Skoda rolled out the first production model of the all-New Octavia at its Aurangabad facility. The celebratory model in Lava Blue sports the Lauren and Klement (L&K) badge paying homage to the founders and its 125 years history. The 2021 model of Skoda’s bestseller is expected to be launched sometime later this month.
Skoda first introduced the Octavia in the Indian market in 2001. Since then, the car has become a synonym for the ‘Value Luxury’ proposition. The Octavia has stood the test of time with the perfect blend of the brand’s timeless design ideals, unbending performance, superior built quality, enhance safety and security modules, and European craftsmanship.
Since its launch, Skoda has managed to sell more than 100,000 units of the Octavia in India and close to 6.5 million units worldwide.
Talking about the car, Zac Hollis, Brand Director – ŠKODA AUTO India, said, “The SKODA OCTAVIA has always offered a compelling combination of the brand’s emotive design, exquisite interiors, class-leading safety, and intelligent connectivity features, and all-new iteration pushes the yardstick further. A twenty-year run, and about a hundred thousand satisfied customers, is a testament to its strong equity among discerning car buyers in a dynamically evolving automotive market like India. With the commencement of production, we also commit to a stronger product portfolio as we look to grow our presence in India. In line with our laser-sharp focus on customer centricity, we are also rapidly growing our network presence and have introduced several initiatives to ensure an unmatched ownership experience.” (MT)
Tata Motors To Gift Sierra SUVs To Women's World Cup Winning Team
- By MT Bureau
- November 05, 2025
Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles has announced it will present the Indian Women’s Cricket Team with the first lot of the soon-to-be-launched Tata Sierra SUV following their victory at the ICC Women's World Cup. The Tata Sierra is slated to be launched on 25th November.
The company will gift the top-end model of the Sierra to each team member as part of its salute to the team’s journey and contribution to the country.
Shailesh Chandra, MD and CEO, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, said, “The Indian Women’s Cricket Team has made the entire nation proud with their extraordinary performance and remarkable win. Their journey stands as a true testament to determination and the power of belief, qualities that inspire every Indian. At Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, we are privileged to present these legends with another legend, The Tata Sierra. This is our salute to their spirit and the pride they have brought to the nation – Two legends, One spirit, Infinite inspiration.”
Maruti Suzuki India Crosses 30 Million Unit Sales Milestone
- By MT Bureau
- November 05, 2025
Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, has attained a new milestone by crossing the 30-million-unit sales milestone in the domestic market.
The new benchmark was attained by the company over a course of 42 years, with the first 10 million unit sales taking 28 years and 2 months to achieve.
The 20 million unit sales took 7 years and 5 months, while the recent milestone took just 6 years and 4 months.
Interestingly, the entry-level hatchback Alto was the most preferred model in the country, with over 4.7 million units sold, followed by Wagon R with 3.4 million units and the sporty Swift with 3.2 million units.
The Brezza and Fronx SUVs also played an instrumental role in contributing to the sales milestone, being featured among the top 10 models sold in the country.
It was on 14th December 1983, Maruti Suzuki India delivered its first model, the iconic Maruti 800, to its first customer.
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “When I look at the length and breadth of India and think that 3 crore customers have placed their trust in Maruti Suzuki to realise their dream of mobility, it fills me with humility and gratitude. Yet, with car penetration at approximately 33 vehicles per 1,000 people, we know our journey is far from over. We will continue to make every possible effort to bring the joy of mobility to as many people as we can, while also be an asset to both the economy and the environment at the same time.”
Sharad Agarwal Is Tesla India’s First Business Head
- By MT Bureau
- November 04, 2025
American electric vehicle maker Tesla has appointed Sharad Agarwal, former Chief Business Officer of Classic Legends, as its new business head, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The report further stated that Agarwal joined the EV maker a week ago and is tasked to drive sales for Tesla in India, which as per industry observers, has not performed as per the company’s expectations.
Agarwal, an automotive industry veteran, had begun his career with TVS Motor Co as Area Sales Manager in December 2002, before joining Mahindra First Choice Wheels as its Business Head for North and Eastern region in March 2007.
It was in January 2013, he moved to Audi India as the head of Sales, before taking over as the head of Lamborghini India in April 2016, where he spent almost 9 years, before joining Classic Legends.
During his tenure at Lamborghini, the Italian super luxury car maker saw its dealerships across India achieved a Return on Sales (RoS) of more than 10 percent, setting a new benchmark for the automotive business in the country. He also grew India’s ranking for the automaker as the third market globally in terms of PR visibility in 2021.
He also expanded Lamborghini India’s reach to over 60 cities, with sales volumes from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities contributing more than 25 percent of the total.
Tesla, which formally started deliveries in September 2025 with its first dealership in Mumbai and the second facility in Delhi, has till date delivered 114 vehicles, of the estimated 600-plus bookings.
File photo for representational purposes only.
Mahindra & Mahindra Reports INR 36 Billion Net Profit For Q2 FY2026
- By MT Bureau
- November 04, 2025
Mumbai-headquartered business conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its financial results for Q2 FY2026 with consolidated Revenue reaching INR 461 billion, marking a 22 percent YoY growth.
The consolidated Profit After Tax (PAT) stood at INR 36 billion, a 16 percent increase YoY. The company stated that, excluding specific one-time impacts, PAT growth was 28 percent YoY.
Mahindra’s Auto business reported sales of 262,000 vehicles, up 13 percent, which includes around 146,000 SUV sales. This translated to a revenue of INR 271 billion, up 25 percent YoY, while net profit came at INR 15 billion, up 8 percent YoY.
On the other hand, the farm sector reported its highest ever Q2 market share at 43 percent with sales of 123,000 units, up 32 percent YoY. The revenue came at INR 102 billion, up 25 percent, while consolidated net profit came at INR 11 billion, up 45 percent YoY.
Dr. Anish Shah, Group CEO & Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “We are pleased with the strong execution and solid performance delivered across the group in Q2 FY2026. Auto and Farm sustained their leadership with consistent gains in market share and profitability. TechM is progressing well on its transformation journey. MMFSL achieved a 45 percent PAT growth and remains committed to quality growth and digital transformation. Our Growth Gems are steadily advancing towards their ambitious goals, reinforcing our long-term value creation potential.”
Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director & CEO (Auto and Farm Sector), Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “Strong performance of our Auto and Farm businesses continues in Q2 FY2026 reinforcing our leadership position, with a gain of 390 bps YoY in SUV revenue share, and 100 bps YoY in LCV (< 3.5T) market share. In Tractors, we gained 50 bps YoY to reach 43 percent market share. Our Auto Standalone PBIT margin (excl. e-SUV Contract Mfg.) improved by 80 bps to 10.3 percent and core Tractor PBIT margins improved by 190 bps to 20.6 percent.”
Amarjyoti Barua, Group Chief Financial Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra, “Our solid Q2 consolidated results reflects the strength of our diversified portfolio. We continue to deliver on our strategic priorities. We had strong cash generation in the first half, delivering over INR 100 billion of operating cash flow. We remain committed to sustainable growth and value creation.”
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