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Berkshire’s Geico sees turnaround after tech upgrades and job cuts

Berkshire’s Geico sees turnaround after tech upgrades and job cuts
Geico posted substantially improved results in 2024, as it curbed its appetite to issue new policies while reducing the percentage of premiums it used to pay accident claims.
Then at Berkshire’s 2024 annual meeting, Jain lamented that Geico was “still behind” but hoped by the end of 2025 to catch rivals in data analytics including pricing for risk, although Geico still enjoyed lower operating costs than “virtually anybody.”Insurers can then reward safe drivers with discounts, and price policies appropriately for other drivers.The vice chairman said Geico has made “rapid strides in telematics” and now “is as good as anyone.” Jain praised Geico’s CEO Todd Combs for reducing the company’s workforce. Geico cut more than 2,300 jobs last year.Published on May 3, 2025 “All this has allowed Geico to become a more focused competitor,” he said, adding it is too soon yet to say “mission accomplished. We have achieved a lot, but we have to do a lot more.”At Berkshire’s 2023 annual meeting, Jain lamented that Geico was behind the curve in telematics, where devices installed in vehicles let insurers monitor behavior including speed, braking, mileage and distracted driving including cellphone use. Berkshire Hathaway’s Geico car insurance unit has made progress in upgrading its technology to better match rates with risk, Berkshire Vice Chairman Ajit Jain said on Saturday.Jain, who has day-to-day oversight of Berkshire’s insurance operations, spoke at the conglomerate’s annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska where he, Chairman Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Greg Abel fielded shareholder questions.At Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting, Vice Chairman Ajit Jain said the insurer is now “as good as anyone” in telematics but cautioned that it’s still too early to declare full success, noting continued progress is needed.

At Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting, Vice Chairman Ajit Jain said the insurer is now “as good as anyone” in telematics but cautioned that it’s still too early to declare full success, noting continued progress is needed.

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Berkshire’s Geico sees turnaround after tech upgrades and job cuts

Berkshire’s Geico sees turnaround after tech upgrades and job cuts
Insurers can then reward safe drivers with discounts, and price policies appropriately for other drivers.
At Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting, Vice Chairman Ajit Jain said the insurer is now “as good as anyone” in telematics but cautioned that it’s still too early to declare full success, noting continued progress is needed.

The vice chairman said Geico has made “rapid strides in telematics” and now “is as good as anyone.” Jain praised Geico’s CEO Todd Combs for reducing the company’s workforce. Geico cut more than 2,300 jobs last year.”All this has allowed Geico to become a more focused competitor,” he said, adding it is too soon yet to say “mission accomplished. We have achieved a lot, but we have to do a lot more.”Then at Berkshire’s 2024 annual meeting, Jain lamented that Geico was “still behind” but hoped by the end of 2025 to catch rivals in data analytics including pricing for risk, although Geico still enjoyed lower operating costs than “virtually anybody.”Geico posted substantially improved results in 2024, as it curbed its appetite to issue new policies while reducing the percentage of premiums it used to pay accident claims.Published on May 3, 2025 Jain, who has day-to-day oversight of Berkshire’s insurance operations, spoke at the conglomerate’s annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska where he, Chairman Warren Buffett and Vice Chairman Greg Abel fielded shareholder questions. Berkshire Hathaway’s Geico car insurance unit has made progress in upgrading its technology to better match rates with risk, Berkshire Vice Chairman Ajit Jain said on Saturday.At Berkshire’s 2023 annual meeting, Jain lamented that Geico was behind the curve in telematics, where devices installed in vehicles let insurers monitor behavior including speed, braking, mileage and distracted driving including cellphone use.

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United Spirits Q4 PAT rises 17% to ₹451 cr for Q4FY25

United Spirits Q4 PAT rises 17% to ₹451 cr for Q4FY25
Within categories, the Prestige & Above segment grew 13.2 per cent, and the NSV for the Popular segment grew 1.1 per cent, said the company.
The growth was driven by the company’s re-entry into the Andhra Pradesh market and the resilient performance of its key trademarks, according to the company.The company’s Net Sales Value (NSV) for the quarter stood at ₹2,946 crore, up 10.5 per cent YoY. It’s gross revenue exceeded last year’s ₹6,394 crore to stand at ₹6,549 crore. Published on May 20, 2025 Shares of the company closed at ₹1,557.45, up 0.022 per cent on Tuesday on the BSE.Commenting on the result, Praveen Someshwar, CEO & Managing Director, said “The challenging demand environment notwithstanding, we have delivered 13.2 per cent NSV growth for P&A in Q4FY25 and 9.9 per cent P&A growth for FY25, and a leveraged EBITDA growth that takes us to our medium-term guidance.”Diageo India (United Spirits Ltd), a subsidiary of the British liquor giant Diageo reported a 17 per cent year-on-year increase in its standalone profit after tax (PAT) to ₹451 crore for the fourth quarter of FY25, compared to Q4 of the previous fiscal. The growth was driven by the company’s re-entry into the Andhra Pradesh market and the resilient performance of its key trademarks

For the full year FY25, it reported a PAT of ₹1,158 crore, up from last fiscal’s ₹1,312 crore.

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United Spirits Q4 PAT rises 17% to ₹451 cr for Q4FY25

United Spirits Q4 PAT rises 17% to ₹451 cr for Q4FY25
The company’s Net Sales Value (NSV) for the quarter stood at ₹2,946 crore, up 10.5 per cent YoY. It’s gross revenue exceeded last year’s ₹6,394 crore to stand at ₹6,549 crore.
For the full year FY25, it reported a PAT of ₹1,158 crore, up from last fiscal’s ₹1,312 crore. Within categories, the Prestige & Above segment grew 13.2 per cent, and the NSV for the Popular segment grew 1.1 per cent, said the company.The growth was driven by the company’s re-entry into the Andhra Pradesh market and the resilient performance of its key trademarks, according to the company.Shares of the company closed at ₹1,557.45, up 0.022 per cent on Tuesday on the BSE.Commenting on the result, Praveen Someshwar, CEO & Managing Director, said “The challenging demand environment notwithstanding, we have delivered 13.2 per cent NSV growth for P&A in Q4FY25 and 9.9 per cent P&A growth for FY25, and a leveraged EBITDA growth that takes us to our medium-term guidance.”Diageo India (United Spirits Ltd), a subsidiary of the British liquor giant Diageo reported a 17 per cent year-on-year increase in its standalone profit after tax (PAT) to ₹451 crore for the fourth quarter of FY25, compared to Q4 of the previous fiscal. The growth was driven by the company’s re-entry into the Andhra Pradesh market and the resilient performance of its key trademarks

Published on May 20, 2025

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DLF Q4 net profit rises 37% to ₹1,268 cr; FY25 profit surges 59%

DLF Q4 net profit rises 37% to ₹1,268 cr; FY25 profit surges 59%
The other big-ticket launch, DLF Privana West, witnessed a complete sellout within a few days of the soft launch, clocking approximately ₹5,600 crore of new sales bookings.
“The Dahlias, received encouraging demand and generated ₹13,744 crore in new sales bookings during the fiscal. This has resulted in the monetization of approximately 39 percent of the estimated total sales potential of this project within the first year of its launch,” the company said in a statement. The country’s largest realtor, DLF, reported a net profit of ₹1,268 crore, up 37 per cent y-o-y, for the quarter ending March 31, 2025. Revenue (consolidated) for the period stood at ₹3,348 crore.DLF’s annuity business, DLF Cyber City Developers Limited (DCCDL), stood at ₹6,448 crore; EBITDA stood at ₹4,949 crore, reflecting a y-o-y growth of 11%; consolidated profit for the year stood at ₹2,461 crore, a y-o-y growth of 46%.DLF ended FY25 with a net cash surplus of ₹5,302 crore and improved its net cash position to ₹6,848 crore. 

“The Board has recommended a dividend of ₹6 per share for shareholders’ approval. This payout would signify a year-on-year growth of 20% in the dividend compared to the previous year,” the company said in a statement.For the full year, the company’s net profit stood at ₹4,357 crore, up 59 per cent y-o-y; while revenues (consolidated) stood at Rs 8996 crore. Revenue was driven by new sales bookings of ₹21,223 crore, up 44 per cent y-o-y.Published on May 19, 2025 The company generated a net cash surplus of ₹5,302 crore during the fiscal year, and its net cash position improved to ₹6,848 crore for FY25.

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DLF Q4 net profit rises 37% to ₹1,268 cr; FY25 profit surges 59%

DLF Q4 net profit rises 37% to ₹1,268 cr; FY25 profit surges 59%
DLF ended FY25 with a net cash surplus of ₹5,302 crore and improved its net cash position to ₹6,848 crore. 

DLF’s annuity business, DLF Cyber City Developers Limited (DCCDL), stood at ₹6,448 crore; EBITDA stood at ₹4,949 crore, reflecting a y-o-y growth of 11%; consolidated profit for the year stood at ₹2,461 crore, a y-o-y growth of 46%.Published on May 19, 2025 The company generated a net cash surplus of ₹5,302 crore during the fiscal year, and its net cash position improved to ₹6,848 crore for FY25.“The Board has recommended a dividend of ₹6 per share for shareholders’ approval. This payout would signify a year-on-year growth of 20% in the dividend compared to the previous year,” the company said in a statement.For the full year, the company’s net profit stood at ₹4,357 crore, up 59 per cent y-o-y; while revenues (consolidated) stood at Rs 8996 crore. Revenue was driven by new sales bookings of ₹21,223 crore, up 44 per cent y-o-y.The other big-ticket launch, DLF Privana West, witnessed a complete sellout within a few days of the soft launch, clocking approximately ₹5,600 crore of new sales bookings.“The Dahlias, received encouraging demand and generated ₹13,744 crore in new sales bookings during the fiscal. This has resulted in the monetization of approximately 39 percent of the estimated total sales potential of this project within the first year of its launch,” the company said in a statement. The country’s largest realtor, DLF, reported a net profit of ₹1,268 crore, up 37 per cent y-o-y, for the quarter ending March 31, 2025. Revenue (consolidated) for the period stood at ₹3,348 crore.

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Editorial. Pressure tactics

Editorial. Pressure tactics
In a move that perhaps marks a shift in the way India is approaching trade talks with the US, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has firmly refuted the US’ claim, made repeatedly in recent weeks, that India has agreed to nil tariffs on US imports. Jaishankar’s statement last week tersely and firmly clarifies that trade talks are in progress, and ‘nothing is decided until everything is decided’. India has cleared the air, and it was high time that it did so. It coincides with the upcoming trade talks between the two countries this week; Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal is in the US with his team of negotiators.
There is scope to bring down tariffs in products which are zero-rated with other FTAs. A deal that brings down tariffs on India’s goods to 10 per cent is possible without much sacrifice. But Trump’s bluff and bluster must be called out, whether it is over trade or matters of national security, even as we keep our ties with US on an even keel. Published on May 18, 2025 External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

Since April 8, when President Trump slapped his reciprocal tariffs on 57 countries with a 90-day deadline for them to take effect, his administration has gone overboard in ramping up the pressure on India. The gambit here is crudely simple — to force India to ink a deal in these 90 days, before July 8, in order to escape the 26 per cent tariffs that are expected to kick in after that. The same trick is being played out with the rest of the world as well, forcing quite a few countries to line up for talks with the US. In India’s case, Trump and his colleagues have cynically generated a lot of confusion. India has maintained a studied silence in the face of zero tariff claims. Its reticence was perhaps aimed at ensuring that the talks proceeded in good faith. But US’ actions have marred the process. Trump has proposed a ‘big beautiful Bill’ that may ‘tax’ 5 per cent of billion NRI remittance outflows. India should be circumspect in the face of pressure, without allowing the US to set the pace in the talks. A bad deal cobbled in haste is far worse than none at all. Meanwhile, India sent out another sharp message that it will look out for its interests. In a throwback to Trump 1.0, India has proposed retaliatory action on US’ tariffs on steel and aluminium. However, it needs to work out a plan with respect to other areas as well. At the outset, it should be clear that the US’ interests in India go beyond trade per se to persuading India to alter its regulatory systems with respect to GM food, e-commerce, big tech, pharma and other high tech sectors. It is also keen on access to India’s food (maize and soyabean) and dairy sector, besides selling defence equipment and oil. India has enough in its toolkit to squeeze a deal that does not hurt its interests. A levy on e-commerce monopolies, a cap on royalty payments, applying data localisation rules and compulsory licensing of patented drugs can be used to ward off an adverse outcome.

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Editorial. Pressure tactics

Editorial. Pressure tactics
Published on May 18, 2025
Since April 8, when President Trump slapped his reciprocal tariffs on 57 countries with a 90-day deadline for them to take effect, his administration has gone overboard in ramping up the pressure on India. The gambit here is crudely simple — to force India to ink a deal in these 90 days, before July 8, in order to escape the 26 per cent tariffs that are expected to kick in after that. The same trick is being played out with the rest of the world as well, forcing quite a few countries to line up for talks with the US. In India’s case, Trump and his colleagues have cynically generated a lot of confusion. India has maintained a studied silence in the face of zero tariff claims. Its reticence was perhaps aimed at ensuring that the talks proceeded in good faith. But US’ actions have marred the process. Trump has proposed a ‘big beautiful Bill’ that may ‘tax’ 5 per cent of billion NRI remittance outflows. India should be circumspect in the face of pressure, without allowing the US to set the pace in the talks. A bad deal cobbled in haste is far worse than none at all. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

There is scope to bring down tariffs in products which are zero-rated with other FTAs. A deal that brings down tariffs on India’s goods to 10 per cent is possible without much sacrifice. But Trump’s bluff and bluster must be called out, whether it is over trade or matters of national security, even as we keep our ties with US on an even keel. Meanwhile, India sent out another sharp message that it will look out for its interests. In a throwback to Trump 1.0, India has proposed retaliatory action on US’ tariffs on steel and aluminium. However, it needs to work out a plan with respect to other areas as well. At the outset, it should be clear that the US’ interests in India go beyond trade per se to persuading India to alter its regulatory systems with respect to GM food, e-commerce, big tech, pharma and other high tech sectors. It is also keen on access to India’s food (maize and soyabean) and dairy sector, besides selling defence equipment and oil. India has enough in its toolkit to squeeze a deal that does not hurt its interests. A levy on e-commerce monopolies, a cap on royalty payments, applying data localisation rules and compulsory licensing of patented drugs can be used to ward off an adverse outcome. In a move that perhaps marks a shift in the way India is approaching trade talks with the US, the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has firmly refuted the US’ claim, made repeatedly in recent weeks, that India has agreed to nil tariffs on US imports. Jaishankar’s statement last week tersely and firmly clarifies that trade talks are in progress, and ‘nothing is decided until everything is decided’. India has cleared the air, and it was high time that it did so. It coincides with the upcoming trade talks between the two countries this week; Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal is in the US with his team of negotiators.

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