Oberoi Concours d'Elegance returns to Udaipur in 2026 for its second edition
Following its debut, the Oberoi Concours d'Elegance is set to return for its much-anticipated second edition from 20th to 22nd February 2026 at the Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur. The event brings together rare vintage cars and motorcycles from across the globe in an opulent setting.Recognised as the 'Concours Event of the Year' at the 2024 Concours Year Awards and the 'Breakthrough Event of the Year' at the International Historic Motoring Awards 2024, the Oberoi Concours has rapidly risen to international acclaim. The 2026 edition promises to elevate this legacy, blending timeless elegance with the passion of motoring history.advertisementKicking off with the Tour d'Elegance, participants will enjoy a scenic drive around Udaipur's iconic Fatehsagar Lake, setting the stage for an unforgettable weekend. The event will feature a lineup of judges and motoring legends, led by Sandra Button, Chairman of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The judging panel also includes Sir Jackie Stewart, Jacky Ickx, Giacomo Agostini, Derek Bell MBE, Professor Gordon Murray, Professor Peter Stevens, Prince Michael of Kent, Sir Michael Kadoorie, and Jean Todt.
Motorcycle entries will be overseen by David McKirdy, returning as Chief Judge, while renowned automotive personality Simon Kidston will once again serve as the Voice of the Concours, guiding guests through this celebration of automotive artistry.Rare and distinguished show categoriesThe 2026 edition will feature meticulously curated categories:AutomobilesPre-War Classics – European (1918–1945)Pre-War Classics – American (1918–1945)Post-War Classics – European (1946–1970)Post-War Classics – American (1946–1970)Pre-War Rolls Royce (1904–1945)Cars of the Maharajas – Jodhpur (1900–1955)Indian Heritage – Preservation (1947–1972)Indian Heritage – Motor Racing (1947–1989)Youngtimer Classics (1975–1990)Indian Coachbuilt: Then & Now (1920–1945)advertisementMotorcyclesVeteran – Vintage (1900–1930)Pre-War Classics (1931–1945)Post-War Classics (1946–1969)Indian Heritage – Motor Racing (1947–1989)The selection of vehicles will be overseen by a distinguished committee, chaired by Arjun Oberoi, Executive Chairman of The Oberoi Group. The committee includes David McKirdy, Nigel Mathews, Diljeet Titus, Ranjit Pratap, Karl Bhote, and Siddhraj Singh. The event is curated by automotive historian Manvendra Singh Barwani.Arjun Oberoi, Chairman of The Oberoi Concours Committee, stated, "The Oberoi Concours d'Elegance has set a new standard for automotive events in India and beyond. Its global recognition is a testament to our commitment to celebrating the finest classic automobiles and motorcycles in an extraordinary setting. We are delighted to welcome collectors and enthusiasts back to The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur for an even more spectacular second edition."Curator Manvendra Singh Barwani added, 'This event showcases India's deep-rooted automotive heritage and its growing significance on the global concours circuit. We look forward to gathering some of the world's most remarkable classic vehicles, judged by an exceptional panel of experts, in a truly regal setting.'Owners of exceptional classic vehicles can submit their entries for consideration.Subscribe to Auto Today Magazine
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Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Europeans seek 'digital sovereignty' as US tech firms embrace Trump
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Wirths said the type of people coming to the stall had changed: "Before, it was people who knew a lot about data privacy. Now it's people who are politically aware and feel exposed." Tesla chief Elon Musk, who also owns social media company X, was a leading adviser to the US president before the two fell out, while the bosses of Amazon, Meta and Google-owner Alphabet took prominent spots at Trump's inauguration in January. Days before Trump took office, outgoing president Joe Biden had warned of an oligarchic "tech industrial complex" threatening democracy. Berlin-based search engine Ecosia says it has benefited from some customers' desire to avoid US counterparts like Microsoft's Bing or Google, which dominates web searches and is also the world's biggest email provider. "The worse it gets, the better it is for us," founder Christian Kroll said of Ecosia, whose sales pitch is that it spends its profits on environmental projects. Similarweb data shows the number of queries directed to Ecosia from the European Union has risen 27% year-on-year and the company says it has 1% of the German search engine market. But its 122 million visits from the 27 EU countries in February were dwarfed by 10.3 billion visits to Google, whose parent Alphabet made revenues of about $100 billion from Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 2024 - nearly a third of its $350 billion global turnover. Non-profit Ecosia earned 3.2 million euros ($3.65 million) in April, of which 770,000 euros was spent on planting 1.1 million trees. Google declined to comment for this story. Reuters could not determine whether major US tech companies have lost any market share to local rivals in Europe. Digital sovereignty The search for alternative providers accompanies a debate in Europe about "digital sovereignty" - the idea that reliance on companies from an increasingly isolationist United States is a threat to Europe's economy and security. "Ordinary people, the kind of people who would never have thought it was important they were using an American service are saying, 'hang on!'," said UK-based internet regulation expert Maria Farrell. "My hairdresser was asking me what she should switch to." Use in Europe of Swiss-based ProtonMail rose 11.7% year-on-year to March compared to a year ago, according to Similarweb, while use of Alphabet's Gmail, which has some 70% of the global email market, slipped 1.9%. ProtonMail, which offers both free and paid-for services, said it had seen an increase in users from Europe since Trump's re-election, though it declined to give a number. "My household is definitely disengaging," said British software engineer Ken Tindell, citing weak US data privacy protections as one factor. Trump's vice president JD Vance shocked European leaders in February by accusing them - at a conference usually known for displays of transatlantic unity - of censoring free speech and failing to control immigration. In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened visa bans for people who "censor" speech by Americans, including on social media, and suggested the policy could target foreign officials regulating US tech companies. US social media companies like Facebook and Instagram parent Meta have said the European Union's Digital Services Act amounts to censorship of their platforms. EU officials say the Act will make the online environment safer by compelling tech giants to tackle illegal content, including hate speech and child sexual abuse material. Greg Nojeim, director of the Security and Surveillance Project at the Center for Democracy & Technology, said Europeans' concerns about the US government accessing their data, whether stored on devices or in the cloud, were justified. Not only does US law permit the government to search devices of anyone entering the country, it can compel disclosure of data that Europeans outside the US store or transmit through US communications service providers, Nojeim said. Mission impossible? Germany's new government is itself making efforts to reduce exposure to US tech, committing in its coalition agreement to make more use of open-source data formats and locally-based cloud infrastructure. Regional governments have gone further - in conservative-run Schleswig-Holstein, on the Danish border, all IT used by the public administration must run on open-source software. Berlin has also paid for Ukraine to access a satellite-internet network operated by France's Eutelsat instead of Musk's Starlink. But with modern life driven by technology, "completely divorcing US tech in a very fundamental way is, I would say, possibly not possible," said Bill Budington of US digital rights nonprofit the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Everything from push notifications to the content delivery networks powering many websites and how internet traffic is routed relies largely on US companies and infrastructure, Budington noted. Both Ecosia and French-based search engine Qwant depend in part on search results provided by Google and Microsoft's Bing, while Ecosia runs on cloud platforms, some hosted by the very same tech giants it promises an escape from. Nevertheless, a group on messaging board Reddit called BuyFromEU has 211,000 members. "Just cancelled my Dropbox and will switch to Proton Drive," read one post. Mastodon, a decentralised social media service developed by German programmer Eugen Rochko, enjoyed a rush of new users two years ago when Musk bought Twitter, later renamed X. But it remains a niche service. Signal , a messaging app run by a US nonprofit foundation, has also seen a surge in installations from Europe. Similarweb's data showed a 7% month-on-month increase in Signal usage in March, while use of Meta's WhatsApp was static. Meta declined to comment for this story. Signal did not respond to an e-mailed request for comment. But this kind of conscious self-organising is unlikely on its own to make a dent in Silicon Valley's European dominance, digital rights activist Robin Berjon told Reuters. "The market is too captured," he said. "Regulation is needed as well."
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
European carmakers Renault, Volkswagen and Skoda struggle to boost sales in India
European mass market car manufacturers like Renault , Volkswagen and Skoda continue to find it hard to expand their presence in the India market, witnessing a decline in sales in the last three financial years, industry data showed. According to data released by JATO Dynamics, a leading provider of data and analytics to the global automotive industry, Renault saw the biggest sales dip in India to 37,900 units in 2024-2025 from 45,439 units in 2023-2024, and 78,926 units in 2022-2023. Skoda had a similar story with sales in 2024-2025 at 44,866 units, marginally higher from 44,522 units in 2023-2024, but down from 52,269 units in 2022-2023. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search ads Learn More Volkswagen reported sales of 42,230 units in 2024-25, down from 43,197 units in 2023-2024. The brand had reported sales of 41,263 units in 2022-2023. "Renault, Skoda, and Volkswagen faced several headwinds in India despite their tenure," JATO Dynamics India President Ravi G Bhatia told PTI. Live Events Explaining why these brands have struggled in India, he said, "Initially, these brands focused heavily on sedans like Vento, Rapid, and Scala, which limited their exposure to the fast-expanding SUV segment." Bhatia added, "They were slower in refreshing product lines, with many models remaining unchanged over extended periods. Network reach has also remained narrow, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, restricting access to a broader audience." Adding to the woes of these brands is "India's unique tax structure, where sub-4-metre vehicles benefit from significantly lower levies". "This has favoured Japanese and Korean OEMs known for cost-effective compact cars. European brands, by contrast, traditionally build larger models and have struggled to deliver competitive offerings within this constraint," Bhatia noted. Under the current GST policy, passenger vehicles (petrol, CNG, LPG) up to 4 metres in length and up to 1200cc engine attract GST of 28 per cent and 1 per cent compensation cess. Passenger vehicles (diesel) up to 4 metres in length and up to 1500 cc engine is levied 28 per cent GST and 3 per cent compensation cess. Passenger vehicles of length above 4 metre and engine capacity 1500 cc attract 28 per cent GST and cess of 17 per cent, while those above 1500 cc engine size attract a similar rate of 28 per cent GST and cess of 17 per cent. On the contrary, passenger vehicles, popularly known as SUVs above 4 metres in length, above 1,500cc engine and more than 170 mm in ground clearance attract 28 per cent GST with 22 per cent compensation cess. Bhatia noted that while domestic OEMs like Tata, Mahindra and market leader Maruti Suzuki have captured market share through high localisation, frequent product launches, and early adoption of alternative fuel engines including CNG, hybrids and BEVs, the European players have lagged in electric and hybrid offerings. However, he said, "There are signs of course correction. Skoda, for instance, recently launched the Kylaq, a subcompact SUV tailored for India." On the path forward for these European brands, he said it "may lie in leveraging India for exports and R&D while focusing on under-4-metre, cost-competitive platforms".
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Bitcoin as a hedge: Evaluating Bitcoin's role in India's economic strategy
Since Bitcoin's first public release, it has developed unprecedentedly to arguably become the world's best-performing risk asset. Based on its capability for hedging against inflation , and the emergence of DeFi (Decentralised Finance), Bitcoin has witnessed increased adoption across levels, including retail, institutional and government participation. With increased activity by state players like the USA, Bhutan, El Salvador, Russia, Brazil, and many others, India is in a unique dilemma regarding Bitcoin: to be or not to be? If we take a close look at India's economic policies over the last decade and compare them with pre-Bitcoin times, a stark difference can be seen. Pre-2009 India's economic strategies were overtly reactionary to global cues, which have been transformed in the last decade as the country positions itself as one of the most proactive nations regarding economic growth. The impact of this has been massive, with India becoming the 4th largest economy in the world. At the same time, India is increasingly becoming receptive to newer economic models and experiments, something that could be highlighted through the proposed Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill of 2021, and the Supreme Court's recent direction to regulate the sector. Crypto Tracker TOP COIN SETS Crypto Blue Chip - 5 -5.10% Buy Web3 Tracker -10.91% Buy AI Tracker -11.52% Buy DeFi Tracker -12.23% Buy NFT & Metaverse Tracker -12.54% Buy TOP COINS (₹) Bitcoin 8,904,124 ( -0.56% ) Buy BNB 54,750 ( -1.64% ) Buy XRP 180 ( -2.07% ) Buy Solana 11,798 ( -2.86% ) Buy Ethereum 198,264 ( -5.56% ) Buy While many project it as a negative aspect, the intent of regulating an otherwise decentralised sector highlights the government's openness to get involved in it, especially given that India boasts one of the world's fastest Bitcoin-adopting populations. Did you Know? The world of cryptocurrencies is very dynamic. Prices can go up or down in a matter of seconds. Thus, having reliable answers to such questions is crucial for investors. View Details » This also means that in the long term, Bitcoin is increasingly garnering a favourable sentiment from the policymakers who are setting India's economic strategy for the years ahead. But questions remain — what does Bitcoin offer India's economic strategy that traditional models don't? Let's find out. Live Events Bitcoin's a hedge against inflation Global economies are going through uncertain times owing to several internal and external factors. While we will not indulge in making mathematical assumptions, if we take a look at the data of benchmark indices around the world, like the S&P 500 to the Hang Seng, it becomes clear that these indices have not performed as well as their projections. On the other hand, the global commodity market has been largely vulnerable to market dynamics. These factors have led nations to look at alternative finance or DeFi, in terms of Bitcoin, as the new-age asset has provided multibagger returns in the last few years. BTC has not only outperformed global indices, but also commodities like Gold and Silver — a trend that has piqued the interest of economists around the world. For instance, the US retail inflation on March 25 was 2.4%, as per the Consumer Price Index, a significant rise from the previous year. Similar cases of inflation have been seen in European countries like the United Kingdom and the EU. In the Indian context, the retail inflation rate has been on a downward curve for the past three years, owing to the country's economic rise in recent years, coming down to 4.6% in 2024-25 from 6.7% in FY 22-23. If we look at annualised returns over different global indices, Bitcoin has returned over 250%, more than 10 times that of NASDAQ in the second spot. In the Indian context, the Nifty 50 gave a return of approximately 40% since FY 22-23, highlighting how participation and adoption in the Bitcoin space could help India's economic strategy in the long run. Role in India's economic strategy? While many nations around the world have made significant strides in Bitcoin already, such as the USA, Bhutan and El Salvador, much of it has been reactionary. In India, DeFi is emerging as a real possibility for government participation, however, much of it weighs on the possibility of establishing a regulatory framework. India has been a vocal advocate of creating a global framework for regulating Bitcoin and other VDAs, and it is being considered as the lynchpin of the country officially joining the race. However, while officially the Indian government does not endorse Bitcoin, prominent reports have revealed that the country has used Bitcoin for energy trade with one of its European allies. While the efficacy of the report has not been admitted by the Indian government, what it shows is Bitcoin's increasing popularity at the upper echelons of the government. However, the significant tax levied on the capital gains from Bitcoin and other VDAs is largely considered counterproductive in this aspect. We must understand that India's economic strategy to become a developed nation by 2047, or the goal of Viksit Bharat, is a multilayered strategy. While Bitcoin is not included in the ongoing cohort, its rising popularity and governmental agencies like SEBI and RBI having strong opinions on the asset means it may have a role to play in the future, given that regulations or frameworks are established in a universally accepted means. This does not mean that India may create a Bitcoin strategic reserve, or use it as legal tender like El Salvador, but in a larger context that benefits the country's bid to become a developed nation. Furthermore, the already existing high adoption rate will supplement this bid and could position India as one of the innovators when it comes to a robust economic strategy. (The author Roshan Aslam is Cofounder & CEO, GoSats. Views are own)
