Hinduja Group-led Ashok Leyland has posted a record consolidated net profit of ~820 crore in the second quarter of 2025-26 (FY26), up 7 per cent from ~767 crore during the same quarter last year.
Brokerages expect the company to continue outperforming in the auto segment, driven by launches and the strong trajectory of healthy bookings.
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.
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.
Priced at Rs 7.99 lakh for the entry-level product, M&M has launched the diesel and CNG variants of Veero, and an electric version will come in the future.
Siam argues that a 2040 ban could destabilise ongoing and future investments and threaten millions of jobs in the automotive value chain.
Amid challenging market environment, Maruti Suzuki India and Mahindra & Mahindra reported an increase in vehicle dispatches to dealers last month while Tata Motors and Hyundai saw a year-on-year drop in sales.
Amid a slowdown in car sales, Maruti Suzuki India on Saturday said it will foray into the light commercial vehicles segment, 30 years after an initial plan was shelved when the company started operations.
'This market for diesel starts at around Rs 6.3 lakh and goes up to Rs 7 lakh, and with Saathi we have our usual price set at Rs 6.5 lakh, so we are slightly on the lower side with a superior product.'
While the slowdown in the domestic economy and a ban on mining has sharply impacted the demand for medium and heavy commercial vehicles, sales of LCVs rose 15.61 per cent to 378,509 units between April and December, driven by need for products for last mile transportation.
'Wherever the government has provided incentives for the purchase of two-wheelers, three-wheelers, cars, buses, and trucks, it gets a push for most of these alternate fuels. '
Passenger vehicle sales are expected to experience muted growth in the current financial year.
Domestic commercial vehicle sales volume is expected to grow 9-11 per cent in FY24 driven by medium and heavy commercial vehicles and an estimated economic growth of around 6 per cent, rating agency CRISIL said on Monday. Besides, an increased allocation to infrastructure spending in the Union Budget for next fiscal year will support demand, it said. This would be the third consecutive year of growth in the domestic CV industry, according to CRISIL.
Tata Motors on Monday launched the country's first CNG truck in the medium and heavy commercial (M&HCV) vehicle segment in the 28- and 19-tonne nodes. Most truck makers, including Tata Motors, currently offer CNG only in the small and light commercial vehicle segments. The company also launched a fleet of seven trucks in the intermediary and light commercial vehicle (I&LCV) segment, meant for varied applications.
Nissan' exit from the light commercial vehicle joint venture has helped speed up consolidation and growth for the company
India's climate change goals are turning combustible. On the one hand, a protracted dispute between the government and manufacturers over subsidies threatens to slow the pace of electric vehicle (EV) sales. On the other hand, repeated assertions by different arms of the government over banning sales of new fossil fuel-fired vehicles have queered the pitch for energy investments. Before we address the issue of the recommended diesel vehicle ban in the recent report on energy transition, issued months before the next round of global climate talks begin in Dubai in November, let's look at what's at stake.
Maruti's results and the investor response indicate that quite a few stocks in the auto sector could be on the verge of a big bounce, says Devangshu Datta.
Retail sales of overall vehicles in India grew by 15.28 per cent to 2,11,20,441 units in 2022 led by record sales of passenger vehicles and tractors, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said on Thursday. In 2021, total retail sales of vehicles in India were at 1,83,21,760 units, FADA said in a statement. Two-wheelers retail sales stood at 1,53,88,062 units last year, a growth of 13.37 per cent from 2021 when sales stood at 1,35,73,682 units.
The Mumbai headquartered company also overtook Japanese carmaker Honda to occupy the fourth spot in domestic passenger vehicle market.
The board of directors of Mahindra & Mahindra on Tuesday approved the transfer of the transport solutions group and light commercial vehicles businesses to a separate company.
Following Tata's footsteps, other companies like Bajaj Auto and Mahindra & Mahindra are also developing their respective products in the segment, while three-wheeler major Piaggio has already introduced "Ape Truk" to take on "Ace". Ashok Leyland has announced a tie-up with Nissan for developing and manufacturing LCVs in India.
The two partners have said they'd produce 150,000 vehicles as part of the phase-I plan from their existing facilities in the state, till the new factory goes on stream.
GM president and managing director Lowell C Paddock said the company is bullish on passenger vehicles with some commercial applications and is open to opportunities in the space.
In a chat with Sohini Das, GM India president and managing director Karl Slym says, with the launch of the new compact car, Beat, and a positive response to the Cruze, GM plans to cross the 100,000-unit mark this year in sales.
Homegrown auto major Mahindra & Mahindra on Tuesday said it plans to launch 16 electric vehicles (EVs) by 2027 across SUV and light commercial vehicle categories to strengthen its leadership position in India's electric mobility segment. The company, which has set a cumulative revenue growth target of 15-20 per cent by 2025, is keeping its options open to either bring in private equity investors or carve out its EV business into a separate entity to drive its growth. M&M, which has already announced plans to invest Rs 3,000 crore in EVs, is also considering a new brand name for the electric SUVs that it will launch by 2027.
Car marker leader Maruti Suzuki India is looking at nearly doubling the number of models to 25, including entry into SUV and LCV segments, as it aims a target to sell 3 million cars annually.
Average overall sales which used to be around 8,000 units a year ago has dropped to 7,000-7,500 units in a month. A lot of government projects have been announced but these are yet to translate to boost CV sales.
The list includes compact SUV, mini SUV, premium hatchback and premium MPV.
MHCV sales' grew by 9% to 5,033 units over September 2020 and 3% over October 2019, the first month registering growth over the previous year.
When Modi Rubber closed an agreement with German tyre manufacturer Continental for outright sale of Modi Tyre Company Ltd (MTCL) last month, the exit led to speculation of the group foregoing interests in the segment.
Infrastructure, stricter implementation boost commercial vehicle sales
In the past six months, Nissan sold around 200 Evalias only
Companies expect recovery in second half of fiscal as BS VI approaches, claim banks and NBFCs showing greater interest in financing.
With the government not continuing with lower excise duty beyond December 31, major car makers, including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, GM India and Honda have raised vehicle prices by up to Rs 127,000.
Large number of buyers has put purchases on hold because of a combination of factors, including high fuel prices, higher insurance cost, and firm interest rates.
With the theme 'Smart Mobility, Smart Cities', the company's display at the Auto Expo is focusing on intelligently-connected cities designed to offer convenience, safety, security, and efficiency to its customers.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances