As the news of a seven-seater C-segment SUV being tested by Nissan in India gathers speed (besides the news that Renault will launch the new Duster as the Bigster in the next few months), the Renault Group and Nissan have announced new strategic projects. 
The most important of these is the restructuring of the Indian Renault Nissan Alliance entity with Renault Group buying out the 51 percent stake of Nissan, making Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd (RNAIPL) its fully owned subsidiary. 
Despite this change, Nissan will maintain its presence in India with a strong focus on enhancing market coverage. RNAIPL will continue to support Nissan’s production of models, including the New Nissan Magnite in India. 
With Nissan choosing Renault Group to develop and produce a derivative of Twingo that it has designed, the restructuring of the Indian business that was until now a well-honed alliance effort with almost equal-equal investment by both the auto makers, the Renault Group and Nissan have entered into a new alliance agreement that would increase the flexibility of each of the two regarding their cross-shareholdings. This would be done by setting the lock-up undertaking at 10 percent instead of the current 15 percent. 
Nissan would be released from its commitment to invest in Ampere while continuing the agreed product projects.
 Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group, commented on the significant development: “As a long-time partner of Nissan within the Alliance and as its main shareholder, Renault Group has a strong interest in seeing Nissan turnaround its performance as quickly as possible. Pragmatism and business-oriented mindset were at the core of our discussions to identify the most effective ways of supporting their recovery plan while developing value-creating business opportunities for Renault Group. This Framework Agreement, beneficial for both parties, is the proof of the agile and efficient mindset of the new Alliance. It also confirms the attractiveness of our products with Twingo as well as our ambition to grow our business on international markets. India is a key automotive market and Renault Group will put in place an efficient industrial footprint and ecosystem.”
 “Nissan is committed to preserving the value and benefits of our strategic partnership within the Alliance while implementing turnaround measures to enhance efficiencies. Our goal is to create a more agile and effective business model that allows us to respond quickly to changing market conditions and conserve cash for future investments. We remain committed to the Indian market, delivering vehicles tailored to local consumer needs while ensuring top-notch sales and service for our existing and future customers. India will remain a hub for our research and development, digital and other knowledge services. Our plans for new SUVs in the India market remain intact, and we will continue our vehicle exports to other markets under the “One Car, One World” business strategy for India," said Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO of Nissan. 
 

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Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) Director of Sales and Marketing Yogesh Mathur has exited the company after more than two decades, sources familiar with the matter have confirmed.

Mathur joined the Japanese two-wheeler major in June 2001 and rose through the ranks to become one of its longest-serving senior leaders. At the time of his departure, he held end-to-end responsibility for sales, distribution, logistics, customer service and business planning across HMSI’s network of more than 6,500 dealer and customer touchpoints nationwide. Under his oversight, the company managed annual volumes exceeding 5 million units and a turnover of approximately INR 500 billion, spanning rural, semi-urban, urban, metro, premium and electric vehicle segments

Mutsuo Usui, Director – Sales at Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, has succeeded Mathur, according to people aware of the development. The company has not issued any official statement on the leadership change.

Mathur’s career at HMSI progressed from executive roles to regional head across every geography in India, followed by stints as division head for marketing and business planning, operating head of sales and marketing, and ultimately senior-level expert. He also served on the company’s CSR Committee, Business Ethics Committee and Information Security Management System (ISMS) Committee.

As HMSI’s official spokesperson, he represented the company in national media for over five years.

At present, there are no further details on Mathur’s next move or the exact effective date of the transition were immediately available.

The move comes at a time when Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India is gearing up to unleash one of its most aggressive product launch roadmap compromising of 10 motorcycles and scooters, which includes 7 models and 3 refreshed variants.

The lineup spans internal combustion engine, electric and flex-fuel mobility, featuring models such as the ADV 160, CB 500, Rebel 300, Rebel 500, XR 300L, XR 300 Rally and QC3 EV. Production utilises local sourcing and manufacturing capabilities to support market expansion

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German automotive supplier Brose has appointed Chetan Lagu as the President of its Indian operations, effective 1 August 2026.

Lagu brings over three decades of experience in the automotive and supplier sector to the role. Prior to joining Brose, he served as Country Manager for Adient in India, a position he held from May 2019. His previous career history includes positions at American Axle & Manufacturing and over a decade of tenure at SKF Group, where he held roles including General Manager of the Car Chassis Business Unit in India.

In his new role, Lagu will oversee the execution of Brose's strategy in India, manage market expansion and direct regional business operations. He succeeds Vasanth Kamath, who served as the head of Brose India from June 2019.

‘India is an important growth market for our company. In his new role, he will drive the execution of our India strategy, strengthen our market presence, and support the continued development of our business in the region. We welcome him to the Brose team and wish him every success in his new role. We look forward to working together and driving the next chapter of growth in India,’ said the company in a statement.

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The automotive industry in India continues to reap the benefits of the revised GST 2.0, new product launches and positive consumer sentiment to drive sales growth in the country.

As per the latest wholesale data shared by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), a total of 2.47 million vehicles were sold in July 2026, marking a 25 percent YoY growth, as compared to 1.97 million units sold a year ago. Interestingly, even compared to the previous month, the industry wholesales grew by 7 percent YoY.

In segment-wise performance, passenger vehicle sales grew by 34 percent YoY to 457,810 units, registering double-digit growth across categories.

Three-wheeler sales at 92,560 units were 33 percent higher YoY, as compared to 69,403 units sold a year ago.

Two-wheeler sales at 1.92 million units managed a 23 percent uptick, as compared to 1.56 million units sold last year.

Rajesh Menon, Director General, SIAM, said, “India’s auto industry delivered its strongest-ever July sales, with robust double-digit growth across Passenger Vehicles, Three Wheelers and Two Wheelers. Passenger Vehicle sales rose 34.3 percent to 458,000 units, Three-Wheeler sales grew 33.4 percent to 93,000 units and two-wheeler sales increased 22.6 percent to 1.92 units compared with July 2025. This positive momentum, sustained over several months, has continued as the industry enters the festive season with expectations of strong consumer sentiment.”

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Kia India has reported that its Carens Clavis EV has surpassed 1,100 units deployed within corporate fleets since its market introduction in July 2025. The automaker underscored this milestone as evidence of the model’s increasing significance in the nation’s transition toward sustainable business transport solutions. Concurrently, the company confirmed a fresh deployment of 100 units for Refex Mobility, with the initial vehicles formally handed over during a ceremony attended by senior Kia India officials.

The vehicle’s combination of interior space, technological features and electric efficiency aligns with current corporate mobility needs, according to the manufacturer. Beyond vehicle production, Kia India is focused on developing a comprehensive ecosystem that includes charging infrastructure and dedicated aftersales support. The strategic partnership with Refex Mobility merges Kia’s electric vehicle capabilities with Refex’s operational fleet expertise, facilitating the integration of EVs into standard organisational transport routines.

This expanding corporate footprint exemplifies the brand’s overarching philosophy of inspiring movement that benefits both communities and the environment. Kia India remains committed to advancing the country’s adoption of cleaner transportation by ensuring that electric mobility solutions remain accessible, practical and prepared for future demands.

Atul Sood, Senior Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Kia India, said, "Demonstrating how electric mobility can seamlessly integrate into everyday corporate transportation, our deployment with Refex Mobility is a meaningful step towards accelerating this change. The Carens Clavis EV is a capable and practical fit for fleet operations, offering a spacious cabin, comfortable seating for extended daily use, a range well suited to intensive fleet requirements and an advanced Battery Management System that supports efficiency and safety for fleet customers. Recognising this capability, we have expanded the Carens Clavis EV's reach from individual customers to fleet operations, and corporate fleets have an important role to play in this transition. At Kia India, we remain committed to expanding access to innovative electric mobility solutions and working with partners who share our vision of creating cleaner, smarter and more responsible mobility for India."

Anirudh Arun, CEO, Refex Mobility, Said, “At Refex Mobility, we are committed to building fleet solutions that are efficient, reliable and sustainable. Our collaboration with Kia India on this 100-unit Carens Clavis EV deployment brings together a strong EV product with the operational scale our customers need. The Carens Clavis EV's space, comfort and electric efficiency make it well suited to the demands of everyday fleet operations, allowing us to offer enterprises a dependable, zero-emission mobility solution without compromising on service quality. This is a meaningful step in our shared commitment to accelerating cleaner, more sustainable corporate mobility in India, and we look forward to building on this partnership with Kia India in the years ahead.”

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