BIZ BRIEFS

Volkswagen rides

MUMBAI: Europe’s leading automobile manufacturer Volkswagen Group notched a 69 per cent growth in sales of its Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen brands in India this year. The three coveted brands sold 10,366 units in the last six months, against 6,131 cars sold last year during the same period, Volkswagen India president Joerg Mueller said. The group now plans to launch the Audi A4 and Volkswagen Jetta models in the Indian market this year. — HNS

Oil reserves record

CAIRO: Egypt’s proven oil and natural gas reserves have risen to record levels of over four billion barrels of crude and two trillion cubic meters of gas, media reported. Active mainland and off-shore prospecting under international agreements and with the introduction of new technology at existing deposits have enabled Egypt to push up its reserves. At the end of the fiscal year, the country’s oil reserves stood at 4.189 billion barrels. — Agencies