TVS Motor Company

By Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra

NEW DELHI, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Hours after India made public assurances last week that its ethanol-blended petrol was safe, the country's main auto lobby withdrew a complaint about fuel contamination it had sent to the government a week earlier. The group said some figures needed more checks.

But separate communications between industry executives, reviewed by Reuters, showed that in the preceding days, top automakers Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS, Tata Motors TAMO.NS and Mahindra MAHM.NS discussed their concerns about contamination of petrol blended with 20% ethanol, called E20.

Their data compiled the most comprehensive fuel testing done by the industry since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government started rolling out E20 nationwide from last year to help curb pollution and cut oil imports.

With no other petrol available since April 1, consumer concerns have grown about the impact on vehicle performance.

The carmakers' emails show for the first time how they are privately worried about contaminants in E20, like chloride and moisture, which they say are hurting vehicles, even as they publicly back the government's rollout of the fuel.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) withdrew its July 28 letter on fuel contamination after a government and public uproar over the warning, saying "some numbers" need "authentication".

The previously unreported industry data and emails reviewed by Reuters show "multiple" automakers had already conducted extensive tests by collecting over 250 fuel samples from pumps over a year from as many as 21 of India's 36 states and territories. They found high chloride contamination in many of the samples in 18 states, as well as high moisture content.

The executives' emails raised no concern about data authentication.

Asked for comment on the private emails, SIAM told Reuters the data was intended only for internal circulation, discussion and validation, and collected by "very few" automakers.

Maruti, Tata and Mahindra, who were part of the SIAM internal emails seen by Reuters, account for 67% of India's car market.

As "the testing basis and sample size were insufficient to support definitive conclusions, the communication was withdrawn" as it was sent inadvertently, SIAM said, adding it intends to undertake a proper scientific study.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas did not respond to requests for comment. Its minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, said on Friday that two weeks prior to receiving the letter from SIAM, India's oil marketing companies had begun "rigorous testing" of fuel at retail outlets to check for contamination.

Only four cases of contamination were found, he said. State-run fuel retailers also said last week that extensive random and scientific tests showed "no cause for any alarm on account of fuel contamination".

Mahindra said conclusions drawn from its executive's emails "are completely baseless and incorrect", industry data is limited and preliminary, and it does not see issues with E20. Maruti and Tata did not respond to requests for comment.

AUTO INDUSTRY MET GOVERNMENT TO FLAG CHLORIDE CONCERNS

E20 has angered motorists, with hundreds alleging it has reduced mileage and increased wear and tear on their cars, and triggered at least one court challenge.

SIAM had earlier said high levels of chloride are corrosive for auto parts, while high moisture levels in fuel can immobilise a vehicle immediately after fuelling.

In the group emails exchanged among Maruti, Tata, Mahindra and SIAM, Maruti's senior executive Anoop Bhat raised concerns on the high chloride findings saying this had been privately discussed with the petroleum ministry on July 26.

The tabulated state-wide findings shared by the industry on group emails showed they recorded chloride levels of 6 to 570 parts per million (ppm) in Rajasthan state, 1.4 to 420 ppm in the capital New Delhi and 10 to 357 ppm in Maharashtra.

The Indian government says the permissible limit is 3 ppm.

The data tables also showed moisture levels reaching 13,000 ppm in Andhra Pradesh and 12,500 ppm in Uttar Pradesh, versus a permissible government benchmark of 3,000 ppm.

While the reason for contamination is not known, SIAM said in its now withdrawn letter it had seen an increase in chloride levels since the rollout of E20 and has requested the government to direct oil marketing companies to find the root cause.

For moisture, the SIAM letter noted, the cause could be inadequate "maintenance of the underground storage tanks and pipelines at retail outlets".

Maruti's Bhat wrote in his July 26 email that 1 ppm of chloride was the maximum that current fuel injectors, which transport fuel to the engine, "can tolerate".

"Lesser than 1 ppm in E20 is also in line with international standards. Same is in line with discussion held with" the petroleum ministry, Bhat wrote.

Mahindra's senior principal engineer of fluids technology, R. Ramaprabhu, said in emails that organic chloride is the contaminant responsible for the very rapid vehicle failures the industry is seeing and can spoil engines "within 200 km".

"Majority cases reported immediately after fuelling ... is due to organic chloride," he wrote, adding that Mahindra has "strong evidences" of fuel sample data from retail outlets.

Mahindra's Ramaprabhu and Maruti's Bhat did not respond to Reuters' queries.

(Reporting by Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra in New Delhi; Editing by Sonali Paul)

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Aug 6 (Reuters) - Ashok Leyland Limited ASOK.NS:

• INDIA’S FADA: JULY COMMERCIAL VEHICLE RETAIL SALES ROSE 24.04% Y/Y

• INDIA’S FADA: LOOKING AHEAD TO AUGUST’26, DEALER OPTIMISM FIRMS CONSIDERABLY

• INDIA’S FADA: OVERALL, NEXT THREE MONTHS APPEAR DECISIVELY CONSTRUCTIVE

• INDIA AUTODEALERS BODY FADA: JULY OVERALL AUTO RETAIL SALES ROSE 25.89% Y/Y

• INDIA’S FADA: JULY TWO-WHEELERS RETAIL SALES ROSE 28.25% Y/Y

• INDIA'S FADA: JULY PASSENGER VEHICLE RETAIL SALES ROSE 19.13% Y/Y

• INDIA'S FADA: ALTERNATIVE FUELS ARE NOW WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF PETROL IN PASSENGER VEHICLE MARKET

Further company coverage: ASOK.NS

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Aug 5 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Limited TVSM.NS:

• TVS MOTOR - ANNOUNCES COMPOSITE SCHEME OF AMALGAMATION AMONG FOUR GROUP COMPANIES

Source text: ID:nBSEbrwlTM

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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Aug 3 (Reuters) - Indian electric scooter maker Ather Energy ATHR.NS posted a narrower quarterly loss on Monday, as strong sales helped offset the impact of higher expenses.

It reported a net loss of 508.7 million rupees ($5.34 million) for the quarter ended June 30, compared with a loss of 1.78 billion rupees a year earlier.

($1 = 95.3375 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

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July 27 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Ltd TVSM.NS:

• TVS MOTOR - ACQUIRED 4.39% OF TVS CREDIT SERVICES FOR 7.11 BILLION RUPEES

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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July 21 (Reuters) - TVS Motor TVSM.NS, India's third-largest two-wheeler maker, reported a jump in quarterly profit on Tuesday as robust demand for higher-margin motorcycles helped cushion the impact of a surge in raw material costs triggered by the Iran war.

The Jupiter scooter maker's profit rose to 11.74 billion rupees ($122 million) for the quarter ended June 30, from 7.76 billion rupees a year ago.

($1 = 96.2075 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)

(([email protected]; 8800437922;))

MUMBAI, July 16 (Reuters) - India's TVS Motor Company TVSM.NS has accepted bids worth 5 billion rupees ($51.99 million) for bonds maturing in three years, three bankers said on Thursday.

It will pay a coupon of 7.30% and has invited commitment bids for the issue earlier in the day, they said.

The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters email seeking comment.

Here is the list of deals reported so far on July 16:

*Size includes base plus greenshoe for some issues

(Reporting by Dharamraj Dhutia; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)

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MUMBAI, July 15 (Reuters) - India's TVS Motor Company TVSM.NS plans to raise up to 5 billion rupees ($51.99 million) through the sale of bonds maturing in three years, three bankers said on Wednesday.

It will pay a coupon of 7.3% and has invited commitment bids for the issue on Thursday, they said.

The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters email seeking comment.

Here is the list of deals reported so far on July 15:

* Size includes base plus greenshoe for some issues

($1 = 96.1750 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Dharamraj Dhutia and Khushi Malhotra)

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Rewrites throughout with comments from president of auto dealers' body

By Kashish Tandon

July 6 (Reuters) - India's appetite for electric, hybrid and compressed natural gas vehicles accelerated after the Iran war triggered fuel price hikes, the president of the country's auto dealers' body said, with such models reaching a record share of passenger vehicle sales in June.

Alternative-fuel vehicles accounted for 40.35% of PV retail sales in June, up from about 38% a month earlier, as consumers increasingly sought cheaper running costs after petrol and diesel prices were raised several times in May.

"We need to watch whether this is an emotional knee-jerk reaction from customers or whether this growth is here to stay," C.S. Vigneshwar, president of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), told Reuters on Monday.

Overall vehicle sales rose 21.8% to a record 2.6 million units, with PV sales rising 28.6% year-on-year to 410,853 units.

Among PVs, CNG models accounted for 24.3% of total sales, while hybrids made up 8.3% and electric vehicles 7.8%.

Industry leader Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS said last month that bookings for its CNG cars jumped 40% since the fuel price hikes.

The share of electric vehicles among overall two-wheeler sales rose to 10.6%, hitting the double-digit mark for the first time, according to FADA.

While the worst of the crude shock and supply chain disruptions from the Iran war seemed to be over, a return to complete normalcy could still take "a few quarters" and may involve some cost implications, said Vigneshwar.

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich, Mrigank Dhaniwala and Janane Venkatraman)

(([email protected]; 8800437922;))

July 2 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Ltd TVSM.NS:

• TVS MOTOR - 2-WHEELERS SALES GROWS 47% IN JUNE YOY

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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By Aditi Shah

NEW DELHI, June 29 (Reuters) - India's capital New Delhi will offer a cash incentive of over$1,000 to car owners willing to scrap their old vehicle for an EV, according to a new policy finalised by the government on Monday in a move aimed at reducing high levels of air pollution.

New Delhi is one of the world's most polluted cities with air quality worsening in the winters when dense, stagnant air traps emissions from crops burning in neighbouring states, vehicle exhaust and construction dust.

Here are some details:

• The local government in New Delhi finalises new electric vehicle policy with an outlay of 150 billion rupees ($1.59 billion) over four years to incentivise buyers of electric two-wheelers, cars and small trucks, as well as setting up EV chargers.

• To offer $1,060 as scrapping incentive to those who trade in cars bought before April 1, 2020 for an EV.

• Those buying a battery EV priced at up to 3 million rupees will be exempt from paying road tax and registration fees, which typically amount to 4%-10% of the car's price.

• Buyers of electric scooters and motorbikes will get a cash incentive of 30,000 rupees in the policy's first year, reducing to 10,000 rupees by year three.

• Delhi government will only register electric two-wheelers from April 1, 2028, forcing buyers to move away from gasoline and other powertrains.

• Will also incentivise setting up 32,000 EV charging points across Delhi.

• Hybrid vehicles have not been included in the policy which is expected to come into effect from July 1.

• Policy will provide a big boost to EV players like Tata Motors TAMO.NS and Mahindra & Mahindra MAHM.NS as well as electric two-wheeler makers TVS Motor TVSM.NS, Bajaj Auto BAJA.NS and Ather Energy.

(Reporting by Aditi Shah; Editing by Susan Fenton)

(([email protected]; +91-11-4954 8023, +91-11-3015 8023; Reuters Messaging: twitter: @aditishahsays))

June 15 (Reuters) -

• INDIA AUTO INDUSTRY BODY SIAM - INDIA'S MAY TOTAL DOMESTIC PASSENGER VEHICLE SALES 4,38,854 UNITS

• SIAM - INDIA'S MAY 3-WHEELER SALES 70,720 UNITS

• SIAM - INDIA'S MAY 2-WHEELER SALES 19,02,209 UNITS

• SIAM - LOWER BASE EFFECT OF PREVIOUS MAY, DEMAND CREATED DUE TO REDUCED GST RATES GETTING REFLECTED IN HIGHER OFF-TAKE THIS MONTH

Further company coverage: ASOK.NS

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June 8 (Reuters) - Ashok Leyland Ltd ASOK.NS:

• INDIA AUTODEALERS BODY FADA: MAY OVERALL AUTO RETAIL SALES ROSE 9.55% Y/Y

• INDIA’S FADA:MAY PASSENGER VEHICLE RETAIL SALES ROSE 23.25% Y/Y

• INDIA’S FADA:MAY COMMERICAL VEHICLE RETAIL SALES ROSE 5.29% Y/Y

• INDIA’S FADA: MAY TWO-WHEELERS RETAIL SALES ROSE 7.54% Y/Y

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: ASOK.NS

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June 5 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Ltd TVSM.NS:

• TVS MOTOR - TVS HLX SERIES CROSSES FIVE MILLION SALES GLOBALLY

Source text: ID:nBSE9SKkY7

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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June 1 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Ltd TVSM.NS:

• TVS MOTOR - REGISTERS HIGHEST EVER SALES AT 567,000 UNITS IN MAY 2026

• TVS MOTOR - REPORTS 31% SALES GROWTH IN MAY 2026

Source text: ID:nNSE3gFM5T

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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May 22 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Ltd TVSM.NS:

• TVS MOTOR - COMPLETES ACQUISITION, NOW HOLDS 4.90% STAKE IN JANA SMALL FINANCE BANK

Source text: ID:nBSE8g4W6B

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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May 18 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Ltd TVSM.NS:

• TVS MOTOR - TO BUY 4.90% OF JANA SMALL FINANCE BANK

• TVS MOTOR - DEAL FOR 1.93 BILLION RUPEES

Source text: ID:nNSE8fNJXn

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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May 15 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Ltd TVSM.NS:

• TVS MOTOR - UNIT ENTERS ASSET TRANSFER AGREEMENTS WITH CALLISTA ASSET MANAGEMENT 33 GMBH

• TVS MOTOR - CASH CONSIDERATION IS ESTIMATED TO BE CHF 16 MILLION

Source text: ID:nNSE6v7pmc

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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May 14 -

• INDIA'S APRIL TOTAL DOMESTIC PASSENGER VEHICLE SALES UP 25.4% Y/Y -INDUSTRY BODY

• INDIA'S APRIL TOTAL DOMESTIC PASSENGER VEHICLE SALES AT 437,312 UNITS - INDUSTRY BODY

• INDIA'S APRIL TOTAL TWO-WHEELER SALES UP 28.4% Y/Y AT 18,72,691 UNITS - INDUSTRY BODY

• INDIA AUTO INDUSTRY BODY SIAM SAYS THOUGH THERE ARE CONCERNS OF HIGH COMMODITY PRICES DISRUPTIONS IN WEST ASIA, INDUSTRY WITNESSING GOOD DEMAND

Source text: [ID:]

May 13 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Ltd TVSM.NS:

• TVS MOTOR Q4 PROFIT 9.98 BILLION RUPEES;

• TVS MOTOR Q4 REVENUE FROM OPERATIONS 128.08 BILLION RUPEES;

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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Rewrites throughout with industry executive's comments, background

By Kashish Tandon

BENGALURU, May 5 (Reuters) - India's auto dealerships are bracing for potential ripple effects from the ongoing Middle East conflict on fuel prices and supply chains, a senior industry official said on Tuesday, after retail vehicle sales hit a record for April.

Disruptions linked to the conflict have been limited so far in the world's third-largest car market, but could start affecting auto part supplies over the coming months if the instability persists, Sai Giridhar, vice president of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, said in an interview.

"There have been some instances of supply getting disrupted, particularly in parts shipments coming from Europe, mainly in the after-market and service side," Giridhar said.

While the impact is not broad‑based, the repercussions could last for a few months even if the conflict were to end, he said.

The comments reflect wider concerns about a prolonged Iran war and the consequent energy shock hitting growth and raising inflation in the world's most populous country. Industry leader Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS has warned it could raise prices as the war pushes up commodity costs.

India's auto sector has been in a good spot over the last few months, as last September's tax cuts have made cars more affordable, with easier financing conditions and strong demand from towns and rural areas.

However, margins are likely to come under pressure, analysts have said, as rising steel, aluminium and freight costs tied to the war hit the bottomline.

For now, a potential sharp rise in fuel prices remains a key risk for consumer sentiment, Giridhar said.

Indian state refiners have raised prices of liquefied petroleum gas for industrial customers and jet fuel sold to foreign carriers, but prices of gasoline, diesel and cooking gas have not been raised for domestic customers.

Overall retail vehicle sales in April rose 12.9% year-over-year to a record high of 2.6 million units for that month, data released by the auto body showed.

Car sales in rural India jumped 20.4%, nearly three times the urban growth of 7.1%, driven in part by a revival in small-car sales.

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala and Dhanya Skariachan)

(([email protected]; 8800437922;))

Adds details throughout

May 4 (Reuters) - India's Ather Energy ATHR.NS posted a significantly narrower quarterly loss on Monday, supported by strong demand for its e-scooters, particularly its best-selling "Rizta" model.

The Bengaluru-based EV maker reported a loss of 1 billion rupees ($10.54 million) for the quarter ended March 31, down from a loss of 2.34 billion rupees last year.

Here are a few key details:

• The company's sales momentum remained strong, with fourth-quarter volumes surging 76% to a record 83,418 units. This pushed revenue up 73.8% to 11.75 billion rupees.

• Ather has been expanding its presence in northern and central India, banking on the Rizta, a family-focused scooter, to capture a larger share of the market.

• Although an early entrant in India's electric two-wheeler market, launching its 450 series of scooters in 2018, Ather faced intense competition from larger rivals such as TVS Motor TVSM.NS and Bajaj Auto BAJA.NS, which benefit from stronger financial resources and wider distribution networks.

• The company also highlighted challenges, noting that the past fiscal year was affected by multiple supply chain crises. It also expects commodity prices to remain volatile and elevated in the near term due to ongoing geopolitical uncertainties.

• Hero MotoCorp HROM.NS, India's largest two-wheeler maker, continues to hold a 30.14% stake in Ather Energy.

($1 = 94.8737 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Mridula Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)

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April 20 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Ltd TVSM.NS:

• TVS MOTOR- TVS MOTOR COMPANY ACCELERATES AFRICA EXPANSION WITH MULTI-PRODUCT ENTRY INTO ZAMBIA

• TVS MOTOR - INTRODUCES LINEUP OF EIGHT PRODUCTS IN ZAMBIA

• TVS MOTOR - APPOINTS ZAMOTO MANUFACTURING LIMITED AS OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTOR IN ZAMBIA

Source text: ID:nnAZN4SRPHF

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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April 14 (Reuters) - India's auto industry body on Tuesday flagged concerns on the possible adverse impact of the Middle East war on automotive production, input and fuel prices, and freight rates.

Here are some key details:

• The West Asia conflict is expected to pose short-term challenges for the auto industry, Shailesh Chandra, president of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), said.

• Uncertainties arising from the West Asia conflict, particularly prices of crude oil and commodities, higher exchange rates and disruptions in shipping routes, remain a concern for the auto sector, the industry body said.

• In the near term, the conflict may weigh on export volumes, and the evolving situation reinforces the need for calibrated supply chains and diversification of energy inputs, analysts at Antique Stock Broking said.

• In the entry-level segment in April so far, buyer enquiries are strong, but converting them to sales is taking longer, the SIAM president said.

• Car sales by manufacturers to dealers in the world's third-largest car market rose 7.9% to 4.6 million units in the financial year 2026, industry data showed, compared to the previous fiscal year's 2%, as consumer sentiment improved due to tax cuts.

• In September 2025, India slashed taxes on larger SUVs to 40% as an additional levy was dropped and on small cars and two-wheelers to 18% from 28%, helping support demand across segments.

• Total domestic two-wheeler sales in the financial year 2026 rose 10.7% on-year compared to 9.1% growth last year, the industry data showed.

(Reporting by Aditi Shah and Anuran Sadhu; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)

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April 8 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Ltd TVSM.NS:

• TVS MOTOR - LAUNCHES THE ARMADO 200

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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Adds details, background from paragraph 2

April 6 (Reuters) - India’s auto dealers on Monday warned of possible supply or dispatch disruptions in the near term as the West Asia conflict drove up raw material costs, even as the fiscal year's total sales hit a record high.

The broader operating environment is clouded by the conflict, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said in a statement.

The war has pushed up oil and gas prices, raising fuel and logistics costs across the auto supply chain, while also driving up prices of key metals such as aluminium, copper and steel used in vehicle manufacturing.

Last week, India's top carmaker, Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS, said that it will likely raise prices as the war pushed up commodity prices.

A FADA survey showed that more than half of the dealers experienced some form of supply or dispatch disruption linked to the ongoing conflict, with 17.1% reporting significant delays of three or more weeks.

On the fuel-price front, 36.5% of dealers reported that rising fuel prices are moderately to significantly affecting customer purchase decisions, it added.

While the impact was most pronounced in the commercial vehicle segment, passenger vehicle and two-wheeler dealers have also flagged selective delays based on different variants.

Indian retail auto sales rose 25.28% in March, the association said.

Passenger vehicle sales rose 21.48% year-over-year in March, while two-wheeler sales rose 28.68% and commercial vehicle sales rose 15.12%, closing the financial year on a strong note on sustained momentum from tax cuts that improved affordability, FADA said.

The total retail sales for the financial year rose 13.3%.

FADA also said passenger vehicle inventory, or the average time a car remained on the showroom floor, fell for a sixth consecutive month, to about 28 days in March, compared to 52 days in March last year.

(Reporting by Meenakshi Maidas in Bengaluru; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)

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Repeats to additional subscribers, with no change to text

By Aditi Shah

NEW DELHI, March 26 (Reuters) - India has asked automakers and parts suppliers to tighten production schedules to conserve fuel amid fears of shortages caused by disrupted oil and gas imports from the Gulf due to the Iran war, a government memo seen by Reuters shows.

The heavy industries ministry has also urged companies to shift factory operations from oil-based fuels to electricity and to use recycled aluminium or alternative materials as shortages and costs rise, according to the March 25 advisory.

For India, one of the world's largest oil and gas importers, the advisory underscores the government's mounting concern over the conflict and its disruption to energy flows, supply chains and availability of raw materials.

India's ministry of heavy industries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The government has already prioritised use of gas for households over industries, which get only about 80% of their average needs.

Some parts suppliers to India's leading carmakers like Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS, Tata Motors TAMO.NS and Mahindra MAHM.NS are already reporting a shortage of gas to power operations at a time when vehicle sales are booming.

The ministry wants the sector to do more.

"Wherever technically feasible, a transition from oil-based fuels to electricity may be considered. Further, production schedules may be optimised to minimise idle and standby fuel consumption," the ministry said in its note.

The government wants companies to use recycled aluminium where possible and explore the use of alternative materials for packaging and other non-critical applications to reduce "demand pressure" amid shortages which are already affecting beer makers.

"I don't know how much we can change in the factory, but the takeaway is that this war is going to go on for a long time and we should be prepared," said an executive at an Indian carmaker.

(Reporting by Aditi Shah, Editing by William Maclean)

(([email protected]; +91-11-4954 8023, +91-11-3015 8023; Reuters Messaging: twitter: @aditishahsays))

By Aditi Shah

NEW DELHI, March 26 (Reuters) - India has asked automakers and parts suppliers to tighten production schedules to conserve fuel amid fears of shortages caused by disrupted oil and gas imports from the Gulf due to the Iran war, a government memo seen by Reuters shows.

The heavy industries ministry has also urged companies to shift factory operations from oil-based fuels to electricity and to use recycled aluminium or alternative materials as shortages and costs rise, according to the March 25 advisory.

For India, one of the world's largest oil and gas importers, the advisory underscores the government's mounting concern over the conflict and its disruption to energy flows, supply chains and availability of raw materials.

India's ministry of heavy industries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The government has already prioritised use of gas for households over industries, which get only about 80% of their average needs.

Some parts suppliers to India's leading carmakers like Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS, Tata Motors TAMO.NS and Mahindra MAHM.NS are already reporting a shortage of gas to power operations at a time when vehicle sales are booming.

The ministry wants the sector to do more.

"Wherever technically feasible, a transition from oil-based fuels to electricity may be considered. Further, production schedules may be optimised to minimise idle and standby fuel consumption," the ministry said in its note.

The government wants companies to use recycled aluminium where possible and explore the use of alternative materials for packaging and other non-critical applications to reduce "demand pressure" amid shortages which are already affecting beer makers.

"I don't know how much we can change in the factory, but the takeaway is that this war is going to go on for a long time and we should be prepared," said an executive at an Indian carmaker.

(Reporting by Aditi Shah, Editing by William Maclean)

(([email protected]; +91-11-4954 8023, +91-11-3015 8023; Reuters Messaging: twitter: @aditishahsays))

March 24 (Reuters) - TVS Motor Company Ltd TVSM.NS:

• DECLARES DIVIDEND OF 12 RUPEES PER SHARE

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: TVSM.NS

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