The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) convened the 7th SIAM CSR Conclave in New Delhi, themed ‘CSR Partnerships – From Shared Vision to Shared Value’. The event brought together industry leaders, CSR practitioners, policymakers, NGOs and development experts to explore collaborative models for driving inclusive growth and national development.

The inaugural session, titled ‘CSR as National Development Catalyst - Building the Nation, Responsibly’, featured key dignitaries who set the tone for discussions on sustainable nation-building. Prashant K Banerjee, Executive Director of SIAM, welcomed attendees and highlighted the automobile industry's extensive national presence, emphasising its responsibility to engage communities sustainably. He linked industry efforts to the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, noting that businesses must look beyond sectoral growth to include social development across the country. The session included a screening of SIAM CSR initiatives and the release of the SIAM CSR Compendium, showcasing member companies' key projects.

Guest of Honour Dr Bhaskar Chatterjee, IAS (Retd.), Director General & CEO of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, traced CSR's evolution from charity to statutory obligation, calling for CSR 2.0 with fresh thinking, technology adoption like AI for verifiable data, third-party evaluation and professionalisation. He urged the automobile sector to prioritise waste management, process re-engineering and carbon capture, insisting that CSR must move from the backroom to the boardroom with robust governance.

Puneet Anand, Chairman of the SIAM CSR & Community Services Group and Associate Vice President & Vertical Head at Hyundai Motor India Ltd., noted India's pioneering CSR legislation has mobilised nearly INR 2.2 trillion from about 800 organisations. He stressed the need to move beyond the statutory two percent threshold towards measurable outcomes, skill development, community resilience and replicable district-level models through collaboration.

Other contributors to the session included Prabhakant Jain, CSR Head of D S Group; Yashpal Sachar, Vice President (Corporate Affairs) at Ashok Leyland Ltd.; Tarun Agarwal, Sr Vice President & Head-CSR at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. and Sulekha Kaul, Partner at Vaish & Associates Advocates, who shared insights on impactful CSR models.

Rajeev Taneja, Co-Chair of the SIAM CSR & Community Services Group and Vertical Head – CSR Operation at Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Ltd., delivered closing remarks, emphasising CSR's centrality to inclusive growth. He called for evolution from compliance to conviction, with intentional, measurable collaboration focused on empathy, dignity and tangible change, supported by transparency and alignment with national priorities.

A thematic session on ‘Educational and Corporate Outreach towards CSR Pillars’ was moderated by Anuj Guglani, Founder & CEO of WAF Group, addressing environmental rejuvenation, road safety, education, health, sanitation and skills development. Session Chairman Rajendra Raut, Co-Chair of the SIAM CSR & Community Services Group and Director (Corporate & Govt. Affairs) at JSW MG Motor India, identified education as the enabling force strengthening all CSR pillars, advocating for partnership and co-creation over donor-recipient approaches. Presentations followed from Sanchita Vaish, Lead Specialist-Global Entity Governance & CSR Lead (India) at Baker Hughes; Praveen Karn, Group Head Sustainability & CSR at Minda Group; Dr Veenu Shankar, Assistant Professor at Delhi Technological University; Anjali Makhija, CEO of S. M. Sehgal Foundation and Dr Chitra, CEO of Indian Head Injury Foundation.

A panel discussion on ‘NGO & Corporate Perspective on Successful Collaboration Models towards CSR Execution’ was moderated by Mugdha Mishra, Editor of Auto Media Strategy at Autocar India. Panellists included Arindam Lahiri, CEO of ASDC; Rahul Bansal, Head of Private & Public Sector Partnerships at UNICEF; Shailendra Singh, Director of Dhartie Warriors Foundation; Pritika Chand, Corporate Head at Jindal Stainless; Prabhu Nagaraj, Head – Corporate Affairs at Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. and Co-Chairman of the SIAM Skilling Group; Ajay Bhatt, Head-Comm., Ex. Affairs, Sustainability & CSR at Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd.; Saurabh Sharma, Head CSR & ESG at Hyundai Motor India Ltd. and Runa Ahlawat, General Manager at JSW MG Motor India. They emphasised collaboration's importance in CSR execution.

The day's highlight was a Fireside Chat on ‘CSR Partnerships – From Shared Vision to Shared Value’, moderated by Mugdha Mishra, where Guest of Honour Dr Bhaskar Chatterjee reiterated the need for sustainability practices like waste management, process re-engineering and carbon capture in the automobile industry.

The conclave concluded with an Award Ceremony recognising outstanding CSR contributions. Puneet Anand delivered opening remarks. SIAM CSR awards were distributed by dignitaries including Dr Bhaskar Chatterjee; Alok Jaitley, President – SAFE & EVP at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.; Puneet Anand; Rajeev Taneja; Rajendra Raut; Rajesh Menon, Director General of SIAM and Prashant K Banerjee. Awards under Skill Enhancement and Education went to Kedman Skilled India Foundation (Honda) and Centum Foundation (Mahindra & Mahindra). Healthcare & Sanitation awards were presented to Karma Healthcare Trust (Hyundai) and Sparsha Trust (Toyota). Road Safety awards recognised Learning Links Foundation (Ashok Leyland) and The TSL Foundation (Mahindra & Mahindra). Environmental Rejuvenation awards honoured Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (Škoda Auto Volkswagen) and NAAM Foundation (TATA Motors).

The conclave reaffirmed SIAM's commitment to collaborating with governments, industry leaders and stakeholders to advance sustainable mobility and contribute to India's Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, aligned with its mission of building the nation responsibly.

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Chennai-headquartered two-wheeler and three-wheeler major TVS Motor Company is optimistic about delivering above-industry growth in the coming quarters, supported by robust structural demand drivers, replacement needs, improving affordability, and accelerating electric vehicle (EV) adoption.

In a post-earnings call, K N Radhakrishnan, Director and Chief Executive Officer, TVS Motor Company, said, “Structural demand drivers, replacement demand, affordability, and continued EV adoption. All these are going to be supportive and I’m pretty confident that TVS will do much better than the industry growth.”

The company continues to see strong momentum in its electric vehicle segment. Following the milestone of crossing one million iQube sales, EV penetration exceeded 10.6 percent in June.

TVS Motor Co’s manufacturing capacity for electric two-wheelers is being scaled from 40,000 units towards more than 50,000 units, while three-wheeler EV capacity is expanding to approximately 30,000 units.

Radhakrishnan sees demand for internal combustion engine (ICE) two-wheelers to remain solid in the domestic market, with the company’s scooter portfolio — including the Jupiter, Ntorq and Scooty ranges — registering robust retail offtake. This has been supported by targeted product upgrades and disciplined inventory management, with dealer stock levels maintained below 30 days.

TVS Apache Crosses 7 Million Sales Milestone, Launches Tu Race Laga Campaign

On the international front, TVS Motor achieved record Q1 sales of 4.68 million units, a 33 percent YoY increase. Growth was driven by a recovery in Africa, expansion in Latin America and strong demand for the HLX series. The company is targeting an increase in total two-wheeler capacity to 8.3 million units.

Despite commodity price volatility and supply chain challenges in April, TVS Motor delivered a healthy operating EBITDA margin of 12.8 percent through strategic price adjustments of approximately 1.5 percent in Q1, ongoing cost optimisation and benefits from scale.

With the festive season approaching in October and November, the company expects sustained momentum across both domestic and international markets, supported by new product introductions and an expanding global footprint.

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European auto major Stellantis has announced leadership changes for the Ram and Jeep brands. Matt VanDyke has been appointed CEO of the Ram brand, effective 20 July, succeeding Tim Kuniskis. Branden Cote has been named CEO of the Jeep brand, effective 3 August, succeeding Bob Broderdorf, who is taking medical leave and will assume a new role upon his return. Both executives will report to Tim Kuniskis, Head of American Brands, North America Marketing and Retail strategy, Stellantis North America.

VanDyke joins Ram following roles as President of Shift Digital, CEO of FordDirect and leadership positions at Ford Motor Company. Cote joins Jeep with industry experience across OEM and dealer retail operations, including roles with AutoNation, Aston Martin Lagonda, Canoo and Mercedes-Benz USA.

Tim Kuniskis, said, “Matt and Branden are proven leaders who will build on our successes and take these iconic American brands to the next level. Their skills and deep industry experience align with our simple – but very important – customer-centric objective: to provide people with the brands and products they love and trust. I also want to thank Bob Broderdorf for his exceptional leadership of Jeep. Bob is a dedicated and valued colleague, and a friend to many across the Company. I look forward to continuing our work together when he takes on his new role.”

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GMC has introduced the HUMMER EV ICON | 25, a limited-run edition marking 25 years of the HUMMER nameplate. The vehicle will be available in 2X and 3X trims for both Pickup and SUV models.

The limited edition features an exterior colour named ‘ICON,’ which draws inspiration from the yellow paint used on the HUMMER H2. The EV includes a black interior, a front approach shield, serialised badging and infotainment graphics. Each unit will come with a keepsake.

The HUMMER EV ICON | 25 made its debut at the 2026 ESPYS in New York City, where GMC served as a sponsor.

Michael MacPhee, Global Vice-President, Buick and GMC, said, “Twenty-five years ago, HUMMER first captured attention and established itself as an immediate icon. Today, HUMMER remains instantly recognisable as an all-electric supertruck that continues to turn heads. The GMC HUMMER EV | ICON 25 is our way of recognising that legacy and its debut at the 2026 ESPYs places it among athletes, celebrities and icons whose influence has also stood the test of time.”

For MY2027, the HUMMER EV lineup will feature the North American Charging Standard (NACS) inlet and provide vehicle-to-home bidirectional charging.

GMC is introducing five exterior colour options – ICON, Dark Ridge, Azurite Blue, Dark Ember, and Deep Void Matte – alongside two 22-inch wheel options.

The EV continues to offer features including 4-Wheel Steer with CrabWalk and King Crab, Air Ride Adaptive suspension and Extract Mode. Technology features include Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance, the Infinity Roof, and camera views.

The 3X Pickup model comes with 1,160 horsepower and 13,000 lb.-ft of torque and a claimed zero to 60 mph (96 kmph) time of 2.8 seconds when equipped with the 24-module battery.

Production of the 2027 GMC HUMMER EV and the ICON | 25 edition will commence later this year at the Factory ZERO Assembly Center in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan. It will be available in the U.S. and Canada, with pricing to be announced closer to the start of production.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Shaurya Vijay Yatra 2026 at the National War Memorial in New Delhi, marking the commencement of nationwide observances for Kargil Vijay Diwas. The 13-day expedition, organised by Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles, features 28 riders traversing a 1,900-kilometre route to the Kargil War Memorial in Dras, Ladakh. The group comprises serving and retired defence personnel alongside their families, united under the rallying cry of ‘One Ride, One Nation, One Salute’ to honour the bravery and ultimate sacrifices of the 1999 Kargil War heroes.

The motorcycle contingent is scheduled to pass through significant military landmarks including Chandimandir, Rezang La and the Leh War Memorials before its scheduled arrival on 26 July. A central element of the journey involves transporting an urn filled with sacred soil from the National War Memorial to Kargil, symbolising the enduring valour of India's warriors across generations. The riders will also pay personal tributes to Veer Naris, acknowledging the resilience of the war widows.

Senior military leadership, including Chief of Defence Staff General N S Raja Subramani and Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth, joined the Defence Minister at the ceremonial start, alongside veterans and senior officials. The presence of the National Cadet Corps underscored the event's focus on inspiring youth to remember the nation's gallant soldiers and embrace the core principles of duty and selfless service.

During his address, the Defence Minister commemorated the soldiers whose courage upheld the nation's honour, framing the Kargil victory as a testament to India's steadfast sovereignty. He specifically recalled the contributions of Param Vir Chakra recipients Captain Vikram Batra, Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey and Subedar Majors Yogendra Singh Yadav and Sanjay Kumar. Initiated in 2021, this tribute ride has evolved into a cherished tradition, with each kilometre travelled serving as a poignant reminder that the nation's freedom is preserved by those who place their country above all else.

Anupam Thareja, Co-Founder, Classic Legends, said, "Shaurya Vijay Yatra is our way of remembering the heroes of Kargil and their families. We started this tribute with the belief that remembering their sacrifices and being grateful is a shared responsibility. Through this journey, we remain committed to keeping their memories alive for future generations. Alongside the Indian Army, we are honoured to undertake this tribute and pay homage to our bravehearts."

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