The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, has posthumously conferred Padma Vibhushan, one of the highest civilian awards, to Late Osamu Suzuki, Former Chairman, Suzuki Motor Corporation and Former Director & Honorary Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India, in a formal conferment ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on 28 April 2025.

The Padma Vibushan was conferred to Osamu Suzuki for his outstanding contribution in the field of trade and industry. The award was accepted by Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director and President, Suzuki Motor Corporation on behalf of his late father.

Toshihiro Suzuki, said, “My sincere gratitude to the Honourable President of India and the Government of India for awarding the prestigious Padma Vibhushan to my father, Osamu Suzuki, Former Chairman, Suzuki Motor Corporation. I have just received this high-level award on his behalf, and I am deeply honoured. I believe he is, from heaven, looking back fondly on the 45 years he spent with India, his second home.”

“This award goes not only to my father, but also to all the people who have worked at Suzuki, Maruti Suzuki and all our business partners, who have supported us in this journey. My father must be feeling very proud today. I am also feeling extremely proud to receive this award. All the employees at Suzuki and Maruti Suzuki and our business partners must be feeling proud of this recognition. This award also expresses thanks to the ‘love of Indian people towards Suzuki’. This award belongs to all of you.”

“We, at Team Suzuki, will carry forward the commitment of Osamu Suzuki with the same passion to bring inclusive and sustainable mobility solutions that will be loved by the people of India,” he added.

Osamu Suzuki played a key role in driving the Indian automotive industry, especially the passenger vehicle segment. Under his leadership, Maruti Suzuki began manufacturing passenger vehicles with around 100,000 units per annum capacity in 1983.

The company is now one of the largest passenger vehicle manufacturers not just in India, but globally.  It was last year that the company reached a cumulative production milestone of 30 million units, an annual production of 2 million units and exporting over 3 million units cumulatively today.

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Italian two-wheeler manufacturer Vespa has introduced its fashion, collectables and archive design exhibition, titled 'The Empty Space', to India for the first time. The event takes place from 13 to 15 November 2026 at Jio World Garden, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, held alongside AJIO LUXE WKEND.

The exhibition showcases a curated selection of Vespa's ready-to-wear apparel and design objects, including pieces from the Al Vento collection, Pilot Dogs, Miscela Nostalgia, In Sella and items from the 2026 Vespa Lover line.

The product designs incorporate visual elements from the scooter's pressed-steel bodywork, such as curved flap pockets on overshirts and denim garments. The concept follows the opening of Vespa's global flagship store on Via Broletto in Milan in September 2025.

Michele Colaninno, CEO, Piaggio Group, said, "Every day is a new journey. It brings to mind a ceaseless quest for new destinations and new worlds. This is my desire: give a future to the things we create. I like to hope we will continue to look one another in the eye and that we won’t isolate ourselves in total digital silence. It is important to kindle emotions. Joy, memories, delusions, and triumphs: these are enduring emotions that stay with us wherever we go. It’s difficult today, but not impossible. I am sure we will succeed because Vespa has always been the symbol of a new start. Vespa is more today than it was yesterday, always creating new ideas."

Diego Graffi, Chairman and Managing Director, Piaggio India, said, "India has a long memory of the Vespa. Ask around and someone will show you a family photograph with one in it. What India has not yet seen is how far the Vespa world now reaches: into what people wear, what they keep on a shelf, how they spend an afternoon. The Empty Space was created in Milan to hold that world, and we wanted India to see it as it was conceived, not in translation. For Vespa in India, this begins a different conversation. The people who choose a Vespa here have always chosen it for more than the ride, and we intend to meet them in every part of life where that choice shows. From 13 to 15 November, The Empty Space is open in Mumbai. Come and find your own way through it."

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German family-owned automotive component supplier Mubea India has appointed Simon Stephan as Chief Executive Officer to direct the company's business strategy, operational development and regional growth. Stephan will execute this function alongside his existing global responsibilities as Head of Strategy and Regional Development Asia for the Mubea Group.

He holds a master's degree in engineering from RWTH Aachen University and an Executive MBA from the Washington University-Fudan University joint programme in Shanghai.

Stephan comes with over 25 years of experience in the automotive and steel industries, having previously held senior positions at ThyssenKrupp Steel and Kirchhoff Automotive.

At present, Mubea India employs 940 full-time equivalent workers across three production facilities and a central service office, manufacturing chassis and powertrain components for the automotive sector.

In CY2025, the company clocked revenue of over EUR 3,600 million with the largest contribution or 34 percent business coming from chassis, 30 percent from body components, 17 percent from powertrain, 12 percent from aviation and 3 percent from general industrial applications.

"MUBEA India has grown significantly over the past decades. Today we employ 940 FTE at 3 production sites and a central service office. We engineer and produce parts for the automotive industry, in particular Chassis and Powertrain components. In the function of interim CEO I’m glad to lead the company together with our local management team to the next level,” said Simon Stephan.

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BendPak Inc. unveiled the MaxJax MAX7 portable two-post lift at the SEMA Show 2026, marking the first MaxJax model to incorporate the company's exclusive Automatic Swing Arm Restraint System (ASARS). The patent-pending ASARS is significantly more robust than traditional swing arm restraint mechanisms, providing a full 360-degree locking interface with 10 times the holding force to secure lift arms firmly beneath the vehicle, helping prevent unintended swing arm movement during lifting, lowering and service.

The MAX7 rises three inches higher than earlier models, reaching a maximum lifting height of 50.25 inches for additional under-vehicle clearance while retaining a compact profile suited to low-ceiling spaces. Its open design allows direct access to brakes, suspension, exhaust and other undercar components, and a 7,000-pound rated load capacity accommodates a wide range of cars, trucks and SUVs. The lift also features seven safety locking positions and an upgraded, easy-to-use lock release.

MaxJax, the original patented portable two-post lift, combines two-post undercar access and lifting capability with removable columns and power unit. Each column bolts securely to floor anchors recessed permanently in the concrete during use, then can be unbolted and rolled away afterward, leaving the floor completely clear. An optional Motorcycle and ATV Adapter Kit adds powersports service capability.

Because customers frequently add adapters, rolling work seats and other accessories, BendPak offers four MAX7 packages. The Standard includes the lift assembly, power unit with tow-cart, standard anchor bolt kit, round lift pads and medium adapters. The Deluxe adds a rolling work seat and portable oil drain; the Supreme features everything in the Deluxe plus frame cradle pads and tall adapters and the Ultimate maximises ergonomics by replacing the standard rolling work seat with the MaxJax Ergonomic Height-Adjustable Creeper Seat.

Sean Price, Director – Quality Control and Product Development, BendPak, said, “Garage space is premium real estate, whether you’re running a busy shop or wrenching at home. The MAX7 stands out for its versatility. It delivers commercial-grade lifting power for enthusiasts without permanently sacrificing parking space while enabling professional shops to quickly increase service capacity during peak hours. The MaxJax MAX7 unlocks maximum utility without requiring a permanent footprint.”

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Indian automotive retail sales saw their second-best-ever performance last month, with a total of 3.17 million vehicles sold, up 25.05 percent over the previous month, but a 23.8 percent YoY decline, albeit from a high base a year ago.

As per the latest data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), the shift in the festive calendar accounted for the year-on-year drop, as Navratri fell in October while Dhanteras and Diwali shifted into November.

The data pointed out that two-wheeler retail sales reached 2.32 million units, reflecting a 29.67 percent MoM increase and a 28.35 percent YoY decline. Passenger vehicle retails totalled 507,768 units, rising 18.86 percent sequentially while dropping 14.23 percent compared to the previous year. Inventory levels for passenger vehicles remained between 43 and 45 days.

Commercial vehicles recorded 115,140 units, up 2.29 percent YoY and 11.19 per cent MoM, driven by a 28.95 percent increase in heavy commercial vehicles and a 21.16 percent rise in medium commercial vehicles.

Three-wheeler registrations grew 3.97 percent YoY to 141,420 units, with electric variants accounting for approximately 63 percent of the total. Tractor sales rose 3.10 percent to 79,285 units, while wheeled construction equipment recorded a 22.07 percent YoY increase to 7,434 units. Overall electric vehicle registrations reached 355,000 units, representing an electric mobility penetration rate of 11.5 per cent.

Sai Giridhar, President, FADA, said, "October is India’s largest retail month of the year, and this year it must be read with the calendar firmly in mind. The YoY decline is almost entirely optical. Last October was an exceptional month that carried both Navratri and Deepawali together, over and above the pent-up demand released after the GST 2.0 rate cuts of 22nd September 2025; this year Navratri fell in October while Dhanteras and Diwali move into November."

"What the year-on-year numbers conceal is where the decline sits. The sharpest falls are precisely in the most Deepawali-dependent pockets – rural two-wheelers, down 33.97 percent against urban’s 20.77 percent, and the Northern markets — the very segments and regions our dealers there now expect to lead November. To our mind this is the signature of demand deferred by the festival calendar, not demand destroyed: the rural, two-wheeler-led buying that powered last October is set to land in this year’s November print." added Giridhar.

"The clearest bright spot was electrification. EV retails touched an all-time high of about 355,000 units, up 44.88 percent YoY, lifting overall EV penetration to roughly 11.5 percent from about 6 percent a year ago – a best-ever October for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles alike. Tellingly, demand ran ahead of supply this month: with petrol and diesel prices continuing to remain elevated, electric vehicle driving ranges now materially improved and EV prices increasingly at par with comparable petrol and diesel models, buyer pull strengthened to the point where availability – not demand – became the binding constraint," concluded Giridhar.

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