Brands

Checklist you should follow for buying a car

Published

3 years ago

October 3, 2022

Are you planning to buy a new car? Purchasing a car is an exciting life event. However, if you have limited knowledge of cars, the car selection and buying process can be intimidating. There are many things to consider such as the car brand, model, interiors and exteriors, driving comfort, appropriate new car insurance, and more. Sounds complicated? Well, worry not.

We have compiled a simple checklist of things to keep in mind before bringing a shiny new car home

1.Research, research, and research

Do you know when you do most of the work for buying a car? It’s even before you enter a car dealership. Assess your needs. Do you need a family car or one for yourself? Do you intend to use it for leisure purposes or daily up-and-down? Do you have any specific model in mind? What features do you need in the car? Do you need a new car, or would a second-hand one be okay? Answer these questions and shortlist the one that meets your needs.

2.Check the interiors

Since you are going to own that car for a long time, you have to carefully check the interiors of your car. Check the upholstery, quality of seats, and floor carpets. See if the AC is effective and is working properly. Carefully inspect the dashboard, glove box, seatbelts, and other features for their functioning.

3.Check the exteriors

While advertisements show every car as a perfect match for you, in reality, it is not so. Inspect the exteriors of the car carefully. Inquire if you have any doubts. If you see any damage, talk about it with the salesperson.

4.Look for extra features

There are a plethora of extra features available in cars. Check the ones that come with the car and ask about the ones you would like to get installed for an additional cost. The touchscreen infotainment systems, automatic climate control, sunroof, music system, and fast charging outlets are some of the common additional features people typically pay for.

5.Take it for a spin

Never buy a car without taking it for a test drive. A test drive will help you determine if the car is suitable for you or not. Try to test in the same environment you plan to use the car in. Use the brakes, check the acceleration, try parking in a tight spot, and evaluate the smoothness of the ride. Try driving it on different terrains.

6.Read the paperwork well

This is particularly important. Read the paperwork carefully before signing the contract. Pay extra attention to closing costs, added fees etc. Examine the terms and conditions of sale and warranty.

7.Select car insurance

New car insurance is another integral item to decide before buying a car. In India, third-party car insurance is mandatory. However, it does not cover damages to the policyholder’s car. So, for wider coverage, you must opt for comprehensive insurance. Decide what kind of insurance you need. Check the inclusions and exclusions of the policy and the premium you will have to pay. Many car insurance providers offer add-ons such as zero depreciation cover and a No Claim Bonus protector to enhance coverage.

Things to do Before Going to the Car Dealership

Before you get to the actual buying of the car step, there are many things you have to decide. Some of them include:

1.Decide financing options

A car is an expensive asset. And since it is going to be with you for quite some time, the first thing you should decide on is your budget. After deciding on the budget, decide how you want to finance the purchase. You can go for a car loan or dealership financing. Both these options have their pros and cons. Research them well before deciding.

Try to give a bigger down payment and choose shorter repayment tenure. It will help you save a lot of money on interest. Remember, paying for the car will not be the only expense you have. There’s the cost of insurance, additional feature charges, registration fees, and taxes, among others.

2.Check your credit

Your credit score significantly affects your loan amount and interest. A higher credit score will help you get a higher loan amount at a lower interest. Meanwhile, a lower credit score will do just the opposite. Build a good credit score before applying for a loan.

3.Paperwork

Prepare your documents such as proof of insurance, driver’s licence, and payment method beforehand. Depending on where you are, you will require a different set of documents. If you are using dealership financing, you will also need other documents such as proof of employment and ITRs.

Things to Remember while Negotiating

Never make an expensive purchase without negotiating. If you do not know how to negotiate, take someone who does. Be persuasive and confident.

●Be confident

Confidence is the key to getting a good offer. Don’t rush, stay calm, and be confident. Have your second option ready in case it doesn’t work out with the first one.

●Ask about deals

Festivals often come with several deals for customers, which make them the best time to purchase anything. Ask about the festive deals at the dealership. You can also search for special pricing options beforehand. Look at new car insurance policies to include in the pricing options.

●Counteroffer

Always make a counteroffer. However, the number should not be outrageous. It should be something that makes the salesperson think you are serious. Research well about the best pricing before going to negotiate.

Buying a car is a crucial life event. It will affect your life for several years. That is why it is important to be careful about every aspect of it. Compare the car you like with the checklist you made. Does it meet all the must-haves in your list? Buy it only when it meets all your conditions. Check your financing options and budget, and keep some leeway in it. Aim for maximum benefits and the best possible deal you can get.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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Netflix India names Rekha Rane director of films and series marketing

Streaming giant bets on a seasoned marketer who helped build Amazon and Netflix into household names

Published

6 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Netflix has put a proven brand builder at the helm of its films and series marketing in India, naming Rekha Rane as director in a move that signals sharper focus on audience growth and cultural cut-through in one of its most hotly contested markets.

Rane steps into the role after seven years at Netflix, where she has quietly shaped how the platform sells stories to India. Her latest promotion, effective February 2026, crowns a run that spans brand, slate and product marketing across originals, licensed content and new verticals such as games.

A strategic marketing and communications professional with roughly 15 years’ experience, Rane has spent much of her career building technology-led consumer businesses and new categories, notably e-commerce and subscription video on demand. She was part of the early push that introduced Amazon.in, Prime Video and Netflix to Indian homes, then helped turn them into everyday brands.

At Netflix, she most recently served as head of brand and slate marketing for India from March 2024 to February 2026, leading teams across media and marketing for global and local content portfolios. Before that, as manager for original films and series marketing, she led IP creation and go-to-market strategy for titles including Guns and Gulaabs, Kaala Paani, The Railway Men* and The Great Indian Kapil Show, spanning both binge and weekly-release formats.

Her earlier Netflix roles covered product discovery and promotion in India and integrated campaign strategy to drive conversations around the content slate, product awareness and brand-equity metrics.

Before Netflix, Rane logged more than three years at Amazon in brand marketing roles in Bengaluru. There she handled national and regional campaigns for Amazon.in, worked on customer assistance programmes in growth geographies and contributed to the go-to-market strategy for the launch of Prime Video India.

Her career began well away from streaming. At Reliance Brands in Mumbai, she worked on retail marketing for Diesel and Superdry. A stint at Leo Burnett saw her work on primary research for P&G Tide, mapping Indian shoppers’ paths to purchase. Earlier still, at Orange in the United Kingdom, she rose from sales assistant to store manager, running a team and owning monthly P&L for a retail outlet.

The arc is telling. As global streamers fight for attention in a crowded Indian market, executives who understand both mass retail behaviour and digital habit-building are prized. Rane’s career sits at that intersection.

For Netflix, the bet is simple: in a market spoilt for choice, sharp marketing can still tilt the screen. And with Rane now leading the charge, the streamer is signalling it wants not just viewers, but fandom.

Brands

Orient Beverages pops the fizz with steady Q3 gains and rising profits

Kolkata-based beverage maker reports stronger revenues and profits for December quarter.

Published

6 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A fizzy quarter with a steady aftertaste that’s how Orient Beverages Limited, the company that manufactures and distributes packaged drinking water under the brand name Bisleri closed the December 2025 period, as the Kolkata-based drinks maker reported improved revenues and a healthy rise in profits, signalling operational stability in a competitive beverage market.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Orient Beverages posted standalone revenue from operations of Rs 39.98 crore, up from Rs 36.42 crore in the previous quarter and Rs 33.53 crore in the same quarter last year. Total income for the quarter stood at Rs 42.24 crore, reflecting consistent demand and stable pricing across its beverage portfolio.

Profit before tax for the quarter came in at Rs 3.47 crore, a sharp improvement from Rs 1.31 crore in the September quarter and Rs 0.39 crore a year ago. After accounting for tax expenses of Rs 0.79 crore, the company reported a net profit of Rs 2.68 crore, nearly three times the Rs 0.99 crore recorded in the preceding quarter.

On a nine-month basis, the momentum remained intact. Revenue from operations for the period ended December 31, 2025 rose to Rs 117.66 crore, compared with Rs 106.95 crore in the corresponding period last year. Net profit for the nine months climbed to Rs 5.51 crore, more than double the Rs 2.18 crore reported in the same period of the previous financial year.

The consolidated numbers told a similar story. For the December quarter, consolidated revenue from operations stood at Rs 45.06 crore, while profit after tax came in at Rs 2.06 crore. For the nine-month period, consolidated revenue touched Rs 133.57 crore, with net profit of Rs 4.49 crore, underscoring the group’s improving profitability trajectory.

Operating expenses remained largely controlled, with cost of materials, employee benefits and other expenses broadly aligned with revenue growth. The company continued to operate within a single reportable segment beverages simplifying its cost structure and reporting framework.

The unaudited financial results were reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting held on 7 February 2026. Statutory auditors carried out a limited review and reported no material misstatements in the results.

In a market where margins are often squeezed by input costs and competition, Orient Beverages’ latest numbers suggest the company has found a reliable rhythm not explosive, but steady enough to keep the fizz alive.

Brands

BCCL profit jumps 53 per cent in FY25 as tax bill shrinks

Revenue rises 4.3 per cent to Rs 10,209.33 crore while deferred tax gain lifts bottom line sharply

Published

6 days ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: Bennett, Coleman and Company (BCCL) has posted a sparkling set of financial results for the year ended 31 March 2025, proving that there is still plenty of ink and gold left in the ledger.

Revenue from operations climbed a steady 4.3 per cent, reaching Rs 10,209.33 crore compared to Rs 9,786.44 crore the previous year. When you sprinkle in other income, which rose 8.9 per cent to Rs 949.36 crore, the total income for the media behemoth hit a healthy Rs 11,158.69 crore.

While the income grew at a modest pace, the bottom line tells a far more dramatic story. The real headline is the 53 per cent surge in annual profit. How did they pull off such a feat? While Profit Before Tax (PBT) saw a gentle nudge upward of 2.7 per cent to Rs 1,610.00 crore, it was a vanishing act by the taxman that really did the trick.

Total tax expenses plummeted by 32.4 per cent, dropping from Rs 468.76 crore down to Rs 316.97 crore. This was largely thanks to a swing in deferred tax, moving from an expense of Rs 156.02 crore in FY24 to a benefit of Rs 39.44 crore this year.

Total income rose from Rs 10,658.55 crore in FY24 to Rs 11,158.69 crore in FY25, marking a 4.7 per cent increase. Total expenses grew at a slower pace, up 3.0 per cent from Rs 9,306.06 crore to Rs 9,581.45 crore. Profit before tax inched up 2.7 per cent, moving from Rs 1,567.02 crore to Rs 1,610.00 crore. However, the standout figure was net profit, which jumped sharply by 53.0 per cent, climbing from Rs 1,042.03 crore in FY24 to Rs 1,594.73 crore in FY25.

Despite the rising costs of doing business across the globe, BCCL kept a tight grip on the purse strings. Total expenses rose by just 3.0 per cent to Rs 9,581.45 crore. By keeping costs lower than the rate of income growth, the company ensured that the final figure, a net profit of Rs 1,594.73 crore, was nothing short of a front-page sensation.

In a world of shifting digital tides, it seems the BCCL ship is not just steady, but sailing into significantly wealthier waters.