'This is not just a cosmetic refresh,' said Suhas Rajkumar, founder and chief executive officer of Simple Energy. 'We have re-engineered the battery integration, made the scooter lighter, improved performance and expanded the portfolio so customers can choose based on real usage needs.'
The production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the automobile sector has created market distortions, excluded innovation-led electric two-wheeler (e2w) makers, and failed to convert cost advantages into export competitiveness, with 77 per cent of export volumes driven by non-PLI models, said a report released by the Centre for Domestic Economy Policy Research (C-DEP) on Friday.
Six months after its India debut, the Vietnamese automaker has overtaken established players such as Hyundai Motor, BMW, Kia, and Chinese EV major BYD.
India's electric two-wheeler (e2W) manufacturers have urged the government to extend subsidies under the PM E-Drive (Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement) scheme beyond March 2026, cautioning that a withdrawal could slow near-term demand even as confidence in long-term electric mobility adoption remains intact.
Domestic passenger vehicle dispatches from companies to dealers rose 13 per cent year-on-year to 449,616 units in January with demand remaining robust owing to GST rate rationalisation and subsequent dip in prices, industry body SIAM said on Friday.
India's two-wheeler industry is seen growing 6-9% in 2026, though a proposed ABS mandate for sub-125cc models could push up prices and temper volumes.
Scooters India Limited (SIL), a public sector automotive company, is mulling foray into the electric two-wheeler segment and is presently evaluating the expressions of interest (EoIs) by some domestic companies for a possible collaboration. The Lucknow-based company aims to augment its product range from passenger three-wheelers to include green two-wheelers.
While GST on ICE vehicles was brought down significantly, for electric cars it remained at 5 per cent.
'I wasn't just racing, I was paving the way for others.'
The model is powered by Oben's in-house LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery technology, which the company claims offers greater temperature tolerance and lifespan.
'Your family doesn't want you to come to this field because there's no direction, no formula.' 'It's not as if your career is settled and you will get work consistently.'
JV to export e-carts, aim for 10% global market share, $1 bn turnover and innovation in driverless tech.
The state is also the biggest market for TVS, another incumbent player, and together with Bajaj Auto, they accounted for 88 per cent of Maharashtra's total electric scooter sales last month. As many as 8,417 units were sold in Maharashtra in September. Bajaj Auto's contribution was 4,048 vehicles and that of TVS was 3,389, according to model- and state-wise data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).
The growing rift between MSIL and rival automakers has complicated the government's efforts to finalise the CAFE norms.
Vietnam was wonderful and the people warm and hospitable, Radhika Mittal discovered over a 11-day stay.
While Hero Honda is ramping up capacity by 50 per cent, HMSI is readying itself to launch a fourth product.
'...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.'
Why has the shift from ICE to electric slowed down despite initial enthusiasm?
Ola Electric, India's largest electric vehicle company, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first two-wheeler automotive electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer in India to receive incentives under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automotive and Auto Component (PLI-Auto Scheme). The company has been granted a total incentive of Rs 73.74 crore for the Determined Sales Value of FY 2023-24 under the scheme, according to a stock exchange filing by the company.
Take the rediff business quiz and see how much you know about the two-wheeler industry in India
The two-wheeler segment has shown signs of recovery in the first half (H1) of calendar year (CY) 2024, largely driven by improving performance in rural areas. According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, rural contribution to two-wheeler sales surged by 57-60 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2024-25, indicating a rising demand in these regions. Experts believe that this trend will continue, supported by a favourable monsoon season and government initiatives aimed at rural development.
Lithium-ion cells, primarily imported from China, are likely to become cheaper following punitive tariffs imposed by the US on Chinese battery cells.
As a tech services company, Ola has never been in hardcore manufacturing. And unlike in ride hailing, which is a two-player market (Uber is the only other competitor), in two-wheelers it faces many entrenched players. But most of all, rivals say Ola's targets are out of sync with most, even ambitious, projections.
Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel said Scooters India could be considered for complete privatisation
Passenger vehicle sales are expected to experience muted growth in the current financial year.
HMSI has increased the monthly salary of its permanent workers by Rs 14,770 a month.
Bhavish Aggarwal, founder and chief executive officer of Ola, is encouraging developers to switch from Google Maps to Ola Maps. Ola is offering developers a year of free access to Ola Maps on the company's Krutrim Cloud and over Rs 100 crore in free credits. This initiative comes after Ola replaced Google Maps with its own Ola Maps, leading to annual savings of around Rs 100 crore.
New launches as well as upgrades to existing scooter models marked this year as manufacturers competed with each other to satiate the demand for new and interesting automatic scooters.
The Haryana government has facilitated an agreement between the agitating workers and the management of Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India Limited, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said late on Friday night.\n\n
At Rs 1.24 lakh, it's the most expensive scooter manufactured in the country but the 450 deserves every penny.
Little response to Left parties strike call in Gurgaon
'He never had a negative thought in his mind, he was supremely confident.' 'He always stuck to his natural game, he never moved away from that.'
We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
'I think some of us, like Mukesh Ambani, myself and those of us who head industrial units, ought to really focus on what we can really do to make the world a safer place, maybe 50 or 100 years from now.' 'For instance, how can we deal with climate change and global warming, right now?' 'The effects of it may not be felt now; in fact, we may pay a price for it today, but it will help the generations to follow.'
With a price tag of Rs 66,661 Vespa LX 125 is being dished out in the India market as a premium product. Here's what justifies the cost.
Foxconn means serious business in India. Its delegation to India was led by its Chairman Young Liu who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
For India, it is a symbol of will and a successful feat of arms.
As many as 20 central public sector enterprises and their units are at various stages of strategic disinvestment, while six are being considered for closure or are under litigation, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur said on Monday.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd, 100 per cent subsidiary of the Honda Motor Company, will launch its MotoGP edition motorcycle in the country next month, a top company official said.
This year's edition, three years lost to the pandemic and scheduling, wore a distinctive shade of green, and, as would befit an era of technology shift from internal combustion engines to electric motors, had a clutch of high-technology exhibits and concepts. But the excitement of the expo's heyday was missing.
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