By Auto Punditz Editorial Team As India's automotive industry accelerates towards electrification, localisation and advanced manufacturing, the role of specialty material suppliers is becoming increasingly critical. Steel wire may not always make headlines, but it forms the backbone of tyres, suspension systems, seating, power transmission, construction and numerous safety-critical automotive applications. One company that is aggressively expanding into these high-value segme

Porsche AG has reported global deliveries of 122,306 vehicles during the first half (H1) of 2026, marking a 16% year-on-year decline compared to 146,391 units delivered in H1 2025. While the headline number may appear concerning, the German luxury sports car manufacturer insists the result is fully aligned with expectations and reflects its long-term strategy of prioritising profitability over sales volume. The company continues to follow its "Value over Volume" philosophy, f

China's dominance in the global EV battery industry has reached new heights, with seven Chinese companies featuring among the world's top ten battery manufacturers in January-May 2026. Led by CATL and BYD, Chinese firms now command 72.6% of the global EV battery market, reshaping the future of electric mobility worldwide.

After analysing data from more than 50,000 real-world electric vehicles, researchers are finding that today's EV batteries are lasting far longer than expected. Could the biggest barrier to EV adoption finally disappear? For more than a decade, one question has defined the electric vehicle debate: "What happens when the battery needs replacement?" Ask almost any prospective EV buyer in India, and battery replacement is likely to feature among their top concerns. Stories of re

How the world's largest battery maker is transforming into the operating system of the EV era For over a century, the automotive industry followed a familiar hierarchy. Car manufacturers conceived the product, engineered the technology, controlled the customer relationship and dictated the direction of the industry. Suppliers, irrespective of how technologically advanced they were, remained one step below. They competed on quality, cost and delivery while the automaker retain

"Success in heavy equipment isn't measured by television commercials or celebrity endorsements. It's measured in machines working 20 hours a day at mines, highways, metro sites and infrastructure projects." How did a Chinese OEM quietly become India's No.2 construction equipment manufacturer while many global brands remained niche players? For nearly four decades, India's construction equipment industry was dominated by familiar names. JCB owned the backhoe loader market. Cat

Pakistan’s passenger vehicle market delivered a year-on-year recovery in May 2026, but its scale and structure remained vastly different from neighbouring India. As per PAMA-reported data, Pakistan’s combined sales of cars, jeeps and pickups stood at 17,660 units, growing 19% YoY but declining 19.8% MoM after a stronger April. In comparison, India’s passenger vehicle market stood at a massive 4,40,808 units in the same month, making it roughly 25 times larger than Pakistan’s

The automotive industry has spent the last decade debating whether software would redefine vehicles. In 2026, investors appear to have taken that idea one step further with Hyundai Motor. Despite weakening profitability and mounting tariff pressures, Hyundai Motor’s stock has emerged as one of the strongest performers on the Korean stock market, creating one of the most fascinating valuation stories in the global automotive industry. The paradox is striking. While Hyundai’s a

India’s car market is usually analysed through price, mileage, features, safety ratings and monthly sales. Yet these rational factors explain only part of the purchase decision. A car is not merely a mobility product. It can be a public expression of achievement, family responsibility, individuality, technological confidence or social standing. Two vehicles may offer similar dimensions and performance, but buyers can interpret their badges very differently. That is the real p

Pre-owned car sales are rising faster than new-car sales, but the industry’s next challenge is building trust, improving financing and organising a highly fragmented ecosystem India’s used-car market is no longer a secondary extension of the new-car business. It is rapidly emerging as a major automotive industry in its own right—supported by rising vehicle prices, shorter ownership cycles, growing digital adoption and demand for affordable personal mobility. CRISIL Ratings es

India Now Has Its Own Crash-Test Programme—but Global NCAP Ratings Still Matter Vehicle safety has become an increasingly important consideration for Indian car buyers. Airbags, electronic stability control, ISOFIX child-seat mounts and advanced driver-assistance systems are now discussed almost as frequently as mileage, performance and features. A major reason for this change has been the growing visibility of independent crash-test ratings. For several years, Indian consume

India’s two-wheeler industry is generally assessed through the sales performance of manufacturers such as Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, TVS Motor, Honda, Royal Enfield and Yamaha. However, the motorcycle or scooter that reaches a customer is the final product of a much larger industrial network. Behind every two-wheeler is an ecosystem of companies manufacturing tyres, batteries, brakes, suspension systems, instrument clusters, lighting assemblies, seats, switches, alloy wheels,

India is recognised globally as one of the largest vehicle-manufacturing markets, but behind every car, motorcycle, commercial vehicle and tractor is an equally important ecosystem of component suppliers. From wiring harnesses, lighting systems and switches to forgings, braking systems, transmissions and advanced electronics, Indian auto-component manufacturers have steadily expanded their technological capabilities. Several companies that began as domestic suppliers have now

From a tractor company to a global motorcycle powerhouse, the Lal family’s story is built around patient ownership, strategic reinvention and one of India’s most remarkable automotive turnarounds Few Indian business families have created as distinctive an automotive legacy as the Lals of Eicher Motors. Their best-known asset, Royal Enfield, has evolved from a struggling heritage motorcycle operation into a global lifestyle brand selling more than 1.2 million motorcycles annua

India’s ethanol ambition also needs to be seen in a global context. The ethanol market is currently dominated by two countries — the United States and Brazil. According to ReportLinker's country-wise ethanol production energy-consumption share data, the United States accounted for 57.76% and Brazil 34.9% of the global share. India ranked third, but with a much smaller 3.31% share, followed by Germany at 1.08%, Colombia at 0.60%, Spain at 0.59%, Poland at 0.43%, the Philippine

The global automobile industry is one of the world’s largest employment generators, supporting millions of jobs across vehicle manufacturing, engineering, research and development, software, supply chains, sales and after-sales operations. Automakers are usually compared by sales volume, revenue, profitability or market capitalisation. However, employee strength offers another perspective on their scale. It indicates the breadth of an organisation’s manufacturing operations,

India’s agricultural machinery industry is entering a new phase of mechanisation, with harvesting equipment gradually moving beyond its traditional strongholds in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. Combine harvesters, once associated mainly with large wheat farms, are now being adopted across paddy, maize, soybean, mustard and other crops. The expansion of custom-hiring businesses, government support and crop-specific machinery is also making mechanised harvesting acc

Kia’s rise in the United States has become one of the automotive industry’s most notable brand-transformation stories. Once viewed primarily as a manufacturer of inexpensive, value-oriented cars, the South Korean automaker has evolved into a serious mainstream competitor offering stylish SUVs, advanced hybrids, premium three-row vehicles and purpose-built electric models. That transformation reached a major milestone in 2025, when Kia America sold a record 852,155 vehicles. I

The Short Answer For India, LFP batteries are the more practical and safer choice for mass-market EVs, especially city cars, fleet vehicles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers and affordable electric SUVs. They are more thermally stable, cheaper, longer-lasting and better suited to frequent charging in hot conditions. However, NMC batteries still have a role in premium EVs, especially where long range, lighter battery packs, faster acceleration and high power output matter more tha

India’s fuel transition story has moved from a cautious experiment to an aggressive national strategy. After achieving the 20% ethanol blending milestone ahead of the original 2030 timeline, the government is now preparing the next big step: higher ethanol blends such as E85 and E100, backed by flex-fuel vehicles and dedicated ethanol dispensing stations. The idea is powerful: reduce India’s dependence on imported crude oil, cut emissions, create a new revenue stream for farm