a three-day Inter Foundry and Inter DieCast exhibition organised by the Foundries Development Foundation and VA Exhibitions at the CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex, he said the Indian foundry sector has grown multi-fold in the past two decades.

The expectation of global players from India is also high. Many multinational companies are looking for suppliers and opportunities in India. If foundries invest in modern technologies, the sector will start attracting more personnel, he said. 

According to Sreenivas Naidu, executive director of ZF Wind Power Coimbatore, India has the resilience to continue supplies despite global challenges. The West Asia war has not stopped supplies from India, he pointed out and urged the Indian manufacturing sector to focus on sustaining quality and delivery schedules.

Jayakumar Ramdass, chairman of the third edition of the exhibition, said the Foundries Development Foundation and Germany-based VDMA have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand the Inter Foundry and Inter DieCast exhibition as well as for space for Indian foundries at the trade fair GIFA, which will be held in Germany.

Ashwani Pande, chief executive officer of VA Exhibitions, said the event this year has 322 exhibitors occupying 18,000 sq.mt of space. This includes 39 exhibitors from other countries as well as China, Italy and Germany pavilions.

The United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) has urged the government to maintain status quo on the import duty on natural rubber as a section of the rubber user industry has sought reduction of the import duty on key inputs and raw materials.

Ajoy Thipaiah, the Association president, said in a statement that the rubber plantation sector sustains nearly 13.2 lakh growers and provides employment to around 4.2 lakh workers. India currently has about 9.4 lakh hectares under natural rubber cultivation, with production in FY26 estimated at approximately nine lakh tonnes.

The domestic rubber prices have shown a ‘modest upward trend’ in recent months due to geopolitical developments and production shortages both, globally and domestically. However, Indian rubber prices remained subdued in comparison with international prices over the last two years. The prices of major inputs such as fertilisers, plant protection chemicals, and skilled labour have increased at 8-12% over the past decade.

Santosh Kumar, chairman, Rubber Committee of the Association, added that imports of natural rubber and compound rubber have increased considerably over the years. Of particular concern is the growing share of compound rubber imports, accounting for nearly 40% of total rubber imports. Most of this is imported from ASEAN countries duty free, he said.

Divy Nandan was back after a test drive before the races commenced at The Indian Racing Festival. Representing Hyderabad Blackbirds, owned by actor Naga Chaitanya, he was at ease, as his team was busy looking at technical side of the car.

We were at the first-ever Goa edition of The Indian Racing Festival at the Manohar International Airport, which has transformed Goa into a motorsport hub for the high-octane Formula Street Race Weekend (February 14 and 15). The event marks a significant moment in the festival’s rapid rise, with Round 4 of the championship unfolding at Goa.

I took a peep inside what is called the hotseat. Or the hot pit, as the car stood on the track rest area under the afternoon sun. It is a tight space; the controls are not bigger than an iPad screen. 

Divy sounded excited, stressed that he was not nervous and aimed to enjoy every bit of the game irrespective of the final outcome. Divy added, “Winning is the goal; it is also about gaining experience, learning and improving. I have been driving on these tracks and this is my first association with Hyderabad Blackbirds.” 

Hailing from Gurgaon, he started racing in a hired car at the age of 17. “I started pretty late, but I was in the right space,” said the protégé of India’s first Formula 1 driver, Narain Karthikeyan. “I started my career at the NK Racing Academy,” he added.

He won national titles and then went on to score points on the UK’s fastest circuits within a few seasons. Notably, he returned from an 18-month hiatus in 2024 to finish fourth in the Indian F4 Championship. Off the track, he has a BBA degree.

Some of Divy’s key achievements are GB3 Championship Debut (2025) at Silverstone Circuit, Indian Touring Cars (ITC) Vice Champion (2025), and RF Formula 2000 Race Winner (2023). He also completed six rounds of the British F4 Championship and scored points at Thruxton, UK’s fastest racing track. 

When asked about the driver’s cockpit, he explained, “Our seats are moulded according to our body shape. So they are most comfortable, so much that I can sleep inside it.” 

What about the heat? “That’s something we get used to and don’t mind at all,” he signed off.