On May 14, 2026, Japanese automotive major Honda Motor Co, unveiled a comprehensive roadmap to restructure its automobile business, prioritising a ‘multi-faceted approach’ to carbon neutrality that leans heavily on next-generation hybrid technology and strategic growth in three key regions.

Facing a challenging global environment and a slowing EV market, Honda is reallocating resources to ensure a return to record profitability by FY2029.

Interestingly, it has identified India as one of three ‘priority regions’ (alongside North America and Japan) central to Honda's future growth strategy. To address past limitations in the region, Honda is shifting away from standard global specifications toward a market-specific approach.

The Japanese automotive major has announced the establishment of a new subsidiary – Honda Digital Innovation India (HDII), which will be based in Bengaluru. This new subsidiary will build a digital platform to integrate motorcycle and automobile services, creating a unique mobility ecosystem.

Furthermore, in 2028, Honda will introduce strategic models tailored to Indian preferences, specifically targeting the high-volume ‘under 4 meters’ category and the mid-size segment.  

Leveraging its massive motorcycle footprint (nearly 6 million units sold annually), Honda aims to capture customers upgrading from two-wheels to entry-level automobiles.

Honda has announced its plans to increase its annual two-wheeler production capacity in India from 6.25 million to 8 million units by 2028, positioning the country as a primary global export hub.

In addition, a new financial services arm is scheduled to become operational by March 31, 2027, to bolster sales opportunities in India.

While Honda remains committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, it is strategically slowing some EV initiatives – including suspending a comprehensive EV value chain project in Canada – to focus on the immediate demand for hybrid vehicles.

The ‘Triple Half’ Approach

To compete with emerging OEMs, Honda is implementing a lean manufacturing and development strategy. The ‘Triple Half’ initiative seeks to reduce development costs, timeframes and workloads by 50 percent compared to 2025 levels.

Honda aims to improve production efficiency by 20 percent over the next five years through digital transformation and AI.

The company will move away from complete internalisation, instead leveraging external partnerships for batteries (such as the L-H Battery joint venture) and standardising components to mitigate tariff impacts and supply risks.

Honda anticipates that these structural changes will lead to a record-high operating profit of JPY 1.4 trillion by FY2029. During this period, the company plans to invest JPY 6.2 trillion in total resources, with JPY 4.4 trillion specifically dedicated to petrol and hybrid models. For shareholders, Honda has committed to stable and continuous dividend payments with a target 3 percent Dividend on Equity (DOE).

Toshihiro Mibe, Director, President and Representative Executive Officer (Global CEO), Honda Motor Co, said, “India is one of the few markets in the world where further expansion is expected in the future. However, currently, Honda is present in only a limited range of product segments and has not been able to fully expand sales volume due to an insufficient number of competitive models in each segment. One contributing factor is that we have not been able to deliver products fully aligned with the characteristics and preferences of customers in India. It has been our standard approach to develop all products based on global standard performance specifications, regardless of target countries and regions and to sell such products in different regions.”

“However, climate conditions, vehicle usage patterns, customer preferences and other factors vary significantly from country to country and region to region. As environmental regulations and other laws and rules are also different, in some cases, the global specifications of our vehicles have been somewhat excessive in the Indian market. Therefore, we will redefine the best specifications that are well aligned with the market environment and customer needs in India.

“Then, in 2028, we will begin introducing strategic models tailored to the Indian market that pursue an optimal balance of performance and price that satisfies our customers in India. To be more specific, we will launch our strategic models in two categories. One is for ‘vehicles under 4 meters in length’, which has the largest volume in India, and the other is the mid-size category. We will proactively utilise local development resources, including external resources, and introduce new models as quickly as possible. The solid foundation of our motorcycle business will become the key strength of Honda in this market," said Mibe.

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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.

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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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