Toyota Kirloskar Motor, one of the leading passenger vehicles manufacturer in the country, has announced its commitment to advance gender equality and women empowerment. 

As part of its long-term vision, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has set a target to increase the representation of women in its workforce to 30 percent by 2030. To achieve this, the OEM states it has implemented a series of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including the formation of a focussed senior level team dedicated to DEI, extensive benchmarking across industries and aligning with the International Labour Organisation’s 2030 agenda of creating greater opportunities for women.

On 13 March, 2024, Toyota Kirloskar Motor celebrated a significant milestone with the capping ceremony of its first batch of 55 women supervisors, along with the induction of 160 new female team members, raising the total number of women in the company to over 450, with plans to reach more than 850 by the end-2024. It has also introduced a Gender Diversity Standard Operating Procedure Manual, detailing best practices for promoting gender diversity. These efforts, including unconscious bias surveys and the ‘Samvardhana’ sensitisation program.

In recognition of Women's Equality Day on 26 August and aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Toyota Kirloskar Motor is undertaking a series of transformative measures aimed at fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

G. Shankara - Executive Vice-President, Finance and Administration, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “At Toyota Kirloskar Motor, we believe that gender equality is not just a goal, but a critical driver of our success and sustainability. Our commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace is deeply embedded in our organisational values, and we are proud to be making significant strides in empowering women within our workforce. By setting ambitious targets and investing in the necessary infrastructure and training programs, we are not only enhancing gender diversity but also creating a work environment where every individual can thrive. As we celebrate Women’s Equality Day, we reaffirm our dedication to creating equal opportunities and paving the way for a more equitable future for all.”

The company states its three-year residential course at Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI) now has its intake doubled to 1200 students, with up to 600 female students, while the Toyota Kaushalya program offers a two-year training program for rural and economically disadvantaged students. To support this initiative, TKM has made significant infrastructure investments, including the construction of a new dormitory at Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI) to accommodate 600 female students, and the enhancement of safety features and facilities such as upgraded restrooms and locker rooms.

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.