MG Motor India has signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC) and Autobot India to extend its global tech prowess and expertise to students. The partnership is a step towards democratising high-end car technologies in the country through online and offline skill development courses for engineering students.

Reinforcing its commitment to creating an ecosystem of innovation in the country, the carmaker has introduced an Automotive Skill Development programme for Indian youths known as ‘Dakshata’ (synonym for efficiency) in partnership with ASDC and Autobot India. The move comes as part of MG’s vision of CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric) mobility which the automaker has augmented in its product portfolio in India.

As part of the Skill India Mission, Dakshata will comprise an eight-module training programme specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Electric Vehicles. It will focus on skill enhancement thereby improving employability in the automotive sector while creating skilled manpower to cater to the automotive industry’s future requirements. The Dakshata project will initially focus on online learning during COVID times and will later involve case studies and best practice sharing.

Unveiling the project, Nikunj Sanghi, Chairman, Automotive Skill Development Council said, “We thank MG Motor for collaborating with us for the Dakshata programme, which is part of our shared vision of building a sustainable skilling ecosystem in the automotive industry. The entire automotive industry and the youth is getting ready for the new technology. With Autobot on board and collaboration with MG Motors, we hope to benefit the youth and getting them industry ready. Also with the evolving customer needs, existing skills will require a lot of re-calibration and Dakshata is such an avenue for providing specialized training, apprenticeship opportunities, and quality facilities to make the workforce industry-ready. We are constantly working towards enhancing our skill development initiatives keeping in pace with the rapidly changing technology trends and emerging industry needs. ASDC assessment and certification will help in boosting the competency and competitiveness of the Industry Stakeholders.   

Speaking on the initiative, Yash Yadav, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, MG Motor India, said, “I'd like to thank ASDC for taking the initiative of partnering with MG. Our primary objective since its inception in India has been to bring the latest in advanced technologies and foster a spirit of innovation among young visionaries to pursue their dreams. The Dakshata programme is one such initiative that will enable young students develop relevant skills on futuristic technologies and become self-reliant, thereby empowering them for a brighter future and further strengthen the goal of fulfilling a broader vision of Skill India. Through Dakshata, we aim to equip them with these skills which are required by the OEMs and dealers. We're delighted to partner with ASDC and Autobot to drive this programme” 

Ashwini Tiwary, Founder & CEO, Autobot India, said, “With the current technology disruption in the automotive sector, new-age vehicles need to be more technologically advanced, connected, and smart. This calls for an entirely new set of skills and knowledge to drive the industry growth and its complete value-chain, helping develop the in-house capability. The program will integrate the technical aspects to the module which is industry centric. This will be an interdisciplinary module as industry requires automated skills” 

As the technology-cost curve is becoming steeper, more technologies are finding their way into the automotive sector at present. Be it hybrid technology, or electric vehicles, the automotive industry is evolving at a rapid pace. The programme’s goal is to train ITI & Diploma Students as well as Engineering Students to fill the supply deficit of the skilled automotive workforce.

Automotive Skills Development Council is a joint initiative of the Government of India, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), and Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA).  (MT)

Mumbai-based automotive major Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its wholesales for April 2025 at 84,170 vehicles, a growth of 19 percent, including exports.

The auto major sold a total of 52,330 SUVs in the domestic market, which was 28 percent higher than 41,008 SUVs sold for the same period last year. Commercial vehicle sales in the domestic market came at 22,989 units, which was 4 percent YoY. 

Veejay Nakra, President, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “Building on the strong momentum of last year's performance, we began the year on a strong note in April by achieving SUV sales of 52,330 units, a growth of 28 percent and total vehicle sales of 84,170 units, a 19 percent growth over the same month last year. These numbers indicate the strength of our portfolio and customer offerings.”

JSW MG Motor India, a leading passenger vehicles manufacturer, has announced its wholesales for April 2025.

The company reported sales of 5,829 units, which was 23 percent higher over April 2024, when it sold 4,725 vehicles.

Interestingly, the automaker's popular offering, the Windsor EV, has continued to be the top-selling electric passenger vehicle for the seventh month in a row.

JSW MG Motor India's Windsor EV has now gone home to over 20,000 customers.

Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, has reported its wholesales of 179,791 units in April 2025, marking a 7 percent increase compared to 168,089 units sold in April 2024. The growth was primarily propelled by strong performance in utility vehicles and a sharp rise in export volumes.

Domestic sales, including passenger and light commercial vehicles, remained flat with 142,053 units, as compared to 140,448 units in April 2024. Within this, light commercial vehicles (LCVs) like the Super Carry saw a significant jump of 34.2 percent, with sales rising to 3,349 units from 2,496 units last year.

In the passenger vehicle segment, SUVs such as the Brezza, Ertiga, Grand Vitara and others recorded a 4.4 percent increase, selling 59,022 units compared to 56,553 in the previous year. However, sales for Eeco declined by 5.2 percent, while the mini segment (Alto, S-Presso) saw a sharp 45 percent drop, falling to 6,332 units from 11,519 units. The compact segment, which includes high-volume models like the Baleno and Swift, grew by 8.1 percent, reaching 61,591 units.

Sales to Toyota Kirloskar Motor rose sharply by 79.2 percent, from 5,481 units to 9,827 units, indicating a growing demand for cross-badged products.

The standout performer was the export segment, which surged 26 percent to 27,911 units from 22,160 units in April 2024. This strong export growth helped bolster the company’s overall numbers despite weaknesses in domestic sub-segments.

While some product lines such as the mid-size sedan Ciaz (-63 percent) continue to struggle.

Tata Motors reported total wholesales of 72,753 units for April 2025, reflecting a 6 percent year-on-year decline from 77,521 units in April 2024.

The passenger vehicle (PV) segment, including electric vehicles, accounted for 45,532 units, down 5 percent from 47,983 units in the same month last year. Within this, domestic PV sales dropped 6 percent to 45,199 units, while international business (IB) sales rose significantly to 333 units, up from 100 units. Electric vehicle sales (domestic + IB) declined 16 percent year-on-year to 5,318 units.

Commercial vehicle (CV) sales stood at 27,221 units, marking an 8 percent YoY drop from 29,538 units in April 2024. Domestic CV sales contracted 10 percent to 25,764 units, while CV exports (IB) grew 43 percent to 1,457 units. Key sub-segments like Small Commercial Vehicles (SCV) and pickups saw a steep 23 percent decline.

Despite growth in certain categories like ILMCV trucks and passenger carriers, overall sales momentum was tempered across both PV and CV segments.