The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the apex body representing the country’s leading automobile manufacturers, hosted the 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Circularity (ICSC) at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on the sidelines of Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. Theme ‘Nature Positive Recycling – Systemic Transformation to Automotive Circular Economy in India’, the conference emphasised the need for systemic transformation through regulatory frameworks, technological advancements and collaborative efforts across stakeholders, underscoring India’s potential to lead global efforts in sustainable automotive practices.

Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, who was the Chief Guest during the inaugural session of the conference, launched the SIAM Strategy Paper ‘Towards Circular Future in the Indian Automobile Industry: Integrating EPR Regime in Waste Stream Regulations’ and said, "As the automotive industry observes a notable growth, it is imperative to reflect on our environmental obligations. Nature, with its innate capacity for regeneration, serves as an exemplar for our operational strategies. Our focus extends beyond mere waste management to stimulating economic development, diminishing emissions and cultivating societal advancements through the promotion of green jobs. Initiatives such as the Vehicle Scrappage Policy 2021 and the endorsement of electric vehicles manifest our commitment to sustainable practices. As we navigate towards a circular economy, our actions must be guided by a steadfast dedication to environmental integrity and ecological stewardship. SIAM has done an admirable job of initiating discussions on circularity which showcases its commitment to the growth of the automotive sector and promoting India’s green goals."

Session One, themed ‘Impact of EPR on ELV Recycling and Compliance: New Paradigm of Material Circulatory’, was graced by Guests of Honour Arvind Kumar Nautiyal, Joint Secretary, Government of India and Member Secretary, CAQM, and Mahmood Ahmed, Additional Secretary, MoRTH. The session explored policy interventions, international practices and innovations required for scaling up ELV recycling. The session also saw the launch of an approach paper on ‘Automotive Circularity in India’. The session witnessed discourses by the guests of honour as well as Sanjay Mehta, President, MRAI; Timo Unger, Chairperson – Working Group on Materials & Substances, ACEA; Vikram Kasbekar, ED and CTO, Hero MotoCorp and M S Anandkumar, Chair, SIAM Recycling & Material Group and SGM, TVS Motor Company.

Rajendra M Petkar, President and CTO, Tata Motors Ltd and Chairperson, SIAM Sustainable Mobility Group, chaired the Session Two. Themed ‘Regulatory & Policy Challenges and Innovating Solutions in the ELV Recycling Ecosystem’, the session deliberated on regulatory and policy challenges the ELV recycling ecosystem encounters along with possible solutions and the necessity of innovation. The session included presentations by R K Goyal, Director Saarloha Advanced Materials and Managing Director, Kalyani Steel, on ‘Sustainable Circularity for Green Steel Manufacturing in India’; Sonal Choithani, Vice President and Head of Market Development, Vedanta, on ‘Metals & Mobility: Building A Greener Future for Transportation’; Sosho Kitajima, Chairman, Japan Automobile Recycling Alliance (JARA), on ‘ELV management landscape in Japan’; R Mukhopadhyay, Director (R&D) J K Tyres, on ‘Sustainable Circularity – Challenges & Opportunities for Tyre & Auto Rubber Components Industry’; ALN Rao, Head of Electronics Recycling, Recykal, on ‘Innovative Tech in Automotive Circularity’; David Nolan, Executive Director, Auto Recycler Association of Australia, on ‘Automotive Circularity landscape in Australia’; Sarvesh Tomar, General Manager, BPCL, on ‘Challenges and Opportunities in Used Oil Recycling in India: Paving the path to Sustainability’ and Prabhjot Sodhi, Sr Programme Director, CEE, on ‘Policy interventions as catalysts for sustainable automotive circularity’.

Session Three, carrying the theme ‘Harnessing Cutting-edge Technologies and Business Models to Revolutionise ELV Recycling’, was addressed by Guest of Honor Sujit Kumar Bajpayee, Member, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), and moderated by Ashim Sharma, Senior Partner, NRI Consulting & Solutions. Other eminent personalities who shared their opinion in the session included Vinod Babu, Director, CPCB; Masaru Akaishi, Managing Director, Maruti Suzuki Toyotsu India Pvt Ltd; Kartick Nagpal, President, Rosmerta; Nitin Chitkara, CEO, Meta Material Circular Markets (MMCM); Prabhakar Bhangare, CEO, Global PCCS and Anant Bhargava, IFP Petro.

Session Four revolved around the theme ‘Challenges and Way forward for Closing the Loop on Automotive Material and Components’. The session was graced by Guest of Honour Ved Prakash Mishra, Joint Secretary – HSM, MoEFCC, Government of India, and chaired by Kiran Sarkar, Co-Chairperson, SIAM Recycling and Material Groups and Head – Sustainability, Mahindra & Mahindra. Apart from a thematic presentation by Likith Koundinya, Consulting Specialist, S&P Global, the session also saw panel discussions by Anand Kumar, Director, CPCB; Sumit Agrawal, Director, BigMint Technologies Pvt Ltd (SteelMint); Dr Rashi Gupta, Founder & MD, Vision Mechatronics and V Manjunath, Regional Standards Manager – South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, at UL Standards & Engagement Inc., (ULSE).

The latest data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) show that the Indian automotive industry wrapped up FY 2024-25 with a solid performance, driven by resilient domestic demand, an uptick in exports, and a renewed push toward green mobility.

While the pace of growth varied across segments, the industry overall clocked a healthy 7.3 percent increase in domestic sales, reinforcing its steady recovery trajectory in a post-pandemic economy.

The passenger vehicles segment posted its highest-ever annual sales, breaching the 4.3 million mark – a 2 percent rise over the previous year. Although the high base of FY 2023–24 tempered the growth rate, the segment continued to impress with its scale.

SUVs emerged as the dominant sub-segment, accounting for 65 percent of total PV sales, up from 60 percent last year.

The market responded enthusiastically to new launches and customer demand towards higher ground clearance models. It is also important to note that discounts and promotions kept demand buoyant.

On the exports front, a record 770,000 units were shipped, up 14.6 percent, fuelled by demand from Latin America, Africa and emerging interest from developed markets.

India’s ubiquitous two-wheelers rebounded strongly with 19.6 million units sold, marking a 9.1 percent growth over the previous year. The scooter category led the charge, boosted by improved rural and semi-urban road connectivity.

EV penetration crossed 6 percent, reflecting a growing preference for sustainable options.

Two-wheeler exports rose by 21.4 percent, supported by macroeconomic stability in Africa and expansion into Latin American markets.

The three-wheeler segment on the other hand scaled new highs with 741,420 units sold, a 6.7 percent growth over FY 2023–24. Urban and semi-urban demand for last-mile transport, especially electric models seem to have played a key role.

The commercial vehicles segment posted a slight 1.2 percent decline in annual sales, though Q4 offered a glimmer of hope with a 1.5 percent uptick. Light CVs struggled, while Medium & Heavy CVs (M&HCVs) remained steady. Infrastructure development spurred demand for buses and higher-GVW trucks.

CV exports jumped by 23 percent, indicating global recovery in freight mobility.

In terms of EV sales, the country saw 1.97 million green vehicles sold, up 16.9 percent, with electric two-wheelers seeing a 21.2 percent rise in registrations.

Looking Ahead: Optimism with Caution

The industry body stated that going forward leaders are cautiously optimistic about FY 2025–26. Normal monsoon forecasts are expected to aid rural demand. Recent personal income tax reforms and RBI rate cuts could boost vehicle financing and overall consumer sentiment. Continued export momentum, especially in Africa and neighbouring regions, will offer strategic resilience.

But on the other hand, challenges loom in the form of global geopolitical tensions and evolving supply chain dynamics.

Shailesh Chandra, President, SIAM, said, “The Indian automobile industry continued its steady performance in FY2024–25, driven by healthy demand, infrastructure investments, supportive government policies and continued emphasis on sustainable mobility. Passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and three-wheelers grew in FY2024-25 compared to FY2023-24, but growth rates have been varied across segments. Passenger vehicles and three-wheelers witnessed a moderate growth on account of the high base effect but saw the highest-ever sales in these categories, while the two-wheeler segment registered strong growth in FY2024-25. However, commercial vehicles witnessed a slight degrowth in the FY2024-25, though performance in recent months has been comparatively better. On the exports front, good recovery is seen across all segments, particularly passenger vehicles and two-wheelers reflecting improved global demand and India's growing competitiveness. In FY2024-25, the government of India introduced the PM E DRIVE scheme and PM e-Sewa schemes which underscores the firm commitment of the Government towards promoting sustainable mobility. Looking ahead, the backdrop of stable policy environment, along with recent measures such as reforms in personal income tax and RBI’s rate cuts, will help in supporting consumer confidence and demand across segments.

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M Ltd) has inaugurated the Mahindra India Design Studio (MIDS), a state-of-the-art creative facility that marks a significant leap ahead in the company’s automotive and industrial design capabilities. 
Located in the group’s automotive manufacturing site at Kandivali in Mumbai, MIDS marks the expansion of the existing design studio at the same location with the addition of new and modern equipment such as the Kolb clay milling machine with two five-axis milling centres on a single ‘bed’ that would enable prototyping of two projects – an exterior or interior of a vehicle, two exterior works or more – at the same time in an effort to contribute to time-to-market. 
Marking the doubling of the studio size and reaffirming M&M's commitment to design excellence as a cornerstone of the product development strategy, the MIDS has also acquired a new paint booth to support paint design and development activities regarding new designs. 
With ‘Heartcare’ design philosophy driving the group’s push into the SUV space, the MIDS will also work on other automotive areas such as commercial vehicles and tractors. 
Marking a significant upgrade of a facility that was originally set up in 2015 as a dedicated studio to support M&M's auto and farm business, the newer and bigger set up is already tapping the growing talent in the respective field in the country.  
To be headed by Ajay Saran Sharma, the MIDS will have a 100 strong team to drive design project management, concept design, digital designing, physical modelling, studio engineering, CMF design, design quality/Realisation and HMI/UI/UX. The finer elements would include exterior and interior designing, visualisation, clay modelling, prototyping and more. 
Capable of supporting working progress on two or three projects at the same time and not just regarding passenger vehicles but also regarding commercial vehicles and tractors, MIDS will serve as a collaborative bridge between India and Mahindra’s global design outpost – the Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (MADE). 
Aiming to inspire innovation by blending digital tools with hands-on craftsmanship, MIDS will play a central role in shaping vehicles and experiences that are distinctly global, yet Indian. 
“It is a pleasure to have this new avatar of Mahindra India Design Studio commissioned. With state-of-the- art design spaces and machinery backed by world-class skills that hugely expands its capability and capacity, the footprint of the space stands doubled to take on and deliver the ever-expanding project portfolio across businesses. The end-to-end delivery on projects from the first concept sketch through to production stands further strengthened with the new working structure that along with the classic design verticals includes new functions such as HMI Design, Design Quality & Realisation,” explained Sharma. 
Pratap Bose, Chief Design and Creative Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, averred, “We are thrilled to inaugurate our future ready Mahindra India Design Studio bringing world class design technologies and tools to create stunning, design outcomes across our Auto and Farm businesses. The new studio will attract the best design talent from India and become a leading automotive design centre in India. The influence of MIDS on our products will be felt for many years to come.” 

Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), the racing arm of Japanese automotive major Honda, has launched its new memorabilia business.

This will allow racing enthusiasts to collect a piece of Honda’s racing history, including signed merchandise, limited-edition collectibles and rare artifacts.

As part of the launch, Honda Racing Corporation has selected rare, limited items from the historical Honda RA100E F1 engine, which powered the championship machine driven by Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger in the 1990 F1 season. 

Racing fans will get a part own a piece of Honda’s RAE100E F1 engine at the Monterey Car Week in Monterey Peninsula, Ca. USA.

The automotive company shared that its skilled mechanics at Honda Racing Corporation’s factory in Japan have carefully RA100E F1 engine and fans can purchase items such as camshafts, cam covers, pistons and connecting rods, beautifully housed in ready to be displayed cases, each accompanied by an original HRC certificate for authenticity.

Koji Watanabe, President, Honda Racing Corporation, said, "We aim to make this a valuable business that allows fans who love F1, MotoGP, and various other races to share in the history of Honda's challenges in racing since the 1950s. Including our fans to own a part of Honda’s racing history is not intended to be a one-time endeavour, but rather a continuous business that we will nurture and grow."

Going forward, HRC is selecting heritage machines and parts from the IndyCar series to historical racing motorcycles for private sales and auctions too.

Travelling across highways and expressways has become more expensive in India. Effective from midnight of 31 March 2025, commuters have been shelling out INR 5-10 more on major highways and expressways.

However, commercial vehicles with more than seven axles have been the hardest hit, as their toll has risen by a whopping INR 590.

In sum total, the changed toll fee is part of a yearly exercise to revise rates as per Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation. On average, rates have gone up by 4-5 percent across the country. Some of the highways on which the toll hikes are visible include the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Delhi-Jaipur Highway and Delhi-Meerut Expressway, among others. The toll rate from Ghaziabad to Meerut has risen from INR 70 to INR 75. The National Highway of India (NHAI) levies tolls across 855 plazas, out of which 675 are publicly funded and 180 are concessionaire-operated.

Jeeps and commercial cars are now being charged INR 85 per side, and the charges for their monthly passes have increased from INR 1225 to INR 1255. On the other hand, single-journey tolls for Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and minibuses on the Chhijarsi toll plaza on NH9 have increased from INR 275 to INR 580.