Motoring Trends July/August 2026

Watching automakers mount the government dais to defend its ethanol blending policy and the ability of their vehicles to handle the fuel, underlining where a near hapless motorist stands, a new motoring trends was set in motion. It was a development that seemed to edge beyond regulations, margins, technologies and all that the auto industry has stood for through out its history spanning about a century.  It may be a matter of worry for a common motorist, that he is mostly a guinea pig than an esteemed customer or a taxpayer. Never mind that motoring is a very costly proposition to begin with in India.  This issue of Motoring Trends looks at the evolution of the auto industry in India and the world over in ways that are interesting and insightful. From how North India is a key driver to how tech is driving a deeper evolution of the industry in areas like software, materials, vehicle dynamics etc., this issue looks at subjects of the auto industry that are both routine and surprising. A surprise element is clearly the geopolitical developments that are foreign as well as domestic.