As the news of a seven-seater C-segment SUV being tested by Nissan in India gathers speed (besides the news that Renault will launch the new Duster as the Bigster in the next few months), the Renault Group and Nissan have announced new strategic projects. 
The most important of these is the restructuring of the Indian Renault Nissan Alliance entity with Renault Group buying out the 51 percent stake of Nissan, making Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL) its fully owned subsidiary. 
Despite this change, Nissan will maintain its presence in India with a strong focus on enhancing market coverage. RNAIPL will continue to support Nissan’s production of models, including the New Nissan Magnite in India. 
With Nissan choosing Renault Group to develop and produce a derivative of Twingo that it has designed, the restructuring of the Indian business that was until now a well-honed alliance effort with almost equal-equal investment by both the auto makers, the Renault Group and Nissan have entered into a new alliance agreement that would increase the flexibility of each of the two regarding their cross-shareholdings. This would be done by setting the lock-up undertaking at 10 percent instead of the current 15 percent. 
Nissan would be released from its commitment to invest in Ampere while continuing the agreed product projects.
 Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group, commented on the significant development: “As a long-time partner of Nissan within the Alliance and as its main shareholder, Renault Group has a strong interest in seeing Nissan turnaround its performance as quickly as possible. Pragmatism and business-oriented mindset were at the core of our discussions to identify the most effective ways of supporting their recovery plan while developing value-creating business opportunities for Renault Group. This Framework Agreement, beneficial for both parties, is the proof of the agile and efficient mindset of the new Alliance. It also confirms the attractiveness of our products with Twingo as well as our ambition to grow our business on international markets. India is a key automotive market and Renault Group will put in place an efficient industrial footprint and ecosystem.”
 “Nissan is committed to preserving the value and benefits of our strategic partnership within the Alliance while implementing turnaround measures to enhance efficiencies. Our goal is to create a more agile and effective business model that allows us to respond quickly to changing market conditions and conserve cash for future investments. We remain committed to the Indian market, delivering vehicles tailored to local consumer needs while ensuring top-notch sales and service for our existing and future customers. India will remain a hub for our research and development, digital and other knowledge services. Our plans for new SUVs in the India market remain intact, and we will continue our vehicle exports to other markets under the “One Car, One World” business strategy for India," said Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO of Nissan. 
 

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The Executive Committee of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has elected Shenu Agarwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ashok Leyland, as its President for the 2026–27 term.

The election took place during the organisation's Executive Committee meeting in New Delhi.

Agarwal, who previously served as Vice-President of the SIAM, succeeds Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles.

The Executive Committee also elected K N Radhakrishnan, Director and Chief Executive Officer of TVS Motor Company, as Vice-President for the 2026–27 term. Santosh Iyer, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz India, was elected as Treasurer.

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Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), the apex national body for automobile retail in India, has unveiled the findings of its sixth annual Dealer Satisfaction Study (DSS) 2026. The results were announced during a prestigious awards ceremony at the 8th Auto Retail Conclave on 1 September. This comprehensive industry barometer is conducted in collaboration with PremonAsia, a Singapore-based consumer-insight and advisory firm.

The 2026 study broadened its analytical framework to include the Tractor and Wheeled Construction Equipment sectors for the first time. The Tractor segment recorded a satisfaction index of 784, while the 4-Wheeler Luxury category posted an index of 758. JSW MG Motor maintained its dominant position in the 4-Wheeler Mass Market with an industry-leading score of 865 points. Royal Enfield retained its top ranking in the Two-Wheeler category with 878 index points, closely pursued by Hero MotoCorp.

The Commercial Vehicle segment witnessed a shift in leadership, with Tata Motors CV ascending to the top spot with 800 points, narrowly edging out Ashok Leyland. In the Pure Electric category, Ather Energy and VinFast Auto emerged as frontrunners in the 2-Wheeler and 4-Wheeler sub-segments, respectively. BMW in the 4-Wheeler Luxury segment and Mahindra's Swaraj Division in tractors secured pole positions in their respective categories.

The aggregate Industry Average Dealer Satisfaction score rose by 29 points to 810. The Two-Wheeler segment improved by 35 points to 827, while the 4-Wheeler Mass segment saw a 39-point increase to 810. Toyota Kirloskar Motor and Kia Motors recorded the most notable gains among 4W Mass OEMs, while VECV-Eicher demonstrated strong improvement in the CV space.

Product attributes continue to garner the highest scores, reflecting robust dealer confidence in reliability and refresh cycles. After-Sales service holds the highest importance in dealers' minds, and together with Sales & Order Planning and Business Viability & Policy, these account for nearly 68 percent of dealer priorities. Business Viability & Policy remains the lowest-scoring factor, with dealers highlighting challenges such as unsold inventory buyback policies, training cost-sharing and margins on vehicles and spare parts.

Two-Wheeler dealers appreciate product reliability but voice concerns over inventory write-offs and cost-sharing. In the 4-Wheeler Mass segment, operational pressures like stock carrying costs and network expansion policies are paramount. Commercial Vehicle dealers are focused on service economics including labour rates and warranty reimbursement, while Tractor dealers seek improvements in trial-vehicle support and warranty policies.

Profitability and margins are the most frequently cited requests for improvement, followed by concerns regarding the EV transition and OEM relationships. Dealers are increasingly calling for fairer agreement principles, greater predictability in network policies and more robust support systems to navigate the evolving automotive landscape.

FADA President Sai Giridhar said, “The DSS 2026 continues to provide an important reflection of the evolving Dealer–OEM relationship. This year’s record participation reinforces the confidence of dealers in using this platform to voice their expectations and concerns. While product quality, reliability and range continue to be strong areas, the findings clearly underline the need for greater focus on dealer viability, including sustainable margins, inventory and buyback policies, training cost-sharing and greater clarity in OEM policies. Dealers are also seeking more structured involvement in decision-making and regular engagement with OEMs at national, regional and zonal levels. As the automotive retail business evolves, particularly with the transition towards new technologies, strengthening dealer economics and ensuring a fair, collaborative and sustainable OEM–dealer relationship will be critical for the industry’s long-term growth.”

PremonAsia Director and COO Rahul Sharma said, “The Overall Dealer Satisfaction Index has moved up 29 points over 2025. Changing importance of factors influencing dealer satisfaction displays the dynamic nature of Industry. While Product remains the strongest pillar, After-Sales, Sales & Order Planning and Business Viability & Policy together account for nearly two thirds of dealer mind space. The 2026 DSS study is not just about ‘who ranks where’; it is a clear mandate to build a more viable, fair and future-ready dealer ecosystem. The Voice of Dealer reinforces the quantitative findings – profitability, inventory, dealer rights and future readiness are now central to the OEM-dealer partnership.”

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IDFC FIRST Bank has launched an accelerator programme in collaboration with the Pilani Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development Society (PIEDS) at BITS Pilani. This initiative operates under the IGNITE startup incubation programme, which is managed by the bank’s CSR division, FIRST IMPACT. The partnership is designed to foster enterprises that address critical health and environmental challenges.

The programme will provide catalytic grants, incubation, acceleration, mentorship and ecosystem connections to nurture purpose-driven ventures. It aims to strengthen business and investment readiness while promoting sustainable, high-impact solutions. Eight startups from across India have been selected to participate, focusing on climate technology, carbon reduction and removal, AI and machine learning-based healthcare diagnostics, medical devices and assistive technologies.

These selected startups will receive mentorship, business guidance, access to industry experts and investors and performance-linked grants of up to INR 2,500,000 each. The initiative seeks to scale innovative solutions for carbon sustainability and healthcare accessibility. It is also expected to contribute to employment generation and broader sustainable development goals within the country.

Saptarshi Bapari, Head, Investor Relations and ESG, said, “India is witnessing a remarkable wave of entrepreneurship, with innovators building solutions that are shaping a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future. What many early-stage startups need is the right support at the right time to turn promising ideas into scalable solutions that can create meaningful impact. Through the IGNITE Social Incubation Program, we are supporting startups working in healthcare and climate sustainability, two areas that are critical to the well-being of our communities and the future of our planet. Our partnership with BITS Pilani combines funding, mentorship and access to a strong innovation ecosystem, helping entrepreneurs accelerate their growth and bring their ideas to life. We hope this initiative empowers founders to scale their solutions, reach more people and create lasting positive impact at scale.”

Prof V Ramgopal Rao, Vice-Chancellor, BITS Pilani, said, “BITS Pilani has spent five decades building an entrepreneurial ecosystem, with impact across all sectors and geographies. We are excited to launch IGNITE to deliver measured community impact across Health and Climate – partnering with IDFC FIRST Bank allows us to apply that discipline to two sectors where India's need is most urgent.”

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The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), the apex national body of automobile retail in India, has announced the appointment of Sai Giridhar as its President. He is the 38th President of the organisation and will be in chair for FY2026-27 and FY2027-28. The decision was made at the 323rd Governing Council Meeting, held immediately pst the 62nd Annual General Meeting.

The Managing Director of Saisha Motors Pvt Ltd, Jaipur, Giridhar has been in the auto business for over 30 years. He operates Skoda, Volvo Cars, JSW MG and MG Select dealerships and started his journey in 1995 with a Daewoo dealership in Jaipur. He has served for long as the Secretary of the Authorised Motor Association of Rajasthan for the past 10 years and has been associated with FADA for more than 10 years, holding posts of State Chairperson of Rajasthan for four years before getting inducted in central leadership team.

Besides Giridhar, the FADA Governing Council also elevated Amar Jatin Sheth, Managing Director, Shaman Group as the Vice President. Pradeep Agarwal, Managing Parter, JMG Group, has taken over as the secretary. Bharat Kumar Chordia, Managing Director, Khivraj Motors, has taken over as the treasurer for FY2026-27 and FY2027-28.

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