The meltdown in Dalal Street that wiped out investor wealth to the tune of 44 trillion in 2025 also seems to be having a ripple effect on the country's vibrant automobile retail sales.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has given green light to several mega initial public offerings (IPOs) last week, paving the way for bumper launches during the ongoing festival season. According to the update on Sebi's website, Hyundai Motor India, which will be the country's largest IPO of nearly Rs 25,000 crore, received the observation letter from the market regulator on September 24. The regulator also gave the final observations on the offer documents of Vishal Mega Mart and Swiggy.
Auto majors report positive sales figs for November.
Automobile exports from India in the first six months of the current fiscal year rose 14 per cent year-on-year, led by gains in shipments of passenger vehicles and two-wheelers. According to Siam data, the overall exports in the April-September period stood at 25,28,248 units, up 14 per cent as compared with 22,11,457 units in the year-ago period. "Key markets like Latin America and Africa, which had slowed down for various reasons, have bounced back.
Proliferation of home chargers of around 7 KWh and above, which take six to seven hours to fully charge a car depending on the model, bring running costs down by a third or so. That, coupled with the increasing range of modern electric cars, can lead to a massive increase in sales.
The IPO market is set to be bustling next week, with 11 companies like Vishal Mega Mart, TPG Capital-backed Sai Life Sciences and fintech firm One Mobikwik Systems gearing up to launch their initial share sales, collectively aiming to raise nearly Rs 18,500 crore. Other mainboard IPOs to be launched during this period are Inventurus Knowledge Solutions Ltd and Blackstone-owned diamond grading firm International Gemmological Institute (India) Ltd.
Prices of various car models -- ranging from entry-level hatchbacks to high-end luxury offerings -- are set to rise as automakers have announced price hikes with effect from January. Carmakers cite an increase in input costs and operational expenses as the main reason to implement price increases from the next month. Industry experts, however, note that the exercise is also undertaken by automakers every year in December to shore up sales volume in the last month of the year, as customers postpone buyouts to later months to get the new year manufactured units.
The primary market is expected to remain vibrant, with at least 10 companies, including supermart major Vishal Mega Mart and Blackstone-owned diamond grading firm International Gemmological Institute (India) Ltd expected to raise a combined Rs 20,000 crore in the next month, merchant bankers said. Education-focused NBFC Avanse Financial Services, TPG Capital-backed Sai Life Sciences, hospital chain operator Paras Healthcare, and investment bank DAM Capital Advisors are also among the companies planning to launch their IPOs in December, they added. The companies aim to raise a total of Rs 20,000 crore through their public offerings.
Indian passenger vehicles market registered record wholesales of 43 lakh units in 2024, with companies like market leader Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, and Kia posting their best-ever annual domestic sales. The continued growth of SUVs, along with rural markets playing a key role in driving up car sales, helped the industry better the previous best of nearly 41.1 lakh units posted in 2023.
The calendar year 2024 is set to go down as the best year for initial public offerings (IPOs) in terms of funds raised. Following the IPOs of food delivery major Swiggy and two other companies slated for next week, this year's total will reach nearly Rs 1.2 trillion, going past 2021's record tally of Rs 1.19 trillion. Swiggy's Rs 11,327 crore IPO, the sixth-largest in India, and solar energy firm Acme Solar Holdings' Rs 2,900 crore IPO opened on Wednesday (Nov 6), while health-tech firm Sagility India's Rs 2,106 crore IPO opened a day earlier.
Hyundai Motor India Limited's (HMIL's) record Rs 27,870 crore initial public offering (IPO) may not have set the primary market alight with sky-high subscription levels, but it has spelled a windfall for the five investment banks steering the share sale. The Indian arm of the South Korean carmaker paid Rs 493 crore - 1.77 per cent of the issue size - in fees and commissions to the book running lead managers (BRLMs), marking the largest-ever payout for an IPO in the country.
Quarterly earnings of corporates, trading activity of foreign investors and inflation data are the key factors that are expected to drive the momentum in the equity markets this week, analysts said.
Hyundai Motor India expects SUV sales to account for 65 per cent of its overall volumes in 2024, while it gears up to enter the EV segment early next year, aiming to garner 20 per cent of its total sales by 2030, its COO Tarun Garg said on Tuesday. The automaker, which got around 60 per cent of its overall volumes from sports utility vehicle (SUV) sales last year, plans to invest Rs 7,000 crore on its second plant at Talegaon, according to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The company officials however declined to comment on the matter.
Compact sedans (Maruti Dzire, Hyundai Aura, Tata Tigor)' share in the overall sedan category grew from 68% in 2021 to 74.6% in 2024. Mid-sedans' (Honda City, Maruti Ciaz, Volkswagen Virtus) share declined from 26.2% in 2021 to 20.2%.
Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors reported a decline in wholesales in September as the companies curtailed dispatches to dealers to reduce inventory build-up amid a decline in demand. Maruti Suzuki India reported a 4 per cent dip in total domestic passenger vehicle wholesales last month to 144,962 units compared to 150,812 units in the year-ago month. The auto major said sales of mini segment cars, comprising Alto and S-Presso, grew marginally to 10,363 units against 10,351 units in September 2023.
MNC funds invest in companies where foreign promoters have more than 50 per cent shareholding.
Maruti Suzuki India, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hyundai Motor and luxury car maker Audi have extended support to customers in cyclone and flood affected regions of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. In a statement, Maruti Suzuki India said it has collaborated with its dealer partners and made several arrangements at its workshops. As soon as the news about the cyclone 'Michaung' was reported, the company proactively sent out 7 lakh SMS alerts containing precautionary steps to its customers to ensure that even before the cyclone hits, customers could take precautionary measures to safeguard their cars against potential damage, it said in a statement.
Passenger vehicle sales in India kicked off on a flat note in new fiscal 2024-25 with 3.38 lakh units sold in April, impacted by high base effect and muted demand due to the ongoing general elections. Dispatches of passenger vehicles from manufacturers to dealers were at 338,341 units in April 2024 as compared to 332,468 units in the same month last year, a growth of 1.77 per cent with major players Maruti Suzuki India, Hyundai and Tata Motors reporting marginal growth in their domestic wholesales.
Leading carmakers Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai on Thursday reported a dip in wholesales in July as companies reduced vehicle dispatches to dealers amid moderation in demand. Maruti Suzuki India said its total domestic passenger vehicle sales stood at 137,463 units in July against 152,126 units in the year-ago month, down 9.64 per cent.
Tamil Nadu -- often dubbed as India's own Detroit due to its thriving automobile manufacturing ecosystem -- is in no mood to miss the EV bus either. Recent developments attest to it. Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) maker VinFast has promised a $2 billion plant in the southern state. And as promised earlier, the work on Tata Motors-JLR plant will kick off next week, on September 28, after the foundation stone laying ceremony.
Passenger vehicle wholesales in India witnessed a marginal growth in May on account of high base effect and muted demand due to general elections. The overall passenger vehicle dispatches from companies to dealers stood at 350,257 lakh units last month as compared to 335,436 in the same month a year ago, registering a growth of 4 per cent.
Automobile exports from India rose 15.5 per cent year-on-year in the June quarter with all verticals, barring three-wheelers, recording growth in shipments, according to the latest SIAM data. Overall shipments stood at 11,92,577 units in the first quarter the current fiscal year, as compared with 10,32,449 units in the same period of the last fiscal. Passenger vehicle exports stood at 1,80,483 units in the first quarter, registering a jump of 19 per cent over 152,156 units in the same period last year.
Ahead of the festive season, several passenger and commercial vehicle manufacturers have agreed to offer discounts of 1.5-3 per cent on new vehicle purchase against scrapped old vehicles after a meeting with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, an official statement said on Tuesday. The statement further said Mercedes Benz India has offered a flat discount of Rs 25,000, which will be over and above all existing discounts. Union Road Transport and Highways (RT&H) Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday chaired a meeting with the SIAM delegation at Bharat Mandapam, where he addressed pressing issues in the automobile industry.
Passenger vehicle wholesales in India increased 4 per cent year-on-year in May to 3,47,492 units, as compared to the same month last year, industry body SIAM said on Tuesday. Overall passenger vehicle (PV) dispatches from companies to dealers stood at 334,537 units in May 2023.
Industry leaders on Thursday mourned the death of Ratan Tata saying with his demise India has lost a visionary who shaped its industrial and philanthropic landscape. Tata was a truly remarkable business leader who placed the country before business interests, and whose vision was truly transformational for a country and its people, TVS Motor Co Chairman Emeritus Venu Srinivasan said in a statement. "Mr Tata was a truly remarkable business leader, the likes of whom nations get only once in a century," he added.
It's not only the Indian markets that command a valuation premium over their global peers; shares of subsidiaries of India-listed multinational companies (MNCs) also trade at rich valuations compared to their parent companies. An analysis of 12-month forward price-to-earnings (P/E) and price-to-book (P/B) multiples of domestically listed MNCs shows that most quotes have a premium ranging from 2.1x to 6x that of their parent. Similarly, P/B, in most cases, is significantly higher in the domestic market.
Leading automakers Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors on Friday reported robust sales for February as demand for sports utility vehicles continued to remain strong. Mahindra & Mahindra, Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Honda Cars also witnessed higher vehicle dispatches to dealers last month. February turned out to be the third-best month for sales for the industry ever.
Passenger vehicle wholesales saw a marginal growth of 4 per cent in June on account of high base effect and muted demand due to severe heatwave conditions in several parts of the country. Overall passenger vehicle dispatches last month stood at 340,784 units, a growth of 3.67 per cent compared with 328,710 units in June 2023.
'Primary buyers are commercial taxi and fleet operators and small businessmen.' 'CNG prices have been remarkably stable unlike petrol.'
Hyundai Motor India on Thursday said it will invest Rs 20,000 crore in a phased manner in Tamil Nadu over the next ten years to make further inroads into electric vehicles and modernisation of vehicle platforms. The automaker will invest in phases starting in 2023 till 2032. "Hyundai has been one of the largest manufacturers and consistent investors in Tamil Nadu.
Passenger vehicle sales in India touched a record high of 41.08 lakh units in 2023, growing by 8.3 per cent over the previous year driven by SUVs, which accounted for almost half of the total dispatches from manufacturers to dealers. The record sales have been achieved despite an increase in the average price of vehicles to Rs 11.5 lakh last year as compared to Rs 10.58 lakh in 2022. Market leader Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, Tata Motors and Toyota Kirloskar Motor reported their best-ever annual sales in 2023.
South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor Company is considering tax implications of listing its Indian unit before taking a final call, according to sources privy to the development. Hyundai Motor is mulling an initial public offering (IPO) for its Indian arm to raise around $3 billion (at a valuation of up to $30 billion), and talks are in the early stages between the company and bankers, banking sources revealed. Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), however, declined to comment on the development.
...But sales of domestic passenger vehicles dropped 2% to 3% year-on-year in August owing to low demand.
Passenger vehicle sales are expected to experience muted growth in the current financial year.
Bengaluru outpaced Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune in 2023 to become India's leading city for electric car registrations. The city's tech-savvy workforce, increased acceptability, zero road tax, subsidised electricity for EV charging, and a wide charging station network contributed to this surge. Electric car registrations in Karnataka's capital surged more than threefold in 2023 to 8,690 units, overtaking the growth witnessed in the other three cities, according to data from Jato Dynamics
Passenger vehicle wholesales in India rose 9 per cent year-on-year in August on the back of strong demand for utility models, industry body SIAM said on Monday. Overall passenger vehicle dispatches to dealers rose to 359,228 units last month from 328,376 units in August 2022. Utility vehicle sales increased 34 per cent year-on-year to 181,825 units.
'The semiconductor supply is constantly improving, with visible green-shoots in the situation as compared to earlier part of last year'
'Gujarat is the frontrunner at present.'
'However, Tamil Nadu's robust automobile ecosystem and Telangana's aggressive incentives make them strong contenders.'
At a time when consumers increasingly embrace green mobility solutions, it is not electric cars but hybrids that are taking the lead, as automotive sales data indicate. Since January, 64,097 electric cars have been sold compared to 266,465 hybrids, according to data from the ministry of road transport and highways' Vahan dashboard. Hybrid car sales have surged from 4.42 per cent of the 4.1 million cars sold in calendar year 2022 to 7.2 per cent this year.
The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Thursday reported 14 per cent increase in total wholesales at 159,044 units in November. The company had dispatched 139,184 units to dealers in November 2021, MSI said in a statement. Last month, the company's domestic sales rose 18 per cent to 139,306 units as against 117,791 units in November 2021, it added.