“I began to be part of Hyundai Motor India just when I was becoming an actor in Mumbai. At that time I don’t think there was anything like an ambassadorship or modelling for a car. To be a brand ambassador of Santro at that time was a moment of bigness for me, a great honour as Hyundai was well known in the world. In India the foreign car companies were just coming in so when I was asked to be the ambassador it was very confidence invoking.

I was also a little worried not knowing how it was going to pan out; this was in 1997. An international brand was coming to India with me. I was thinking whether I was good enough to be its ambassador. One never expected that even after 23 years we will be working together. It has been a good journey so far.

Handling Relationships

I listen to her (wife). To be honest, I have had many long associations in branding. I have been very clear that when a brand signs me on, it should be something that would go long-term. It can be long-term only if the brand is doing well. Being a brand ambassador might be fashionable and very cool but I think a brand ambassador cannot help if the product is not good. I speak from experience. I started branding and advertising as far as cinema is concerned for two products. I think I must have been the first person to do it in India on such a large scale.

Unless Hyundai is doing well I have no voice. I have been with them for 23 years because they have been able to do something good with their cars. When people say, “I’ve signed a new brand and am moving on,” I think you don’t move on unless your brand or product is not good enough. I have had discussions with a lot of people who want to bring in fresh blood but your product has to be good. Fresh blood in a brand ambassador can never do anything for a product that’s not doing well; that’s my belief. Unless you bring in something new these shifting and signing of brands is no big deal.

Cars Are Different

I remember when Y S Kim handed me the keys to the car I felt it was very technical. We used to talk about 1.6 litre engines, BHP etc, it was very different. Normally, most of the brands at that time were more lifestyle and fun so when a car came along; I think we did 5 films over 5 days for a long stretch. Everybody was going in for advertising; it was very different. Kim was very sweet. He would give me the keys and land up wherever I went. By the last ad he gave me the keys before going back to Korea saying, “Now you handle it.” Apart from that part the rest of it was very tough. To be honest I didn’t know where it was going.

From Santro To Creta

I tell everybody that I’m a Santro walla. Since I’m now the corporate brand ambassador I talk about Creta also but for me the all-time favourite is Santro; 3-4 years ago I requested the whole office to give me one. The reason for this is because I love the name. I think certain things have a great name and Santro just had one; it had a ring to it. The advertising with ‘Santrowale and Santrowala’ was very nice. Two years ago they made a special one for me

I’ll be honest in saying that I’m not a very big car person. For me cars have always meant more of transportation. Other than an extension of fashion, manhood or macho I have never been a big car fiend. Actually I have about 700 cars (miniature models) like this one in my house. I like these much better. For me it’s never been that I should get one if my friends have it. It’s a misnomer that I have a lot of luxury cars. I just use one car, which I believe should get you from one place to the other.

Liking Hyundai Cars

The finish is very nice and the cars have very clean lines; the inside is also very clean. Creta is robust and straightforward. It doesn’t have too many entanglements, looks basic and uncomplicated but at the same time sporty enough. It looks like an SUV with a minimal look without any clutter. Hyundai is quite minimalistic; the simplicity is a plus point.

I love driving. All the stunts in the films I have done myself with Hyundai cars. Now I don’t drive that much but at night I have to take my kids out for a drive. Of course I love that but there is too much traffic today, even at night. I have come here to Delhi a year and a half ago; wanted to show the kids my old house. I like the manual cars more.

Mobility As A Service

I was told that they are going into sharing and leasing. What I notice is that there was a time when people thought that learning how to drive was essential and necessary but today you don’t really need to learn to drive a car anymore, as sad as it may sound, especially to those who love driving. So how do you get around? I think you are going to utilize these services and it is fantastic for the car manufacturer to start doing this because essentially this business goes back to the people who are making the product. They are in the business of mobility so that is very good. The concept is not just to sell the car anymore but to highlight functionalities of safety, security, cleanliness, etc. It’s also as essential as selling the product. So I find my role getting more into that. As and when new things come in, like the new model Aura, my role would go more towards that. We would have to talk more on all the innovations than just the cars.” (MT)

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Honda Cars India, a leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, has reported total wholesales of 10,518 units for October 2025.

The company recorded domestic sales of 6,394 units for the month, which marks a 15.3 percent growth as compared to 5,546 units last year.

Honda also exported 4,124 units in October 2025. In comparison, exports in October 2024 stood at 4,534 units. The company noted the strong performance of the Honda Amaze as a key driver of the growth.

Kunal Behl, Vice-President, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India, said, “The festive sales and GST 2.0 announcement fuelled robust demand across our line-up of City, Amaze and Elevate during October. The Amaze being the only car under 10 lakh price segment to offer ADAS safety and smooth CVT performance has been strongly appreciated by consumers registering strong sales growth.”

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JSW MG Motor India has reported a decline of 9 percent in it wholesales for October 2025, with sales of 6,397 units, as compared to 7,045 units sold for same period last year.

On the other hand, the company reported a 20 percent YoY increase in wholesales during the August–October 2025 festive period.

The MG SELECT model retained its second position in the luxury electric vehicle (EV) segment, registering an impressive 62 percent MoM growth.

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Hyundai Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has achieved total monthly sales of 69,894 units in October 2025. The volume includes 53,792 units in domestic sales.

The company stated its performance was driven by the domestic market, and it also bolstered its position as a global manufacturing hub, with exports touching 16,102 units, marking an 11 percent YoY growth.

Furthermore, the Hyundai Creta and Venue SUV duo achieved their second-highest-ever combined monthly sales of 30,119 units.

Tarun Garg, Whole-time Director & Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor India, said, “October 2025 was a month driven by the festivals of Dussehra, Dhanteras and Diwali, further complimented by the positive impact of GST 2.0 reforms. This provided a significant boost to the Indian automotive industry. At Hyundai Motor India, we witnessed robust market demand and high consumer enthusiasm leading to second highest monthly sales of our formidable SUV duo – the Hyundai Creta and Venue combined, with 30,119 units sold. We expect to accelerate this momentum with the upcoming launch of all-new Hyundai Venue, which is already open for bookings.”

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Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles has reported wholesales of 61,295 units in total sales in October 2025, marking a 26.6 percent growth compared to 48,423 units sold a year ago. This performance delivered record-breaking monthly wholesales for the second consecutive month, driven by momentum during the festive season.

For October, the company saw sales records across key segments during the month including, 47,000 SUVs, achieving the highest-ever 77 percent share in monthly sales.

EV wholesales hit an all-time high of 9,286 units, surging 73.4 percent YoY. The Nexon SUV recorded 50 percent YoY volume growth due to the popularity of its multi-powertrain offerings.

The Harrier and Safari models achieved a new high, selling 7,000 units.

Overall domestic sales, including EVs, grew by 27 percent to 61,134 units. Monthly bookings also reached an all-time peak. The company achieved a landmark festive milestone, delivering over 100,000 vehicles between Navratri and Diwali, marking a 33 percent YoY growth.

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