Toyota Kirloskar Motor, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced that building on the success of its A Behavioural Change Demonstration (ABCD) initiative, it is now expanding the program to an additional 400 government schools in Raichur district for FY2024-25 and FY2025-26.

This program has already been successfully implemented in 100 schools over the past two years, positively impacting more than 26,000 students. The initiative will now benefit over 68,000 students in this next phase.

The program’s expansion officially commenced today with a one-day orientation session for the headmasters of the participating schools, held at the Krishi Vigyana Kendra (KVK) in Raichur. The orientation was inaugurated by Nitish K, IAS, Deputy Commissioner of Raichur, who was the Chief Guest at the occasion. This session was aimed at equipping the headmasters with tools and strategies to effectively deliver the program’s hygiene and sanitation curriculum.

As part of the program, TKM will actively promote essential hygiene practices among students through a series of training sessions that focus on handwashing, sanitation practices, water conservation, waste management, and personal hygiene.

Additionally, the program will provide sanitary pads to 24,000 adolescent girls till March 2026. This initiative aims to ensure effective menstrual hygiene management and support young women in their health and well-being, empowering them to take charge of their menstrual health and advocate for their needs. Through this project, essential sanitation supplies, including buckets, mugs, cleaning agents, handwashing soap, and mopping items will be provided to support hygiene maintenance.

Beyond hygiene education, the program aims to strengthen school cabinets and School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs), empower students to advocate for better sanitation, and encourage families to build household toilets where needed. Community engagement will also play a pivotal role, with awareness campaigns, video demonstrations, and annual quiz and drawing competitions to reinforce the lessons learned in schools.

Nitish K said, “Education today is not just about academic excellence but about nurturing responsible, aware citizens who understand the importance of health and hygiene. The ABCD program by Toyota Kirloskar Motor is a shining example of how private enterprises can meaningfully contribute to community well-being. By teaching essential sanitation and hygiene practices to young minds, the program creates a foundation for healthier, more resilient communities. It’s heartening to see Toyota's commitment to expanding this initiative further into Raichur, reaching thousands of students and families. We look forward to the transformative outcomes this program will bring.”

Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs & Governance, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “At Toyota Kirloskar Motor, we believe that true progress is driven by collective responsibility, and our ABCD program stands as a testament to this. The success of our first phase has encouraged us to scale up our efforts and reach an additional 400 schools in Raichur. We remain deeply committed to supporting the Swachh Bharat mission by promoting hygiene education and sustainable practices. Through this expanded initiative, we aim to not only improve sanitation in schools but also foster a culture of awareness and positive change across the community.”

Launched in 2015, the ABCD program begin its focus in Karnataka, especially in the Ramanagara district. By 2019, the initiative had reached 1,004 schools, benefiting 58,000 students and positively impacting 430,000 community members. Following its revitalisation in August 2023, the program continues to align with the national ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ mission, contributing to India’s ongoing efforts to improve sanitation and hygiene.

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Honda Cars India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced 'Honda Alpha' as the official name of its upcoming electric SUV, which is scheduled to make its global debut on 2 December 2026.

The model marks the company's first manufactured electric SUV in India, with the country serving as the global production base for the model.

The e-SUV was previously shown as a concept prototype at the Japan Mobility Show 2025 with India to serve as the initial market for the model's rollout. The announcement also marks the debut of Honda's new H mark in the company's official communication in India, reflecting the corporate brand transformation. The revised badge will be applied to the Honda Alpha as its first model in the country.

Toshiyuki Yanagisawa, President and CEO, Honda Cars India, said, "We are delighted to announce Honda Alpha as the official name of our upcoming electric SUV. Honda Alpha represents our ambition to bring advanced electric mobility to our customers in India while delivering the quality, reliability and joy of driving that Honda is known for. With India serving as the global production base for this model in future, it is an important step in Honda’s electrification journey and reflects our strong commitment to the Indian market. We look forward to ushering in a new chapter for Honda in India with this exciting new offering."

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Skoda Auto India has expanded its retail and service footprint to over 350 customer touchpoints across 193 cities, following the inauguration of its 350th outlet in Imphal on 30 October 2026, which marked the brand's entry into Manipur.

The company claims its network has grown by nearly 85 percent over a five-year period, increasing from 191 touchpoints in 2021 to 325 outlets in 2025 and exceeding 350 touchpoints across 29 States and Union Territories by October 2026.

Supported by 79 dealer partners, the current infrastructure comprises 270 sales touchpoints and 203 aftersales touchpoints. Between January 2025 and October 2026, the carmaker added 58 showrooms across 38 new cities and 45 workshops across 34 new cities.

Outlets established during the expansion period generated over 25 percent of the brand's total sales volume between January and October 2026. In 2026 alone, Skoda entered 11 new cities, including Balasore, Baramati, Bathinda, Bikaner, Guna, Imphal, Jorhat, Kaithal, Khammam, Sri Ganganagar and Vasai.

The brand's dealer partner in Bengaluru secured the top position for dealership customer experience in the CarPhD survey, which evaluated 16 cities, 18 automotive brands, and 88,000 customer reviews. Ownership propositions are further supported by Skoda Super Care, providing a four-year standard warranty, roadside assistance, and complimentary service labour, alongside Skoda Express Care for expedited service turnaround times.

Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, said, "Surpassing 350 Customer Touchpoints across 193 cities demonstrates our commitment to bringing Skoda closer to customers across India. Our dealer partners, both existing and new, are central to this journey, and I thank them for sharing our vision of building a stronger Skoda brand in India. As we enter new markets, our priority is clear - to deliver a consistent, enriching customer experience across sales and aftersales. Together with our expanding product portfolio and customer-first initiatives, this growing network will help us strengthen customer trust and deepen our relevance across the country."

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Nissan Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has recorded domestic wholesale dispatches of 3,600 units in October 2026, marking a 50 percent YoY increase compared to 2,402 units in October 2025.

This also marked the company's eighth consecutive month of YoY domestic volume growth.

For YTD (January to October) 2026, the company registered total wholesales of 85,124 units across domestic and export operations. Export dispatches for October 2026 stood at 4,710 units. Volume performance was driven by customer response to the product lineup, including the Tekton, Magnite, and Gravite models, alongside dealer network expansion.

Saurabh Vatsa, MD, Nissan Motor India, said, "Our 50 percent YoY growth in domestic wholesales in October reflects continued customer confidence in Nissan and the progress we are making in India. With 85,124 units wholesaled across domestic and export markets between January and October, we continue to build on the strength of our expanding portfolio and dealer network. As we approach Dhanteras and Diwali, we remain focused on serving customers through distinctive products and enhanced ownership experiences. We also value the continued support of our international dealers, distributors and customers, who contribute to Nissan’s export performance."

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Honda Cars India (HCIL), a leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, has recorded total sales of 8,082 units in October 2026, supported by domestic dispatches of 7,609 units and export volumes of 473 units.

Domestic sales grew 19 percent YoY compared to 6,394 units recorded in October 2025. Export dispatches for the month stood at 473 units against 4,124 units exported in the corresponding month of the previous year.

The company attributed its domestic volume performance to demand for the updated Honda Elevate SUV alongside its existing passenger vehicle portfolio.

Kunal Behl, Vice-President of Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India, said, "We are delighted with our strong sales performance in October, driven by robust festive demand and positive customer sentiment across our model line-up. The highlight of the month has been the outstanding performance of the New Honda Elevate, which has received an overwhelming response from customers following its recent launch. Its bold new styling, enhanced features and strong SUV appeal have translated into excellent market demand, making it a key contributor to our October sales momentum. The encouraging performance across our portfolio reinforces customer confidence in the Honda brand. We look forward to sustaining this positive momentum in the coming months."

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