In a joint effort to improve road safety, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India (SAVWIPL) and the SaveLIFE Foundation have successfully completed a two-year project on a high-risk section of National Highway 19 in Uttar Pradesh.

The initiative, named ‘Surakshit Sadkein, Surakshit Bharat’ (Safe Roads, Safe India), has resulted in a 7.5 percent reduction in road crash fatalities on the Agra–Etawah–Chakeri corridor since its launch in November 2022.

The program benefited over 720,000 commuters and focused on a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to road safety, addressing four key areas:

Engineering: Over 7,000 engineering hazards were fixed, with the addition of crash barriers, speed-calming measures and improved pedestrian facilities.

Enforcement: Electronic enforcement tools and new signage were deployed to improve traffic management.

Emergency Care: More than 300 first responders were trained in Basic Trauma Life Support.

Education: Awareness campaigns, including billboards and local outreach, reached a wide audience and commercial vehicle drivers received training in anticipatory driving.

This project was a collaboration with several government bodies, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Uttar Pradesh Police. The partners hope this successful model can be replicated in other high-risk areas across the country.

Piyush Arora, Managing Director & CEO, SAVWIPL, said, “For us, progress in the automotive sector is as much about building safer communities as it is about innovation. The Group takes safety seriously – our Made-in-India models have achieved full 5-star safety ratings, and we are committed to extending that safety beyond our cars to the roads we share. The NH 19 Zero Fatality Corridor with SaveLIFE Foundation shows that when engineering, enforcement, training, and awareness come together, lives are saved. This measurable impact strengthens our vision of a self-reliant India, where independence also means the freedom to travel without fear.”

This is the second Vision Zero Fatality Corridor project supported by SAVWIPL, following the Mumbai–Pune Highway initiative, which achieved a 61 percent reduction in fatalities.

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The Indian automotive industry has again shot back in the green with wholesales of 1.97 million vehicles sold in July 2025, which is 7 percent higher compared to 1.84 million units sold last year. This also marks a 2 percent growth over last month, when a total of 1.93 million vehicles were sold in the country.

Interestingly, the passenger vehicle segment has reported a slight decline with 340,772 units sold, as against 341,510 units sold last for the same period last year. On the other hand, compared to the previous month, the segment clocked a 9 percent growth. SUVs continue to power the segment with a total of 192,763 units sold last month.

The three-wheeler segment, with wholesale of 69,403 units, reported a healthy 17 percent growth YoY and 12 percent growth MoM.

The two-wheeler segment witnessed a total of 1.56 million units being sold last month, which was 9 percent higher compared to last year, but a flat growth over June 2025. While scooter and motorcycle sales grew at 16 percent and 5 percent on a year-on-year basis, respectively, the motorcycle segment witnessed a 10 percent decline over last month.

Going forward, the automotive industry is expecting the healthy monsoon, rural sentiment and the beginning of festival season to drive growth further.

Rajesh Menon, Director General, SIAM said, “All vehicle segments posted stable performance in July 2025, though overall sentiments in the Passenger Vehicles segment has remained subdued so far. Three Wheelers posted their highest ever sales of July in 2025, with a growth of 17.5 percent as compared to July 2024. With the advent of the festive season beginning with Onam festivities in the latter part of August, the Indian auto industry remains cautiously optimistic for the demand momentum to pick up in the coming months.”

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Tata Motors (TML) has announced its financial results for the quarter ending June 30, 2025. The company's consolidated revenue was INR 10,440 billion, a 2.5 percent decrease from the previous year.

The company shared was a challenging quarter for the company, as it was impacted by a decline in volumes across all its businesses and a drop in profitability, particularly at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).

The consolidated reported a net profit of INR 40.03 billion, which was supported by a sharp reduction in finance costs. The free cash flow for the automotive sector was a negative INR 1,230 billion, primarily due to adverse working capital from seasonality and tariffs.

JLR delivered its 11th consecutive profitable quarter, despite challenging global economic conditions. JLR's revenue was GBP 6.6 billion, a 9.2 percent decrease compared to Q1 FY2025. The company's profitability and cash flow were directly and materially impacted by the application of 27.5 percent US trade tariffs on UK- and EU-produced cars exported to the US. The decrease in profitability was also influenced by foreign exchange headwinds. However, a newly signed UK-US trade deal, effective from 30 June2025, is set to reduce tariffs on UK-produced vehicles exported to the US from 27.5 percent to 10 percent. The EU-US trade deal, announced on 27 July 2025, will also reduce tariffs on JLR’s EU-produced vehicles exported to the US from 27.5 percent to 15 percent. The company's PBT for the quarter was GBP 351 million.

Adrian Mardell, JLR Chief Executive Officer, said, “Thanks to our talented people and the robust foundations we have built at JLR, we delivered an 11th successive profitable quarter amid challenging global economic conditions. We are grateful to the UK and US Governments for delivering at speed the new UK-US trade deal, which will lessen the significant US tariff impact in subsequent quarters, as will, in due course, the EU-US trade deal announced on 27 July 2025. Looking ahead, we remain focused on delivering our transformational Reimagine Strategy, including investing GBP 3.8 billion this financial year to support the development of our next-generation vehicles, including our stunning new electric Range Rover and Jaguar models.”

The Tata Commercial Vehicles (Tata CV) business saw its revenue decrease by 4.7 percent to INR 170 billion. Despite lower volumes, the business maintained double-digit EBITDA margins of 12.2 percent, an improvement of 60 bps. This was a result of better realisations and cost savings. Domestic sales volumes were down by 9 percent YoY, while exports increased by 68 percent. The business reported a net profit of INR 16.17 billion.

Girish Wagh, Executive Director Tata Motors, said, “Q1 FY26 was a challenging quarter for the commercial vehicle industry, with subdued demand across key segments impacting overall performance. We also witnessed a decline in domestic sales volumes, reflecting broader market softness and delayed fleet replacement cycles, while segments like Buses and Vans showed resilience and our International Business delivered growth. Our commitment to product innovation and customer-centricity remained strong. The launch of the Ace Pro mini-truck in multiple powertrain options received encouraging initial market response, reaffirming our focus on delivering relevant and affordable mobility solutions. Despite adverse volumes, the business delivered 12.2 percent EBITDA and healthy ROCE of about 40 percent. The acquisition of IVECO Group is a strategic leap forward in our ambition to build a future-ready commercial vehicle ecosystem. By integrating the strengths of both organisations, we will be unlocking new avenues for operational excellence, product innovation and customer-centric solutions.”

Tata Passenger Vehicles (Tata PV) revenue declined by 8.2 percent to INR 1,090 billion, reflecting softness in industry demand and the transition to new models. As a result, the EBITDA was 4 percent, down by 180 bps. The net loss for the quarter was INR 870 million, with profitability impacted by adverse volumes, realisations and the effect of leverage. However, these negative impacts were partially offset by continuous efforts to save on variable costs.

Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director TMPV and TPEM, said, “Q1 FY26 was a subdued quarter for the passenger vehicle industry, with volume pressures persisting across most segments. Demand softness weighed on overall performance, although the Electric Vehicle category remained a bright spot, supported by new launches and growing customer interest. Our continued focus on customer engagement and portfolio renewal remained strong during the quarter. New launches – Altroz and Harrier.ev –received encouraging initial market response, with their full impact expected to unfold in the coming months. Looking ahead, while the overall industry growth is expected to remain muted, we are confident that our recent and forthcoming series of launches – across ICE and EVs – will enable us to outperform the market and strengthen our position across key segments.”

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The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) has named five finalists for its USD 3 million Sustainable Cities Challenge. The challenge focuses on improving crowd management in the historic city of Varanasi, also known as Kashi.

The competition was developed in collaboration with the City of Varanasi, Challenge Works and the World Resources Institute. It aims to find solutions that will ease congestion and improve pedestrian flow in the city's narrow lanes, which see millions of visitors annually.

The five finalists were chosen from ten semi-finalists who had six months to develop their concepts. The selected teams will each receive USD 130,000 in funding to pilot their solutions in Varanasi.

The finalists are:

• Arcadis: Their solution, SANKALP, is an interconnected system of technologies designed for proactive crowd management. It uses real-time data, simulations and communications platforms to ensure people move safely.
• CITYDATA, Inc.: The company's CityFlow solution is a cloud-based platform that uses big data and AI to measure, analyse and manage crowds without needing new hardware.
• VOGIC AI: Behtar-Way is a community-based navigation platform that uses AI to guide people through alternative routes and provide real-time crowd intelligence to city officials.
• Prameya Consulting: Their Nayichaal solution is a 'phygital' AI ecosystem that combines a chatbot, a navigation app and digital signage to improve mobility and safety.
• The Urbanizer: Jan Jatra is a people-focused mobility solution that blends local knowledge with colour-coded wayfinding and digital signs to help with navigation.

Akshat Verma, Municipal Commissioner of Varanasi, stated, "These five outstanding finalists are not only developing solutions that enhance safety, accessibility and the lived experience for both residents and pilgrims, but also ensuring they safeguard the cultural and spiritual fabric of Kashi for future generations."

Pras Ganesh, Executive Program Director at the Toyota Mobility Foundation, added, "From a field of global innovators, these finalists stood out for their creative, practical and contextual approaches to one of the world’s most complex mobility environments."

Avinash Dubedi, Head of Sustainable Cities and Transport at WRII, noted, "Their solutions go beyond easing congestion, they reimagine how people of all ages and abilities—residents, pilgrims and those with special needs, can move through the city with dignity, safety and ease."

Kathy Nothstine, Director of Cities and Societies at Challenge Works, said, "The finalist teams reflect the best of collaborative, interdisciplinary innovation and their work will help transform how we think about movement, space and sacredness in dense urban areas."

Vikram Gulati, Country Head of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, commented, "Their innovations have the potential to transform historic cities and set new global standards in crowd management and urban mobility."

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India’s auto retail sector saw a YoY decline of 4.31 percent in July 2025, according to the latest data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), marking a pause after three consecutive months of growth. FADA attributed the drop primarily to a high-base effect from July 2024, which had seen a sales rebound after extreme weather disruptions.

In terms of segment-wise, three-wheelers, tractors and commercial vehicles registered marginal YoY growth of 0.83 percent, 10.96 percent and 0.23 percent, respectively. In contrast, two-wheelers, passenger vehicles, and construction equipment saw declines of 6.48 percent, 0.81 percent and 33.28 percent.

In the 2W segment, monsoon-driven rural disruptions and crop-sowing activities led to subdued footfalls, both YoY and month-on-month (MoM). However, dealers expect demand to rebound in August with festival purchases.

The PV segment saw a slight YoY dip despite a strong 10.38 percent MoM rise, aided by auspicious days, rural schemes and new model launches. While rural demand remained strong, urban sentiment stayed weak. Inventory levels hovered around 55 days, prompting calls for strategic discounting and improved financing access.

CVs posted marginal growth, led by urban demand, institutional orders and new launches. However, rural haulage remained slow due to rains and seasonal softness in key logistics segments.

Tractors saw strong performance on the back of government subsidies, favourable rainfall and improved rural liquidity.

Looking ahead, FADA noted that the monsoon outlook remains positive, which should support rural demand. However, global headwinds – such as the US imposing additional tariffs on Indian exports – may impact consumer confidence and discretionary spending.

Despite challenges, dealer sentiment is largely positive for the July–September quarter, with 63 percent anticipating growth. The festive season, including Rakhi, Janmashtami, Independence Day and Ganesh Chaturthi, is expected to boost sales across all segments. Strategic promotions, finance facilitation, and rural outreach will be key for sustaining momentum amid external volatility.

C S Vigneshwar, President, FADA, said, “While monsoon tailwinds and festival fervour converge to energise demand, the spectre of export-tariff volatility and isolated weather shocks underscores the need for vigilant stewardship. By harnessing precision-targeted

promotions, partnership-driven finance solutions and dynamic rural–urban engagement, the industry can navigate these headwinds and anchor itself on a trajectory of sustained retail growth. In sum, we enter August with a sense of guarded optimism, confident in the upside but ever mindful of the risks.”

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