“I began to be part of Hyundai Motor India just when I was becoming an actor in Mumbai. At that time I don’t think there was anything like an ambassadorship or modelling for a car. To be a brand ambassador of Santro at that time was a moment of bigness for me, a great honour as Hyundai was well known in the world. In India the foreign car companies were just coming in so when I was asked to be the ambassador it was very confidence invoking.

I was also a little worried not knowing how it was going to pan out; this was in 1997. An international brand was coming to India with me. I was thinking whether I was good enough to be its ambassador. One never expected that even after 23 years we will be working together. It has been a good journey so far.

Handling Relationships

I listen to her (wife). To be honest, I have had many long associations in branding. I have been very clear that when a brand signs me on, it should be something that would go long-term. It can be long-term only if the brand is doing well. Being a brand ambassador might be fashionable and very cool but I think a brand ambassador cannot help if the product is not good. I speak from experience. I started branding and advertising as far as cinema is concerned for two products. I think I must have been the first person to do it in India on such a large scale.

Unless Hyundai is doing well I have no voice. I have been with them for 23 years because they have been able to do something good with their cars. When people say, “I’ve signed a new brand and am moving on,” I think you don’t move on unless your brand or product is not good enough. I have had discussions with a lot of people who want to bring in fresh blood but your product has to be good. Fresh blood in a brand ambassador can never do anything for a product that’s not doing well; that’s my belief. Unless you bring in something new these shifting and signing of brands is no big deal.

Cars Are Different

I remember when Y S Kim handed me the keys to the car I felt it was very technical. We used to talk about 1.6 litre engines, BHP etc, it was very different. Normally, most of the brands at that time were more lifestyle and fun so when a car came along; I think we did 5 films over 5 days for a long stretch. Everybody was going in for advertising; it was very different. Kim was very sweet. He would give me the keys and land up wherever I went. By the last ad he gave me the keys before going back to Korea saying, “Now you handle it.” Apart from that part the rest of it was very tough. To be honest I didn’t know where it was going.

From Santro To Creta

I tell everybody that I’m a Santro walla. Since I’m now the corporate brand ambassador I talk about Creta also but for me the all-time favourite is Santro; 3-4 years ago I requested the whole office to give me one. The reason for this is because I love the name. I think certain things have a great name and Santro just had one; it had a ring to it. The advertising with ‘Santrowale and Santrowala’ was very nice. Two years ago they made a special one for me

I’ll be honest in saying that I’m not a very big car person. For me cars have always meant more of transportation. Other than an extension of fashion, manhood or macho I have never been a big car fiend. Actually I have about 700 cars (miniature models) like this one in my house. I like these much better. For me it’s never been that I should get one if my friends have it. It’s a misnomer that I have a lot of luxury cars. I just use one car, which I believe should get you from one place to the other.

Liking Hyundai Cars

The finish is very nice and the cars have very clean lines; the inside is also very clean. Creta is robust and straightforward. It doesn’t have too many entanglements, looks basic and uncomplicated but at the same time sporty enough. It looks like an SUV with a minimal look without any clutter. Hyundai is quite minimalistic; the simplicity is a plus point.

I love driving. All the stunts in the films I have done myself with Hyundai cars. Now I don’t drive that much but at night I have to take my kids out for a drive. Of course I love that but there is too much traffic today, even at night. I have come here to Delhi a year and a half ago; wanted to show the kids my old house. I like the manual cars more.

Mobility As A Service

I was told that they are going into sharing and leasing. What I notice is that there was a time when people thought that learning how to drive was essential and necessary but today you don’t really need to learn to drive a car anymore, as sad as it may sound, especially to those who love driving. So how do you get around? I think you are going to utilize these services and it is fantastic for the car manufacturer to start doing this because essentially this business goes back to the people who are making the product. They are in the business of mobility so that is very good. The concept is not just to sell the car anymore but to highlight functionalities of safety, security, cleanliness, etc. It’s also as essential as selling the product. So I find my role getting more into that. As and when new things come in, like the new model Aura, my role would go more towards that. We would have to talk more on all the innovations than just the cars.” (MT)

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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) reports 20 percent uptick in its wholesales for FY2026 with 406,081 units sold, as compared to 337,148 units last year.

The company recorded growth across both domestic and export markets during the financial year. Domestic sales rose by 19 percent to 367,107 units, while exports grew by 41 percent to 38,974 units.

In March 2026, Toyota Kirloskar Motor reported a 24 percent increase in total sales, with 37,194 units sold compared to 30,043 units a year ago.

The company attributes a robust demand for its product portfolio, which was supported by the introduction of the Land Cruiser 300, as well as new grades and special editions for the Innova Hycross, Fortuner, Camry Hybrid and Hilux. Technical updates included a new six-speed automatic transmission for the Urban Cruiser Hyryder AWD variant.

The company also standardised six airbags across the Rumion, Glanza, Urban Cruiser Taisor, and Urban Cruiser Hyryder models. The Innova Hycross achieved a five-star Bharat NCAP rating during this period.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor expanded its market reach through customer-centric initiatives and brand engagement activities, including the Toyota Experiential Museum (TEM) and a tour by brand ambassadors Drum Tao. These efforts were intended to increase reach among younger audiences and reinforce the brand's mobility positioning.

Sabari Manohar, Executive Vice-President, Sales-Service-Used Car Business, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “We delivered a positive performance this financial year, driven by sustained demand across our SUV, MPV and compact segments. The introduction of new products and customer centric initiatives during the year further helped position Toyota as a dynamic, technology driven and youth‑oriented brand. This momentum reflects the continued trust in Toyota’s quality, reliability and overall ownership experience. In a rapidly evolving market, such consistency underscores the strength of our fundamentals and positions us well for long‑term sustainable growth. We sincerely thank our customers, dealer partner, Government and other stakeholders for their trust & unwavering support. We remain focused on strengthening our product and technology offerings in line with our multi‑pathway approach of hybrid & electrified vehicle technologies in the mobility space. Looking ahead, we remain committed to creating long‑term value while continuously improving every touchpoint across the customer ownership journey.”

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has announced its wholesales for FY2026 with a total of 2.42 million units sold. This figure represents the highest-ever annual total sales for the company and marks the third consecutive year surpassing the 2-million units threshold.

In terms of domestic sales, the company sold 1.86 million vehicles, while exports came at 447,774 units, marking a growth of 12 percent YoY and 35 percent YoY, respectively.

The SUV segment witnessed the highest growth of 6 percent YoY with sales at 760,987 units, while compact segment grew by 5 percent YoY and Vans at 3 percent YoY, respectively. The wholesales for mini (11 percent YoY) and sedan segment (76 percent YoY) were negative.

For March 2026, the sales came at 225,251 units, up 17 percent YoY, as compared to 192,984 units last year.

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Renault India, a subsidiary of the Renault Group, has announced its domestic wholesales of 5,046 units in March 2026, which marks a 77 percent growth compared to the 2,846 units sold last year.

Interestingly, the Kiger and Triber SUVs accounted for 63 percent of the company’s sales last month. Since their launch in the second quarter, the updated Kiger and Triber have contributed to a 27 percent growth rate through the end of the fiscal year.

For FY2026, the company reported total wholesales of 42,018 units, an 11 percent growth over the 37,900 units recorded in FY2025.

The performance follows a product strategy focused on updated vehicle line-ups and value propositions for the Indian market. The dispatch of the Duster signifies the re-entry of the nameplate into the competitive SUV segment, intended to support further volume growth in the 2026-27 financial year.

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Cars24 has announced a collaboration with Tesla India to introduce a trade-in programme designed to facilitate the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs). The initiative integrates the sale of an existing car with the purchase of a new Tesla into a single process.

The programme provides a combined exchange benefit of INR 325,000 for customers switching to a Tesla Model Y. This is comprised of an exchange bonus of INR 300,000 to the value of the petrol or diesel vehicle for Tesla. Furthermore, an additional INR 25,000 Cars24 bonus credited to the customer’s bank account upon delivery of the new vehicle.

Tesla has introduced financing structures for the Model Y, including a down payment of INR 600,000 and monthly instalments starting from INR 49,000.

The trade-in process can be initiated at Tesla Experience Centres, or via the Cars24 website and mobile application.

The partnership utilises the digital platform and nationwide reach of Cars24 to manage price discovery and paperwork. The initiative aims to reduce the logistical challenges typically associated with disposing of a conventional vehicle while acquiring an electric model. Tesla’s Model Y, which supports home charging, is the primary focus of this accessibility campaign.

Gajendra Jangid, Co-Founder and CMO, Cars24, said, “At Cars24, our focus has always been on simplifying car transactions. Partnering Collaborating with Tesla allows us to extend that convenience to customers transitioning to electric vehicles, managing everything from price discovery to payment and ownership transfer.”

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