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Maruti Suzuki Ertiga to Renault Triber: Three most value-for-money MPVs in India under ₹15 lakh

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga to Renault Triber: Three most value-for-money MPVs in India under ₹15 lakh

Mint6 hours ago

The Indian car market has been witnessing a significant transition in consumer preference over the last couple of years. Gone are the days when consumers used to prefer hatchbacks, and the small cars used to be the driving force of the Indian passenger vehicle market. Over the last couple of years, utility vehicles, including SUVs and MPVs, have been finding an ever-increasing demand. This transition is in sync with the global market.
(Also read: Upcoming cars in India)
While SUVs have become the driving force of the Indian passenger vehicle market, MPVs too have been sustainably seeing high demand. This has propelled several carmakers to launch their respective products in this segment.
Here is a list of the three most popular MPVs that come priced under ₹ 15 lakh and offer the most value-for-money.
Maruti Suzuki Ertiga has been the bestselling MPV in the Indian passenger vehicle market for quite a long time. Sold through the car manufacturer's Arena retail network, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga comes priced from ₹ 9 lakh (ex-showroom). This spacious and practical three-row MPV is widely popular among private buyers as well as in the fleet segment. While the petrol engine with SHVS technology enhances its appeal, the availability of a petrol-CNG bi-fuel powertrain offers enhanced cost efficiency for the vehicle. The seven-seater MPV is one of the best-selling and most value-for-money offerings in the segment. Interestingly, under the Suzuki-Toyota global partnership, the Toyota Rumion is basically a rebadged iteration of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, which offers similar features.
The Renault Triber is one of the most affordable seven-seater cars in India. Available at a starting price of about ₹ 6 lakh, the Renault Triber is sold alongside its siblings, Kwid and Kiger. The Renault Triber is available with a 1.0-litre petrol engine, while the transmission choices include a manual gearbox as well as an AMT unit. Renault has recently introduced a CNG option to this MPV, which further enhances its practicality and value-for-money quotient. The Renault Triber comes with a four-star Global NCAP crash test rating, which is another feature in its kitty..

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'Routes Diversified': Minister Assures Fuel Supply Stability As Iran Mulls Strait Of Hormuz Shutdown
'Routes Diversified': Minister Assures Fuel Supply Stability As Iran Mulls Strait Of Hormuz Shutdown

News18

time43 minutes ago

  • News18

'Routes Diversified': Minister Assures Fuel Supply Stability As Iran Mulls Strait Of Hormuz Shutdown

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important oil transport chokepoints, carrying about one-fifth of the global oil output Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday assured citizens that India's fuel supply remains stable and secure, after Iran announced move to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route. In a post on X, Puri said India has closely monitored the evolving geopolitical situation for the past two weeks and has taken steps under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to diversify energy imports. 'We have diversified our supplies in the past few years and a large volume of our supplies do not come through the Strait of Hormuz now," Puri wrote. We have been closely monitoring the evolving geopolitical situation in the Middle East since the past two weeks. Under the leadership of PM @narendramodi Ji, we have diversified our supplies in the past few years and a large volume of our supplies do not come through the Strait…— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) June 22, 2025 'Our Oil Marketing Companies have supplies of several weeks and continue to receive energy supplies from several routes. We will take all necessary steps to ensure stability of supplies of fuel to our citizens," he added. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important oil transport chokepoints, carrying about one-fifth of the global oil output. Iran's parliament on Sunday approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz following US airstrikes on its nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — marking a dangerous escalation in the ongoing war between Iran and Israel. According to top Indian intelligence sources as reported by News18, the closure could lead to a global oil crisis worse than 1973, potentially triggering a global recession. India imports around 5.5 million barrels of crude oil per day, with about 2 million barrels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Sources warned that the strait's closure could choke 20–25% of the world's oil and 30% of global LNG trade, leading to oil prices shooting up to $200–$300 per barrel, which would severely impact the global economy. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a 45-minute phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday. Modi expressed deep concern over the recent escalations and stressed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, and immediate de-escalation. 'India stands for peace and humanity," PM Modi said. He also thanked Iran for helping ensure the safety and return of Indian nationals from the region.

Markets poised for a near-term dip, crude can worsen the sentiment
Markets poised for a near-term dip, crude can worsen the sentiment

Mint

timean hour ago

  • Mint

Markets poised for a near-term dip, crude can worsen the sentiment

US President Donald Trump announced that Washington has carried out strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, marking a direct involvement in the campaign initiated by Israel last week to dismantle Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Since the war started two weeks ago, the Nifty 50 and the Sensex 30 index have gained 1.59%. At the same time, crude oil prices have gained 2.19% to $76.57 per barrel. The US has long been watchful about Iran's expanding nuclear programme, with tensions rising especially a couple of years ago when Iran's uranium enrichment neared 83.7% (very close to weapons-grade, 90% enrichment), said Alok Agarwal, head-Quant and Fund Manager at Alchemy Capital Management. 'This concern has now escalated to the point of direct US military action, making the situation more volatile, in our view," he added. Read more: US strike on Iran raises oil shock, capital flow risks for India's economy From an Indian investment perspective, the primary concern isn't just the geopolitical tension itself—which mostly affects market sentiment—but the potential surge in crude oil prices, which would have a direct economic impact, Agarwal added. Moreover, a sharp spike—especially beyond the $100/barrel mark—would be a major concern for Indian markets, as India imports over 80% of its crude requirements. Crude price impact Aniruddha Sarkar, CIO at Quest Investment Advisors, said that the key concern for the market is the impact of rising crude prices, which could widen the current account deficit, fuel inflation, and weaken the rupee due to higher forex outflows owing to a higher fuel bill and foreign institutional investors (FII) selling in risk-off mode from emerging markets. The second stage impact, which could happen if the war persists for long, would be on sectors like oil marketing companies (OMCs), paints, and aviation, which could face cost pressures and perform negatively as crude prices climb, Sarkar added. However, he said that these impacts could remain short-lived as the war may not continue for a long time. While other experts believe that no further retaliation by Iran might actually lead to an upside in the Indian markets. "If Iran doesn't retaliate in a way that is surprising or nasty, markets could actually rally as investors reckon the tensions would abate, but if there are attacks on the Strait of Hormuz or on US bases, tensions could actually escalate and all bets would be off the table," said Nirmal Bhanwarlal Jain, founder of IIFL Group and managing director at IIFL Finance. Anthony Heredia, MD & CEO, Mahindra Manulife Investment Managers, said, 'If there is no escalatory move from Iran now or over the next few days, you may actually see positivity extending as in a risk-on market environment, people anecdotally find reasons to be optimistic rather than the other way around." Taking advantage Markets have shown remarkable resilience so far in the face of international skirmishes and tariff threats, and if there could be further escalation of tensions in the coming weeks if Iran were to retaliate, investors would do well to keep the powder dry to take advantage of any market correction, said Sandeep Bagla, CEO, TRUST Mutual Fund. Read more: Mint Explainer | Strait of Hormuz: Will Iran shut the vital oil artery of the world? George Thomas, fund manager at Quantum Mutual Fund, said that in the coming few days, markets are expected to be very volatile. Hence, investors should invest in a staggered manner, as it helps average out the cost and reduces risk. The India VIX index has fallen 9.13% since 13 June, when the war started. From a technical standpoint, the prolonged phase of consolidation has notably impacted key indicators, said Sudeep Shah, deputy vice president, head - Technical & Derivatives Research at SBI Securities. 'The upward slope of the short and medium-term moving averages has slowed down, reflecting a loss of momentum. Simultaneously, the daily RSI (Relative Strength Index) continues to move sideways, in line with the RSI range shift concept that suggests a lack of directional bias. Further, the trend strength indicator – ADX (Average Directional Index), is currently quoting near the 13 level, which was the lowest level since July 2024, which shows a lack of strength in either direction," Shah added. Shah added that the zone of 24,880-24,850 will act as immediate support for the Nifty 50 index. While on the upside, the zone of 25,200-25,250 will act as a crucial hurdle for the index, he said. However, India is in a better place than other times when there has been tension, experts say. 'While we find ourselves in a more inflationary than disinflationary environment, India has never been in a better place than it is now to handle the repercussions of the latest round of tensions," said Kenneth Andrade, founder and CIO of Old Bridge Capital Management. Even the Asian indices closed higher on Friday. The Hang Seng index closed 1.29% higher, the Kospi index closed 1.48% higher, and the CSI 300 index ended 0.09% higher. Where's oil headed? Under the severe outcome, oil prices could surge to $120-130 per barrel if the Strait of Hormuz is closed or there is a general Middle East conflagration, which could ignite retaliatory responses from major oil-producing countries, said JP Morgan in a report on 12 June. Concerns are that if Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, the global oil supply will be disrupted, which in turn will cause a rally in oil prices. Read more: Donald Trump's war dilemma: Should America put boots on the ground in Iran or not? However, historically, Iran has never fully closed the Strait of Hormuz, even during major conflicts like the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the rise in US-Iran tensions after 2011, or the fallout from the Iran nuclear deal (2018-2020). Experts say that this is because doing so would hurt Iran more than help it. About 20% of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which is also a key path for liquefied natural gas exports, especially from Qatar, one of the biggest suppliers. 'US naval forces in the Persian Gulf act as a strong military deterrent, and any closure attempt by Iran would risk severe retaliation," said Yes Institutional Equities in a report dated 18 June. It further added that Iran depends heavily on the Strait for its own oil exports and critical imports, making a blockade counterproductive. 'Moreover, shutting the Strait would harm regional allies like Qatar and Iraq, who also rely on the waterway, potentially straining Iran's strategic relationships. It would also violate international maritime law, further isolating Iran diplomatically," Yes Institutional Equities said. Hence, experts say that Iran has often used the threat of closing the Strait as a political tool to gain leverage in talks—without actually going through with it.

Iranian parliament recommends Strait of Hormuz closure: What may be in store for energy markets, India's oil imports
Iranian parliament recommends Strait of Hormuz closure: What may be in store for energy markets, India's oil imports

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

Iranian parliament recommends Strait of Hormuz closure: What may be in store for energy markets, India's oil imports

Following US airstrikes at Iranian nuclear facilities, Iran's parliament Sunday approved a motion calling for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit choke point in global energy flows. To be sure, it is up to Iran's Supreme National Security Council to decide on whether or not to go ahead to try and choke the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has in the past threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz on multiple occasions, but has never actually done it. Notwithstanding that, the heightened risk of the closure is bound to raise concerns globally, including in India, particularly with regard to oil and gas supply security, and could lead to a jump in energy prices. The global energy market has had its eyes set on the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict as the West Asian region is a critical cog in the international oil and gas flows. Indian refiners, too, have been watching the developments closely as the region accounts for a significant share of India's energy imports. Also, any major disruption in West Asian oil and gas exports could lead to a surge in oil and gas prices in the international market, which would also hurt India, which is counted among the world's largest oil and gas importers with high import dependency levels. To be sure, the conflict has so far not really disrupted physical oil and gas flows from the region, although shipping and insurance rates have gone up notably due to higher geopolitical risk premium,according to industry sources. There are also reports that a few shipping lines are reassessing routes in the region. This could further add to the transportation cost to and from the region. As for oil prices, benchmark Brent crude was at $77 per barrel on Friday, its highest level in nearly five months. It is likely that oil prices will surge when the markets open Monday over the possibility of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. At May-end, Brent was languishing around $63 per barrel. But oil prices rose sharply with Israel and Iran entering into a military conflict over the past couple of weeks. However, despite some energy infrastructure being hit in the conflict over the past few days, the most critical oil and gas supply infrastructure in the region is reported to be safe and export routes open and functional. Energy industry insiders, trade sources, and experts appear largely unanimous in the view that the trajectory oil and gas supplies and prices take hereon amid this conflict would largely depend on whether the critical Strait of Hormuz will indeed be closed by Iran, and whether oil and gas export infrastructure in the region would remain largely unharmed. Strait of Hormuz: World's most critical energy trade choke point Strait of Hormuz is a critical narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, and connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) calls it the 'world's most important oil transit chokepoint', with around one-fifth of global liquid petroleum fuel consumption and global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade transiting the strait. Much of India's oil from key West Asian suppliers like Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE reaches Indian ports via the Strait of Hormuz. A bulk of India's LNG imports, which come predominantly from Qatar, also come through this vital choke point. India is the world's third-largest consumer of crude oil and depends on imports to meet over 85 per cent of its requirement. The country is also among the top importers of LNG, depending on imports to meet around half of its natural gas demand. India's largest source of crude oil is Russia, followed by West Asian suppliers Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. India also buys oil from other countries in the region like Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. Indian refiners do not purchase Iranian crude as Iran's energy sector is under US sanctions. According to tanker data analysed by The Indian Express, nearly 47 per cent of crude oil imported by Indian refiners in May was likely to have been transported via the Strait of Hormuz. The importance of the chokepoint for India's energy supply and security cannot be understated. To be sure, Tehran has over the years made such threats at various points, but has never actually closed the strait even when it fought its worst wars. That is also because given the importance of the channel for global energy trade, any such attempt could draw a strong response from regional powers and even the US. Also, given that Iran itself depends on the Strait of Hormuz for its trade, particularly oil exports to China, any blockade could impact Tehran considerably, experts pointed out. 'First and foremost, such a blockade would disproportionately harm China, which sources 47% of its seaborne crude from the Middle East Gulf, including Iranian volumes. Iran's ability to maintain its sole major oil customer would be directly jeopardised. Additionally, Tehran has made deliberate efforts over the past two years to rebuild ties with key regional actors, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both of which rely heavily on the Strait for exports and have publicly condemned Israel's actions. Sabotaging their flows would risk unraveling those diplomatic gains,' commodity market analytics firm Kpler said in a note on June 19. '…while the rhetoric may generate headlines, the fundamentals argue strongly against action,' the Kpler note said. 'It's really hard to tell, but I would say it's very unlikely for that (blockade of the Strait of Hormuz) to happen. And we've seen in the past, whenever there were indications or even threats that Iran might be doing this, you would hear statements from the US Fifth Fleet that they would immediately intervene and they would unblock the strait. Of course, it's something that we need to flag as a risk,' Kpler's head of Middle East energy & OPEC+ insights had said in a webinar last week. Hormuz closure will hurt energy import-dependent India Given the fact that the Iranian parliament has recommended the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the possibility cannot be dismissed. In fact, given that the regime in Tehran is perhaps fighting for survival, Iran might just attempt something that it has only threatened in the past. If the critical water channel indeed is closed by Iran, Bakr said oil prices, which have been rather subdued for a few months now, could jump to over $120 per barrel, or even touch $150. Apart from supply disruption for India, the surge in international energy prices due to any such blockade would hit India due to its heavy reliance on imported oil. This makes India's economy vulnerable to global oil price fluctuations. It also has a bearing on the country's trade deficit, foreign exchange reserves, the rupee's exchange rate, and inflation rate, among others. Major oil producers like Saudi Arabia and the UAE have some alternative infrastructure in the form of pipelines to bypass the Strait of Hormuz for oil exports, but to what extent that would help would depend on the extent of the disruption to exports via the strait. According to officials in India's refining sector, the prospect of elevated freight rates due to high risk premium for tankers passing through the strait would lead to higher landed price of oil and gas for them, but that would still be significantly better than runaway oil prices due to any major supply disruption, which would be nearly certain if the Strait of Hormuz is shut for oil tankers. Threat to West Asian oil exports: Price impact So far, Iranian oil export infrastructure doesn't appear to have been majorly hit by Israel, which is a relief for the energy markets and countries like India, even though they do not buy oil from Iran. This is because some Chinese refiners buy bulk Iranian oil and if Iran's oil exports are majorly impaired due to the conflict, these buyers will be forced to scout for oil from other sources, which could lead to higher oil prices. 'If Iranian crude exports are disrupted, Chinese refiners, the sole buyers of Iranian barrels—would need to seek alternative grades from other Middle Eastern countries and Russian crudes. This could also boost freight rates and tanker insurance premiums… and hurt refinery margins, particularly in Asia,' Richard Joswick, head of near-term oil analysis at S&P Global Commodity Insights, said in a note recently. While oil producers' cartel OPEC has significant spare production capacity that they can use in case of a major outage of Iranian oil exports, it is important to note that much of that is with other West Asian oil producers, which are located in the broader Israel-Iran conflict zone. According to industry watchers, this spare capacity will only be helpful if other oil producers in the region are able to export to the rest of the world effectively. And that would have two key prerequisites—their own oil production and export infrastructure remains unharmed and the Strait of Hormuz remains open and safe for energy trade. Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More

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