The latest data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) show that the Indian automotive industry wrapped up FY 2024-25 with a solid performance, driven by resilient domestic demand, an uptick in exports, and a renewed push toward green mobility.

While the pace of growth varied across segments, the industry overall clocked a healthy 7.3 percent increase in domestic sales, reinforcing its steady recovery trajectory in a post-pandemic economy.

The passenger vehicles segment posted its highest-ever annual sales, breaching the 4.3 million mark – a 2 percent rise over the previous year. Although the high base of FY 2023–24 tempered the growth rate, the segment continued to impress with its scale.

SUVs emerged as the dominant sub-segment, accounting for 65 percent of total PV sales, up from 60 percent last year.

The market responded enthusiastically to new launches and customer demand towards higher ground clearance models. It is also important to note that discounts and promotions kept demand buoyant.

On the exports front, a record 770,000 units were shipped, up 14.6 percent, fuelled by demand from Latin America, Africa and emerging interest from developed markets.

India’s ubiquitous two-wheelers rebounded strongly with 19.6 million units sold, marking a 9.1 percent growth over the previous year. The scooter category led the charge, boosted by improved rural and semi-urban road connectivity.

EV penetration crossed 6 percent, reflecting a growing preference for sustainable options.

Two-wheeler exports rose by 21.4 percent, supported by macroeconomic stability in Africa and expansion into Latin American markets.

The three-wheeler segment on the other hand scaled new highs with 741,420 units sold, a 6.7 percent growth over FY 2023–24. Urban and semi-urban demand for last-mile transport, especially electric models seem to have played a key role.

The commercial vehicles segment posted a slight 1.2 percent decline in annual sales, though Q4 offered a glimmer of hope with a 1.5 percent uptick. Light CVs struggled, while Medium & Heavy CVs (M&HCVs) remained steady. Infrastructure development spurred demand for buses and higher-GVW trucks.

CV exports jumped by 23 percent, indicating global recovery in freight mobility.

In terms of EV sales, the country saw 1.97 million green vehicles sold, up 16.9 percent, with electric two-wheelers seeing a 21.2 percent rise in registrations.

Looking Ahead: Optimism with Caution

The industry body stated that going forward leaders are cautiously optimistic about FY 2025–26. Normal monsoon forecasts are expected to aid rural demand. Recent personal income tax reforms and RBI rate cuts could boost vehicle financing and overall consumer sentiment. Continued export momentum, especially in Africa and neighbouring regions, will offer strategic resilience.

But on the other hand, challenges loom in the form of global geopolitical tensions and evolving supply chain dynamics.

Shailesh Chandra, President, SIAM, said, “The Indian automobile industry continued its steady performance in FY2024–25, driven by healthy demand, infrastructure investments, supportive government policies and continued emphasis on sustainable mobility. Passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and three-wheelers grew in FY2024-25 compared to FY2023-24, but growth rates have been varied across segments. Passenger vehicles and three-wheelers witnessed a moderate growth on account of the high base effect but saw the highest-ever sales in these categories, while the two-wheeler segment registered strong growth in FY2024-25. However, commercial vehicles witnessed a slight degrowth in the FY2024-25, though performance in recent months has been comparatively better. On the exports front, good recovery is seen across all segments, particularly passenger vehicles and two-wheelers reflecting improved global demand and India's growing competitiveness. In FY2024-25, the government of India introduced the PM E DRIVE scheme and PM e-Sewa schemes which underscores the firm commitment of the Government towards promoting sustainable mobility. Looking ahead, the backdrop of stable policy environment, along with recent measures such as reforms in personal income tax and RBI’s rate cuts, will help in supporting consumer confidence and demand across segments.

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The Association of Indian Forging Industry (AIFI), the apex body of the Indian forging sector, hosted its 2nd Annual Conference on ‘New Development Trends – Impact on Forging Industry’. The event gathered leading stakeholders to discuss the evolving business environment, the China Plus One opportunity, technology and automation, productivity, manpower, rising input costs and the need for greater resilience and competitiveness.

Discussions stressed that the industry stands at a pivotal moment to strengthen its place in global value chains as companies diversify supply sources. However, it must move beyond traditional manufacturing models by investing in technology, automation, engineering, R&D, skilled manpower, productivity and sustainability. The consensus was that while India has the base, talent and market opportunity, forging firms must build capability to manage uncertainty and deliver higher-value solutions.

Chief Guest Thomas Dose, Managing Director, BMW Group Plant Chennai, highlighted India’s growing global relevance under the China Plus One strategy. He noted that geopolitical turbulence and single-supplier risks are pushing global companies to diversify, giving India a strong chance to become the preferred destination, with customers seeking greater engineering and end-to-end responsibility.

Sunil Javalekar, Chairman, Western Region, AIFI & CEO, S. B. Forgetech Pvt. Ltd., gave the welcome address. Yogesh Thakar, Executive Director, PwC, presented ‘Indian Forging Industry – Next Global Edge’. The memento presentation and vote of thanks were delivered by S Ravishankar, Vice President, AIFI & MD, Super Auto Forge Pvt. Ltd.

A panel on ‘Managing Uncertainty / Challenges to Capitalize on Demand Surge’ was moderated by S Ravishankar, with Vidyashankar Krishnan, CMD, M.M. Forgings Ltd.; Vikas Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Motors Ltd. and Sahil Jain, CEO, Hirschvogel Components India Private Limited. Discussions covered GST, manpower, automation, technology upgrades, investments, training, contingency planning, R&D, productivity, demand management and rising input costs.

The conference reinforced the industry’s significant opportunity as global supply chains evolve. AIFI continues to unite stakeholders, facilitate knowledge exchange and represent the forging fraternity, with a renewed commitment to competitiveness and growth in domestic and global markets.

Addressing the gathering, Yash Munot, President, AIFI & CEO, Varsha Forgings Pvt. Ltd., said, “The Indian forging industry is at an important juncture, with global supply-chain realignments creating significant opportunities for India. At the same time, we must remain prepared to navigate geopolitical uncertainty, rising input costs, technology disruption and changing customer requirements. Our focus must be on increasing productivity, accelerating technology adoption, developing our people and strengthening innovation and sustainability. The opportunity before the Indian forging industry is significant, but we must build the capabilities and competitiveness required to become a stronger and more valuable partner to global customers.”

Thomas Dose, Managing Director, BMW Group Plant Chennai, said, “We believe India should be the Plus One. India has engineering talent, a large market and a very capable forging industry. But China Plus One is not only about supply; we want to see much more partnership from India. Customers are looking for capable partners who can take responsibility, contribute to engineering and development and become part of the development process. India is no longer just a supply chain; Indian companies need to be part of our development. The challenge is to connect the capabilities that are already there, and AIFI has a major role to play in this.”

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Powered by JK Tyre, the Indian Racing Festival 2026 got off to a thrilling start at the Kari Motor Speedway (KMS) in Coimbatore, recently, with the opening round of the F4 Indian Championship delivering three action-packed races and a closely contested battle for the top honours. 
Aris Kyriakou emerged as the standout performer of the weekend, combining two runner-up finishes with a Race 3 victory to finish Round 1 with a dominant display.
With the opening round producing seven different drivers on the podium across the three races, the championship has already underlined the depth of competition on the grid. The F4 Indian Championship will now remain at Kari Motor Speedway for Round 2, giving the drivers another opportunity to challenge for crucial championship points at the same venue before the six-round season moves on to its other racing destinations.
South African Luviwe Sambudla stole the spotlight as the opener didn't unfold the way the grid sheet suggested it might. Sambudla, lining up eighth for Goa Aces JA Racing, tore through traffic almost immediately and had himself in podium contention within the first four opening laps in the first battle.
A mid-race safety car briefly closed up the field and threatened to undo his hard work, but it barely slowed him down as he crossed the line first in 31 minutes and 05.808 seconds, edging Kyriakou by 2.245 seconds, with pole-sitter Aaron Mehta rounding out the podium in third.
Before any of that unfolded, though, it was Mehta who'd already made headlines. The fifteen-year-old Singaporean, racing for Kolkata Royal Tigers, put in a lap of 1:05.652 to become the youngest driver ever to take pole in this championship's history. He couldn't quite hold that pace deep into the race, dropping to third as his tyres wore thin, but for a debutant barely out of his mid-teens, a podium finish is nothing to sniff at.
 
Aryan Narola's pole-to-flag drive made him the second-youngest race winner in series history
 Starting from pole in Race 2, Goa Aces JA Racing’s Aryan Narola fended off constant pressure from Kyriakou across the full 26-lap distance on the second day of the championship, eventually taking the flag just 0.624 seconds clear. Aris Kyriakou and Swarnav Das completed the podium behind them. The result makes Narola the second-youngest winner in the championship's history, a milestone which will be talked about in the lead-up to Round Two.
 
Race 3 belonged to Aris Kyriakou
Starting from pole for the third race running, Kyriakou didn't have things all his own way. He crossed the line first, but not before fending off relentless pressure from Mahlori Mabunda, who spent much of the race glued to his gearbox. Third went to Mehta, while Sambudla, the weekend's Race 1 winner, could only manage fourth this time round.
Mabunda displayed the pace to challenge for the win, but spent lap after lap fighting the effects of dirty air, the turbulent, disrupted airflow that trails a car ahead and robs the chasing driver of downforce through the corners.
Further back, the race delivered its share of chaos too. With the laps winding down, the leaders began lapping the rest of the field, sweeping up everyone from fourth to fourteenth during the final 90 seconds. Amid that scramble, Ntiyiso Mabunda came to a halt on track on the last lap, forcing race control to throw a yellow flag. The timing worked out well for Mehta, who'd been running fourth behind Kyriakou and the two South Africans, but Mabunda's misfortune opened the door, and he grabbed third as a result.
Round 1 threw up seven different names on the rostrum across its three races, but it's Kyriakou's name that stands tallest heading into the next stop. With the series set to return to the very same venue for its second round, all eyes will be on whether he can carry this form forward, or whether the chasing pack finally finds a way past.
 

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Thirty emerging technology fields will drive global economic growth over the next 15 years, with their total market value projected to expand from EUR 2.5 trillion to more than EUR 20 trillion by 2040 says a report by global consulting firm Roland Berger.

The research titled ‘The 2040 Technology Gameplan ’ finds that these sectors will account for 37 percent of global industrial value creation by 2040, up from 9 percent today.

The study identifies 14 core technology areas as critical for industrial growth, representing a market potential of EUR 16 trillion. Semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) systems and data centres are projected to constitute more than half of this total. Additional sectors highlighted include energy storage, quantum technologies and humanoid robotics.

Furthermore, the report points out that Europe could capture approximately 20 percent of the global market across these 14 primary technology sectors by 2040, equivalent to EUR 3 trillion in value creation. However, European industry has lost market share to the United States and China due to scaling constraints, capital limitations and institutional complexity.

To address these challenges, the analysis outlines three approaches tailored to specific technology fields: pursuing global leadership in areas such as quantum technology, medical technology, microgrids and carbon capture; leveraging domestic demand in sectors like autonomous defence, humanoid robotics and charging infrastructure; and attracting foreign technology providers to establish local operations for large language models and next-generation semiconductors.

Felix Mogge, Partner, Roland Berger, said, "Europe faces a clear mandate for action. Policymakers and industry leaders must work together to create the right conditions for investment and scaling. Otherwise, the value creation generated by the next wave of technology trends will take place elsewhere."

The study indicates that existing European regulatory frameworks, including the AI Act, the EU Battery Regulation, and the European Chips Act, have not fully achieved their targets. The findings call for EU-wide policies to support commercial scaling, capital availability, and industrial strategy across member states.

Stefan Riederle, Partner, Roland Berger, said, "Europe has the technologies and the talent to compete for global leadership in a number of fields. The challenge now is to choose the right strategy for each technology area and secure Europe’s long-term competitiveness."

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Hero Motors has fixed the price band for its initial public offering at INR 79 to INR 84 per equity share of face value INR 10 each. The offer will open for subscription on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, and close on Friday, 18 September 2026. Bidders can apply for a minimum lot of 178 equity shares and in multiples of 178 equity shares thereafter.

The company’s INR 10 billion public issue comprises a fresh issue of equity shares raising up to INR 6 billion alongside an offer-for-sale of up to INR 4 billion by promoters O P Munjal Holdings and Hero Cycles. Out of the fresh issue proceeds, the company will allocate INR 1.9 billion toward the repayment or prepayment of outstanding borrowings and INR 2 billion for capital expenditure to purchase equipment for capacity expansion at its Gautam Buddha Nagar facility in Uttar Pradesh. The remaining capital will fund inorganic growth acquisitions, strategic initiatives, and general corporate activities.

Hero Motors operates as an automotive technology company designing, developing, and manufacturing powertrain solutions for original equipment manufacturers across the United States, Europe, India and the ASEAN region. The company provides integrated system-level and component-level powertrain products, electric motors, integrated drive units, gear sets and continuously variable transmissions for electric and non-electric applications. Its client portfolio includes two-wheelers, performance cars, e-bikes, off-road vehicles, electric and hybrid automobiles, heavy-duty commercial transport, and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.

The company supplies global original equipment manufacturers and component firms including BMW AG, Ducati Motor Holding, Enviolo International, Formula Motorsport, Hummingbird EV and HWA AG.

The IPO is structured through the book-building process, allocating up to 50 percent of the net offer to qualified institutional buyers, a minimum of 15 percent to non-institutional bidders and a minimum of 35 percent to retail individual bidders.

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