hubballi l friday l march 28, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION Putin accepts Modi’s invitation to visit India; work underway Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that President Putin has accepted PM Narendra Modi’s invitation to visit India File photo Lavrov lauds india for balanced stance ‘commitment to core interests is key’ Lavrov praised India’s balanced approach to the Ukraine crisis, including advocating for resolving the issue through dialogue. He said Russia fully shares India’s concerns and has been expressing its readiness to hold talks from the moment the stand-off started. Both sides didn’t indicate any date for the visit, maintaining it will take place at the earliest | P9 ■ The fact that Modi visited Russia as his first overseas visit after his re-election last year sent a powerful message, Lavrov said in his video address to a conference between the two countries ■ External affairs minister S Jaishankar said strong institutions and commitment to core interests are bulwarks of India-Russia diplomacy $60 billion was India-Russia’s record trade in 2024 despite external challenges CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Auto sector safe summer shock: state govt milks consumers Power bill to burn a 7% hole but parts to feel in your pocket from April 1 US tariff heat E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Bengaluru Trump signs executive order to impose 25% import duty on automobiles and auto parts What it means for India No big impact on Indian auto sector, but Tata Motors’ luxury car subsidiary JLR to be hit India’s auto parts exports to US stand at around $2 bn, attracting just 2.5% duty. This will increase 10 times on April 3 Imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts threaten to impair national security Donald Trump D i pa k M o n d a l @ New Delhi THE Trump administration on Wednesday announced a 25% import duty on completely builtup automobiles and auto parts, with effect from April 3. While the decision has sent shockwaves through the global auto industry the reaction in , India has been mixed. At first look, the broader Indian auto industry seems largely insulated, but the auto component sector, which currently attracts just 2.5% duty will feel the tariff heat in , the short term. India exported $2.6 billion worth of automobiles and auto components to the US in FY24, accounting for 13% of the country’s total auto and auto ancillary exports of $21 billion. Of this, passenger car exports to the US stood at just $8.9 million, compared to $6.98 billion in global car exports, meaning only 0.13% of India’s car exports are US-bound. Moreover, the 25% duty is still lower than the 70-100% tariffs that could result from reciprocal tariff measures. Trade analysts say India need not be concerned, given the relatively small volume of its car and bike exports to the US. Saurabh Agarwal, tax partner at EY India, says the limited implications for India’s auto industry mean the Indian government may not aggressively seek exemptions from the tariff. Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative, even discourages India from reducing its own import duties in response. He warns that lowering tariffs on passenger cars could be counterproductive, citing Australia’s experience—where import duties were slashed from 45% to 5% in the late 1980s, leading to the collapse of its domestic auto manufacturing industry. With the auto sector contributing one-third of India’s manufacturing GDP policymakers will tread cautiously , . Mrunmayee Jogalekar, an analyst at Asit C Mehta Investment Intermediates, said Tata Motors could face challenges as its subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover sells a significant number of cars in the US. express read Court dismisses Ranya’s bail application bengaluru: The City Civil and Sessions Court (CCH 64) on Thursday dismissed the bail application of 33-year-old Kannada actress Ranya Rao, step daughter of DGP Dr K Ramchandra Rao, in connection with the infamous gold smuggling case. This is the second time Ranya’s bail was rejected. It may be recalled that on March 14, the Special Court for Economic Offences rejected her request for bail. P5 CID begins probe into ‘honeytrap’ case Bengaluru: Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna’s son and Congress MLC K N Rajendra on Thursday said officials from the CID of the state police have begun a preliminary investigation into the alleged attempts to “honeytrap” his father and had visited his official residence. He stated that he had met Karnataka DGP and IGP Alok Mohan today to share information regarding an alleged attempt to “murder” him. P4 HC nod to dispose of Union Carbide waste Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday allowed the state government to dispose of the chemical waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal at a Pithampur plant, after it was told that a trial incineration did not cause any adverse consequences. The fourdecade-old hazardous waste shall be disposed of in a safe manner at the plant in Dhar district within 72 days, the court said. Ahead of Ugadi and Eid-ulFitr, the state government has increased prices of Nandini milk and curd by Rs 4 a litre with effect from April 1. With this decision of the state cabinet taken on Thursday, the prices of other milk products are also likely to go up. Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and milk producers’ unions associated with it had proposed an increase of Rs 5 a litre, but the cabinet approved a hike of Rs 4 a litre. The federation will withdraw its earlier hike of Rs 2 a litre of milk sachet with additional 50ml in it. The prices of Nandini milk and curds are slated to be increased by D4 a litre from April 1 | vinod kumar t Animal husbandry minister K Venkatesh, cooperation minister KN Rajanna and KMF chairman Bheema Naik defended the hike stating that there was pressure from dairy farmers and the unions across the state. S w a r o o p S w a m i n at h a n @ Chennai A Ravi Shastri advertisement where the cricketer-turnedpundit seemingly endorses a betting company could come under the scanner of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). Over the last 11 months or so, Shastri has used X (formerly Twitter) to promote Stake, a betting company. He did the same on March 21, one day be- fore the start of the IPL’s 18th edition. “Witness the Ultimate Cricket Extravaganza,” he posted to his 2m followers. “Early six? Early wicket? What’s your stake? @Stake” There was also a video message to his followers. He also added a disclaimer: “This content is not intended for the Indian region. Visitors must be 18+ of age to proceed.” This daily has learned that the disclaimer may not be applicable for the purposes of legality Bar leaders urge SC collegium to withdraw transfer of judge Varma S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi Leaders of Bar associations from six high courts met Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and four other Supreme Court collegium members on Thursday urging them to withdraw , the recommendation to transfer Delhi HC judge Ya s h w a n t Va r m a a m i d a ‘ c a s h bu r n’ controversy . After the meeting with the CJI and justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, Abhay S Oka and Vikram Nath, Allahabad High Court Bar Association president Anil Tiwari said, “The CJI assured (us) to consider our demands...” Bar associations of Allahabad, Gujarat, Kerala, Jabalpur, Karnataka, and Lucknow had sought the meeting. Tiwari said the collegium assured that each and every point raised by them will be considered within the premises of law. “This is a big statement...,” he added. The collegium’s recommendation to transfer Justice Varma to Allahabad HC triggered an indefinite strike by the state bar association since March 25. A fire at Justice Varma’s official residence on March 14 led to the alleged detection of wads of burnt cash. Subsequently CJI Khanna formed a three-mem, ber panel to probe the allegations. The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Friday a plea seeking a direction to the Delhi Police to lodge an FIR over the incident. The PIL was filed jointly by three lawyers — senior advocate Mathews J Nedumpara, Hemali Suresh Kurne and Rajesh Vishnu Adrekar — and a chartered accountant, Mansha Nimesh Mehta. Blockbuster cast at CPI-M national meet IN a unique blend of politics and entertainment, the 24th Congress of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Madurai will roll out the red carpet for top film stars and directors. The five-day meeting, scheduled from April 2 to 6 at Tamukkam Convention Centre, will feature famed actors Vijay Sethupathi, Samuthirakani and Prakash Raj to share their perspectives on everything politics. Vijay Sethupathi, known for his critically acclaimed performances, will join the conference on April 4, along with Samuthirakani, who has made a mark in the Tamil film indus- Vijay Sethupathi and Prakash Raj try as an actor and director. Prakash Raj, a veteran actor with a penchant for socially relevant films, will address the gathering on April 5. The party has also invited acclaimed filmmakers Rajmurugan, Sasikumar, Vetrimaaran, T S Gnanavel and Mari Selvaraj to share their insights. The CPI-M meet will be a celebration of India’s cultural diversity, with performances by B o sk y K h a n n a @ Bengaluru From April 1, electricity consumers will have to pay 7% extra on their bills. Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Thursday issued orders stating that the per unit charge has been reduced for domestic and industrial consumers in different slabs, while the fixed charge has been increased by Rs 25 across the board. This is against the demand of Energy Supply Companies Limited (ESCOMs), seeking a 7% hike in retail power tariff. In addition to the revised tariff, consumers will continue to pay 36 paise more per unit as pension and g ratuity surcharge (government’s contribution) as per KERC orders issued on March 19. KERC said that for this financial year, there will be a single slab in tariff realisation for fixed charges and energ y charges.  P5 Shastri ‘betting’ ad may attract censure from MIB top draw Pa r v e z S u lta n @ New Delhi Venkatesh said the cabinet took this decision to help dairy farmers as the hike of Rs 4 will go to them directly and not to the unions. “In Karnataka, the difference between milk procurement and selling price is minimal compared to other states’ milk federations. The cabinet held elaborate discussions on the KMF’s proposal in view of the pressure from dairy farmers, who had insisted that the production cost had gone up,” Rajanna said. Admitting that the decision will affect consumers, Rajanna said it has been taken in the interests of dairy farmers and not with the intention of making profits.  P5 renowned artists and cultural groups from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. The event will feature a seminar on federalism to examine challenges and propose ways to strengthen it. Senior party leaders, including party coordinator Prakash Karat and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, will address the delegates on April 6, on issues facing the nation, economic policies, social justice, and secularism. The event will conclude on April 6 with a “Red Flag Procession,” where cadres will car ry the party flag through Madurai, symbolising the party’s commitment to the working-class solidarity and social justice. Only city to hold meet thrice Madurai, which has hosted the CPI-M Congress twice before, in 1953 and 1972, becomes the only city in India to host the event three times. Madurai MP Su Venkatesan and senior leader Prakash Karat have overseen preparations for the summit as the commentator may still be liable. “This specific advertiser appears to be a betting platform,” Manisha Kapoor, secretary-general of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), told this daily. “Betting is a violation of law, hence adding any disclaimer does not make it okay to advertise. ASCI is reporting such cases to the MIB.” Under Indian law, games of chance — betting — are banned save a few exemptions as it’s a state subject under the Public Gambling Act. “Any operator,” sports lawyer Vidushpat Singhania told this masthead, “who claims an international license, cannot offer a betting product without a license from an authority in India. They would also need GST registration in India. A ce- lebrity before endorsing a brand is required to do a diligence check, otherwise a celebrity can be held liable under consumer protection laws.” Shastri didn’t respond to queries raised by this daily . Indian cricket has been no stranger to betting advertisements in recent years. In 2022, to stop the encroachment of surrogate advertisements, the Union government had issued a strongly-worded advisory .