Why the industry's public position changed is difficult to say. What the developments did establish, though, is that ethanol-blended petrol has become one of the country's most politically and commercially sensitive policy issues.
The Indian government has defended its E20 ethanol blending programme, stating that extensive testing and field experience show no evidence of abnormal engine wear, corrosion, or reduced vehicle life, despite a potential 2-6% reduction in fuel economy.
According to the data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), motorcycle sales in last month declined by 9.16 per cent to 7,99,139 units from 8,79,721 units in the same month previous year.
Automobile manufacturers are increasingly vocal about the mounting paperwork and delays associated with India's Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the automotive sector, arguing that compliance requirements are becoming as challenging as meeting technical eligibility conditions. They are pushing for a simpler, faster, and more predictable certification and compliance framework.
About 181,750 units were sold in FY26 in Punjab, marking a 16.29 per cent year-on-year increase.
India's passenger vehicle industry is poised for a record-breaking year in 2026, propelled by robust dispatches in the first half of the calendar year and strong demand for utility vehicles, despite facing several economic challenges.
The Indian government has allocated an additional 2 million tonnes of surplus broken rice from FCI stocks for its ethanol blending programme, while simultaneously issuing a detailed rebuttal to widespread misinformation regarding the E20 fuel, addressing concerns from water consumption to engine damage and environmental impact.
Domestic passenger vehicle dispatches in India reached a record 12,73,811 units in the first quarter of FY27, marking a 25.9 per cent growth, driven by robust domestic demand despite geopolitical headwinds, according to SIAM.
It, however, conceded that 20 per cent blending of ethanol with petrol leads to 3-5 per cent lower mileage in vehicles than conventional petrol, but said the blend offers a significantly higher octane rating, superior anti-knock properties, faster combustion, better pickup, smoother acceleration, and cleaner engine operation.
Under FAME-II, automakers provided subsidies to electric vehicle (EV) customers at the time of purchase, with the understanding that the government would reimburse the firms later.
Automobile exports from India rose 26 per cent year-on-year in September quarter driven by highest-ever shipments of passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and three-wheelers during the period, as per the latest data released by industry body SIAM.
"There is a sharp jump that we have seen in bookings of EVs... The jump, at least in our case, in just two months, it is about 2 to 2.5 times of what it used to be"
Flex fuel motorcycles can deliver "3 per cent higher torque and 7 per cent higher peak power".
India's leading passenger vehicle manufacturers are significantly increasing investments and factory capacities, alongside planning major product launches for FY27, driven by strong confidence in sustained domestic demand growth despite global geopolitical tensions and supply chain risks.
Domestic passenger vehicle dispatches in India rose 10.6% in February, driven by utility vehicles and two-wheelers, but the industry remains cautious due to geopolitical tensions.
Bajaj Auto is set to launch new Pulsar motorcycles in the 125cc and 150-250cc segments in Q2 FY27, aiming to capitalise on the upcoming festival season surge. This move follows strong growth in the 150cc-plus segment, where refreshed Pulsar models already account for over 50 per cent of Bajaj's sales.
For the foreseeable future, the most likely outcome remains continuation of the status quo. Taiwan will remain self-governing without formally declaring independence, while China continues to apply sustained pressure short of war, predict Krishnan Srinivasan and Manoj Mohanka.
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.
The tariff removal will lower prices of Harley's large-displacement imported motorcycles, which retail between 14.5 lakh and 45.8 lakh but after the duty cut volumes are expected to remain modest.
The India-EU free trade deal could help Indian-made cars enter Europe at lower costs and challenge Chinese dominance.
Passenger vehicle dispatches from companies to dealers declined 9 per cent year-on-year to 321,840 units in August.
Passenger vehicle dispatches from companies to dealers increased 19 per cent year-on-year in November as demand remained robust post festive period, industry body SIAM said on Friday.
India's rapidly ageing truck fleet, with 42% of vehicles over 12 years old, is set to trigger a replacement-driven growth of 3-5% annually over the next five years.
Passenger vehicle dispatches from companies to dealers rose 4 per cent year-on-year in September to 372,458 units, industry body SIAM said on Wednesday. The overall passenger vehicle dispatches last month rose 4.4 per cent to 372,458 units, as against 356,752 units in September 2024.
Domestic passenger vehicle wholesales were down 0.8 per cent at 3,44,656 units in May this year as compared to 3,47,492 units in the same month last year, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said on Monday.
India must act decisively to fully leverage the vast opportunities that exist in India for developing the entire rare earth magnet ecosystem, SIAM president Shailesh Chandra said on Thursday. The government is considering incentives for the production of rare earth minerals and magnets in response to China's restrictions on its global supply, which have disrupted the supply chain.
Domestic passenger vehicle wholesales grew by 4 per cent to 286,390 units last month, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said on Friday. As per the latest data issued by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), dispatches of passenger vehicles (PVs) from manufacturers to dealers were 275,352 units in December 2022.
Mexico on Thursday imposed a tariff of up to 50 per cent on imports from its non-preferential trade partners, including India, a move that might hit New Delhi's annual $5.75 billion shipments to its third-largest car export market.
The automobile and auto-ancillary sector is expected to show strong Q3FY26 results, aided by festival-led demand, rationalisation in goods and services tax (GST) rates for select categories of vehicles, easing interest rates, and improving rural sentiment.
Automobile dispatches from companies to dealers rose 12 per cent last year compared to 2023 on the back of positive consumer sentiments which aided robust demand for two-wheelers, industry body SIAM said on Tuesday. Total wholesales across categories rose to 2,54,98,763 units in 2024 against 228,39,130 units in 2023, a growth of 11.6 per cent.
In October, small car wholesales of the auto industry -- excluding Tata Motors -- went up by 8.4 per cent Y-o-Y to 116,601 units, the data showed. However, the utility vehicle (UV) segment which includes sports utility vehicles (SUVs) as well as multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), saw a bigger growth in October.
Passenger vehicle dispatches from companies to dealers in the domestic market declined marginally year-on-year in July, hit by muted demand, industry body SIAM said on Thursday. Passenger vehicle dispatches declined to 340,772 units in July, compared to 341,510 units in the same month last year.
'In 2024-25, 1 million units of cars were transported via railways. This is 20.6 per cent of India's total car production of over 5 million.'
'It would be similar to what happened during COVID-19.' 'They are not just losing income, but being pushed into distress.'
'The market is still very bullish. The demand is so strong that for eight models, we have no units in our factories to dispatch to dealers,' said Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer, marketing & sales, Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL).
The ministry stated that for vehicles designed for E10 and calibrated for E20, mileage may drop by just 1-2 per cent, while in other vehicles, it could be around 3-6 per cent.
Domestic passenger vehicle wholesales rose 14 per cent year-on-year to 393,074 units last month, the best-ever figure for January, amid robust demand for utility vehicles, industry body SIAM said on Wednesday. As per the latest data issued by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), dispatches of passenger vehicle from manufacturers to dealers stood at 346,080 units in January 2023.
Passenger vehicle dispatches from companies to dealers raced to the highest ever sales mark in a calendar year in 2025 as a reduction in prices due to GST reforms led to robust sales in the festive season, industry body SIAM said on Tuesday.
Between April and August this financial year, passenger car exports rose 8.5 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), while domestic sales fell by 8.5 per cent.
A deep split has emerged within India's auto industry over the proposed CAFE exemption for small cars, with only Maruti Suzuki and Renault backing the move in the final SIAM vote.
