With demand continuing to be strong post the festive season, leading automakers, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra, saw robust growth in sales in November as compared to the same month last year. Maruti Suzuki India reported the best-ever total sales, including exports, last month at 229,021 units, a year-on-year growth of 26 per cent as compared to November last year.
'In the January-August period, the share of hatchback in the overall PV industry sales was about 22.4 per cent. In the September-October period, the share of hatchbacks has come down to 20.4 per cent. In just October, their share was just 20 per cent. This is simple wholesale data from industry body SIAM.'
Since the Indian government reduced GST on small cars on September 22, the small car segment's share in Maruti's overall sales has risen to more than 25 per cent, up from 16.6 per cent earlier in FY26.
Czech carmaker Skoda plans to bring more of its global nameplates into the Indian market as it looks to cater to a diverse set of customers, according to a senior company executive. The company, which now sells products in India ranging from over Rs 7 lakh to upwards of Rs 40 lakh, however, has no immediate plans to introduce electric cars in the country.
'If the targets become unscientific and unjust, Then, just to meet CAFE-III regulation, a small car -- which produces a very low absolute carbon dioxide -- will have to be discontinued.'
Stock market sentiment is likely to remain optimistic going ahead, though some consolidation cannot be ruled out after the recent sharp rally in the benchmarks, analysts said. According to experts, the Nifty and Sensex could indeed move towards new record highs before the end of the year, if global cues stay supportive, crude oil prices remain benign and there is continued domestic earnings momentum.
The operating performance of the country's largest passenger carmakers, Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) and Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), in the July-September quarter (Q2) of 2025-26 (FY26) outpaced brokerage expectations.
However, with competition catching up, is the new Venue up to the challenge of fending off its rivals?
Maruti Suzuki, India's largest producer of small cars, stands to benefit the most.
VinFast's VF6 storms into India as the most affordable electric SUV above 4 metres, packing premium features, 468km range, and free charging till 2028 to disrupt the EV market, observes Somnath Chatterjee.
Maruti Suzuki will introduce eight SUVs over the next five years taking its overall model range to 28 as it aims to regain 50 per cent market share in the domestic passenger vehicle segment, Suzuki Motor Corporation Representative Director and President Toshihiro Suzuki said on Wednesday.
EV manufacturers point out that converting a regular petrol car into a flex-fuel vehicle requires only about Rs 17,000-25,000 per unit, whereas developing an EV demands vastly greater investments in research, battery development, and localisation.
For hatchbacks and sedans, offers range between Rs 40,000 and Rs 80,000 while SUVs and multi-purpose vehicles carry benefits exceeding Rs 1 lakh.
India may see its busiest EV festive season in 2025 with SUVs, luxury cars and scooters set to launch, but rare-earth supply bottlenecks risk delaying rollouts.
Luxury carmakers are shifting into high gear with a mix of product launches, personalised experiences and lifestyle-led engagement.
Leading automakers Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Mahindra, and Tata Motors saw a dip in dispatches to dealers in August amid dip in demand with many prospective buyers postponing their buys anticipating a reduction in vehicle prices on account of the new GST framework. The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India reported an 8 per cent year-on-year dip in dispatches of passenger vehicles in the domestic market last month.
Automotive (auto) stocks have been among the best performers in the BSE 200 index in recent months. More than half of the top 15 gainers over the past one, two, and three months have come from the sector.
The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India expects auto sales to bounce back to the glory days of 7 per cent growth by FY 27, helped by the proposed GST rate cut which is expected to bring down car prices by 3.5 to 8.5 per cent.
The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday announced a reduction in vehicle prices by up to Rs 1.29 lakh effective September 22 to pass on the GST rate cut benefit to customers.
The UK government on Sunday announced that it will support "iconic British brand" Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) with a loan guarantee of up to 1.5 billion pounds to give certainty to the Tata Motors owned carmaker's supply chain following a devastating cyber-attack. The loan will come from a commercial bank, backed by the Department for Business and Trade's (DBT) Export Development Guarantee (EDG), provided by export credit agency UK Export Finance, to be paid back over five years.
Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday expanded its product range in the country with the launch of all-new 'Victoris' as it looks to enhance its presence in the robustly growing mid-sized SUV segment.
Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday posted a marginal increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 3,792 crore for the June quarter, with robust overseas shipments compensating for the drop in domestic sales. The country's largest carmaker reported a net profit of Rs 3,760 crore in the April-June period of the previous fiscal year.
Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers breathed a sigh of relief after the GST Council on Wednesday night retained the concessional 5 per cent rate on EVs, though they now face competition from small petrol and diesel cars, which will attract a lower 18 per cent levy.
Siam argues that a 2040 ban could destabilise ongoing and future investments and threaten millions of jobs in the automotive value chain.
More Indians start car shopping online, pushing automakers and dealers to respond quickly, train staff, and use AI to turn clicks into showroom visits.
Maruti Suzuki's e-Vitara marks its high-stakes EV debut with strong export ambitions, lifting its stock even as analysts caution over pricing and fierce competition.
The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India is recalibrating production of its upcoming model e-Vitara due to the shortage of rare earth magnets, industry sources said. The auto major is looking to produce around 8,000 units of the model by September as against the earlier stated plan of rolling out over 26,000 units during the period.
For UK automakers, market access to India will be limited by quantity caps and phased tariff cuts, especially on petrol, diesel and electric vehicles.
For FY26, the company has adopted a cautious outlook, anticipating domestic growth to broadly track the industry's low single-digit estimated growth amid ongoing economic headwinds.
Tesla is set to officially enter the Indian market with the launch of its first experience center in Mumbai. The move follows leasing of warehousing space and discussions with the Indian government regarding tariffs and manufacturing.
"I welcome Tesla here in Mumbai. Tesla has opened an experience centre here, and it is a statement that Tesla has arrived and it's a statement they Tesla has arrived in the right city and right state," Fadnavis said on the occasion.
"My understanding is that the rules are weighted in favour of big cars, even though smaller cars emit fewer emissions per passenger, use less material, and consume less fuel," Bhargava said in an interview with Business Standard.
Top executives from Siam and major carmakers recently met with Heavy Industries Secretary Kamran Rizvi to discuss the matter. Officials from NITI Aayog were also present.
India ranks 6th in the Asia-Pacific region for the Italian super luxury carmaker.
'In the luxury car segment, the adoption of EVs is almost double compared to the mass market.'
The growing rift between MSIL and rival automakers has complicated the government's efforts to finalise the CAFE norms.
'...the auto industry to get back to 7% to 8% annual growth.' 'High growth in the SUV segment alone will not achieve this, as it is a small market.'
Sluggish urban demand, a high base effect, and weak sales of hatchbacks and sedans weigh down passenger vehicle sales in FY25.
The US carmaker's entry into India is expected by the last quarter of the current financial year.
BYD's new charging system is capable of up to 1000kW charging speeds which may be achievable in China, the carmaker's home market, but such high charging speed is not available in India.
