MAM
Auto retail hits record February with 24.09 lakh units
Overall sales surge 25.62 per cent YoY, 2W, PV, CV, 3W and tractors set new February highs.
MUMBAI: February 2026 just floored the accelerator because when auto retail clocks its best-ever month, even the showroom floors feel the need for speed. The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) released February 2026 retail data on 5 March, revealing a landmark performance across segments. Total vehicle retails reached 24,09,362 units, up 25.62 per cent year-on-year, marking the strongest February on record for overall retail, two-wheelers (17,00,505 units, +25.02 per cent), passenger vehicles (3,94,768 units, +26.12 per cent), commercial vehicles (1,00,820 units, +28.89 per cent), three-wheelers (1,17,130 units, +24.39 per cent) and tractors (89,418 units, +36.35 per cent). Construction equipment was the lone exception, dipping 1.22% YoY to 6,721 units.
FADA president C S Vigneshwar said, “Feb’26 has turned out to be a landmark month for the Indian auto retail sector, further strengthening the positive momentum seen after the GST 2.0 announcement. Despite being a shorter month, the industry delivered an exceptional performance.”
Growth was broad-based. Two-wheelers saw urban markets rise 28.96 per cent YoY and rural 22.16 per cent YoY, driven by improved rural liquidity, attractive schemes and the marriage season. Passenger vehicles showed rural growth (34.21 per cent YoY) outpacing urban (21.12 per cent YoY), supporting small-car demand alongside continued SUV strength. Commercial vehicles benefited from freight availability, e-commerce activity and infrastructure push.
Inventory signals improved significantly in passenger vehicles, with levels dropping to 27–29 days closer to FADA’s recommended 21-day benchmark indicating healthier wholesale-retail alignment.
Looking ahead, dealer sentiment remains positive. For March 2026, 75.51 per cent of dealers expect growth, 19.90 per cent foresee stability and only 4.59 per cent anticipate decline, supported by festivals (Navratri, Ramzan, Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Eid) and financial year-end buying. Over the next three months (March–May 2026), 67.35 per cent expect growth (down from earlier optimism), 27.55 per cent flat and 5.10 per cent de-growth, pointing to a shift from sharp rebound to more stable expansion.
In a market where every segment is revving up, February 2026 didn’t just break records, it proved that when policy tailwinds meet rural recovery and retail discipline, the Indian auto story accelerates into overdrive.
MAM
Collective Artists Network reshuffles talent leadership
Fiona D’Souza, Jinal Jhaveri and Arjun Banerjee take expanded roles in core division.
MUMBAI: Collective Artists Network just handed the talent baton to its homegrown stars because when your agents have been building careers this long, it’s time to let them run the show. Collective Artists Network has announced the next phase of leadership for its talent management business, elevating senior agents Fiona D’Souza, Jinal Jhaveri and Arjun Banerjee to expanded roles within the division. The move strengthens the company’s foundational talent arm while it continues to grow into content creation and production-led ventures.
Each of the three has played a significant part in shaping artist careers across films, digital platforms and brand partnerships. Together they now represent the next generation of leadership for Collective’s talent operations, with a continued focus on long-term career building, strong partnerships and adapting representation to a fast-changing media landscape.
Collective Artists Network founder and Group CEO Vijay Subramaniam remains actively involved in guiding artist strategy and key relationships. He said, “Talent management has been the foundation on which Collective was built, and that philosophy continues to guide how we grow the company. As we enter this next phase, it’s important that the people leading this business have both deep context and long-term convictions.”
Collective Artists Network partner and head of talent Janahavi Rawal added, “Collective’s talent business has always been built on trust, long-term thinking, and a deep understanding of where artists want to go next. Fiona, Jinal, and Arjun have each played an important role in shaping the careers of the artists we represent, and this phase is about empowering our senior agents further while building the right support systems around them.”
The leadership evolution reflects Collective’s belief in promoting from within and creating clear ownership across verticals. In a talent world where yesterday’s agent is tomorrow’s partner, Collective isn’t just reshuffling chairs, it’s handing the spotlight to the people who’ve been quietly directing the show all along.
