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.
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.
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 retail sales in India witnessed a 7 per cent on-year decline in June as severe heatwave conditions resulted in 15 per cent less showroom walk-ins, industry body FADA said on Friday. Overall passenger vehicle registrations stood at 2,81,566 units last month, as compared to 3,02,000 units in June 2023. "Despite improved product availability and substantial discounts aimed at stimulating demand, market sentiment remains subdued due to extreme heat resulting in 15 per cent less walk-ins and delayed monsoons," the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) president Manish Raj Singhania said in a statement.
Hyundai aims to raise exports to 30% of output by FY30 as domestic sales slow; six EVs among 26 product launches planned as part of long-term growth strategy.
Electric vehicle retail sales in the country witnessed over three-fold jump last fiscal with two-wheeler offtake leading the segment, according to data compiled by automobile dealers' body FADA. Total electric vehicle (EV) retails reached 4,29,217 units in 2021-22, a rise of three-fold from 1,34,821 units in the financial year 2020-21, the industry body said. Total EV sales had stood at 1,68,300 units in the 2019-20 fiscal, it noted.
Force Motors, known for its shared mobility solutions, is gearing up to expand its presence in global markets and defence segment having consolidated its position in India by narrowing down on focus areas for profitable growth, according to managing director Prasan Firodia.
Among Sensex firms, Mahindra & Mahindra was the biggest gainer, gaining 1.7 per cent after the October sales data. Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (TMPV) rose by 1.69 per cent. Eternal, State Bank of India, Bharti Airtel and Kotak Mahindra Bank were also among the major gainers.
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.
Leading automakers Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors reported decline in wholesales in August as the companies curtailed vehicle dispatches amid drop in demand and to cut inventories at dealer level. Market leader Maruti Suzuki India said its total domestic passenger vehicle wholesales were at 143,075 units last month as compared to 156,114 units in the year-ago month, registering a dip of 8 per cent. Sales of mini segment cars, comprising Alto and S-Presso, declined to 10,648 units last month as against 12,209 units a year ago.
Even as the results of Siemens for the second quarter of 2025-26 (Q2FY26) were a mixed bag, the stock was the top gainer in the BSE 200 index, rising 4.92 per cent in trade. Most brokerages are neutral or positive on the company.
Among Sensex firms, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance, Tata Steel, Reliance Industries, Sun Pharma, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Axis Bank and Infosys were among the major gainers. Bharti Airtel and Asian Paints emerged as the laggards from the pack.
Long standing number two passenger vehicle maker in India, Hyundai Motor India, has slipped to fourth position in the domestic market in terms of retail sales last month behind Maruti Suzuki India, Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors, as per the latest data shared by dealer's body FADA. Hyundai Motor India clocked retail sales of 38,156 units last month, a dip of 20 per cent as compared with 47,540 units in February last year.
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 real story of 2025 is that India officially stopped being a 'market of the future' and started acting as the world's primary economic engine.'
Despite the benefits of hybrid technology, a lack of government backing and few launches have kept the segment from gaining ground.
India's macroeconomic health is in a "relative goldilocks situation", and although the risk of higher landed oil prices, due to insurance cost surges and closure of choke points due to the brief Israel-Iran war, has receded, it is "too soon to sound the 'all clear' for the rest of the year", the Finance Ministry said on Friday.
Between January and August 2025, over 65,000 units of the Bolero were sold, making it the third-highest contributor to Mahindra's overall SUV sales. Bolero annually achieves sales of over 1 lakh units.
Passenger vehicle retail sales in India declined by 1 per cent last month as buyers preponed purchases to March in order to avoid enhanced prices on account of stricter emission norms kicking in from April 1, automobile dealers' body FADA said on Thursday. The passenger vehicle retail sales declined to 282,674 units last month as compared with 286,539 units in April 2022. "The passenger vehicle segment, which achieved record sales in FY23, slowed down in April... This was primarily due to last year's high base and the OBD 2A norms, which led to vehicle price increases and advanced purchases in March," Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) president Manish Raj Singhania said in a statement.
Companies with "gas guzzlers" are trying to set up the wrong narrative against small cars getting relaxation in the proposed corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE-III) norms on the basis of weight, Maruti Suzuki senior executive officer corporate affairs Rahul Bharti said on Monday, bringing to the fore deep division among carmakers regarding the upcoming rules.
'Some buyers get carried away by festival offers and purchase higher variants or larger vehicles than they truly need, which impacts running cost and long-term affordability.'
Lining up its 2030 strategy, Hyundai said it was targeting up to 30 per cent export contribution and over 1.5-fold rise in revenue, to cross the 1 trillion milestone in five years.
Even as non-life insurers reported muted premium growth in October, standalone health insurers saw a robust 38 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) surge. This growth was driven by pent-up demand in the retail health insurance segment.
Two-wheeler sales, however, declined 21.4 per cent to 14,13,378 units last month, as compared to 17,98,201 units in November 2019. Commercial vehicle sales also slipped 31.22 per cent to 50,113 units, as against 72,863 units a year ago. Similarly, three-wheeler sales fell 64.98 per cent to 24,185 units last month, from 69,056 units in the year-ago period. Tractor sales, however, grew by 8.47 per cent to 49,313 units last month, against 45,462 units in the same month last year.
While sedan sales have declined in the mass-market segment in recent years, demand remains strong for BMW sedans, which account for 45 per cent of its sales in India.
Automobile retail sales in India rose 13 per cent year on year in February with all the segments, including passenger vehicles and two-wheelers, witnessing robust offtake, dealers' body FADA said on Thursday. Overall retail sales stood at 20,29,541 units last month as compared to 17,94,866 units in the year-ago period. Passenger vehicle sales grew 12 per cent to 3,30,107 units last month as against 2,93,803 units in February 2023.
Ola Electric on Thursday said its automobile business turned profitable in the quarter ended September 2025 with pre-tax earnings growing by 0.3 per cent against a contraction of 5.3 per cent in the preceding three months.
Hybrids have helped Maruti acquire leadership in SUVs, a segment that was never its forte. Toyota has also risen with the hybrid tide to clock its highest-ever annual sales in 2023.
Telangana's anti-narcotics wing, the EAGLE Force, conducted a multi-state operation against a Nigerian drug cartel, resulting in over 50 arrests and the seizure of narcotics worth Rs 3.5 crore.
The Curvv hasn't set the sales charts on fire and Tata needs another product aimed straight at the Hyundai Creta, which is where the Sierra fits in.
The move offers flexibility in compliance but also places penalties squarely on the designated manager of such a pool.
The country's biggest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India, has raised concerns about the continuing slide in small car sales.
South Korean auto major Hyundai Motor Co president & CEO Jose Munoz on Wednesday said the company's Indian arm will invest Rs 45,000 crore by FY30, aiming to make India its second-largest region globally. Addressing investors here in his first visit to the country, Munoz said Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has set a target of up to 30 per cent export contribution.
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.
'In terms of incentives, if you think about it, hybrids are a 20-year-old technology.'
India's electric vehicle (EV) industry hit a new milestone in 2024, with sales surging 26.5 per cent year-on-year to 1.94 million units as of December 29, according to Vahan data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
The Indian automobile retail sector saw a strong start to 2025, with overall sales increasing by 6.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in January, according to the latest report by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). Despite the positive numbers, the association noted that auto dealers have mixed expectations for the coming months. Nearly half (46 per cent) anticipate further growth in sales, while 43 per cent believe sales will remain steady.
The auto major is not just looking at domestic sales, but also planning to ramp up exports to key markets from here, like the Middle East, North Africa and Australia.
Auto mobile retail sales in India witnessed a 10 per cent annual growth in July driven by robust sales across passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and commercial vehicles, industry body FADA said on Monday. Total retail sales across segments rose to 17,70,181 units last month, as compared to 16,09,217 units in July 2022. Passenger vehicle sales saw an increase of 4 per cent to 284,064 units last month, as compared to 273,055 units in the year-ago period, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said in a statement.
Maruti Suzuki India and Hyundai reported single-digit sales growth in July with the sports utility segment continuing to drive overall demand in the market. Mahindra & Mahindra witnessed a 29 per cent increase in passenger vehicle dispatches while Tata Motors saw a marginal increase in the wholesales last month. Maruti Suzuki on Tuesday said its total domestic passenger vehicle sales stood at 152,126 units last month as compared to 142,850 units in the year-ago month, a growth of 6 per cent.
