Tata Motors has launched models like Punch (compact SUV), Curve (coupe inspired SUV), Tiago (hatchback) and Harrier (premium SUV) in the South African market. All these models are based on conventional fuel (petrol-diesel) and will be available for sale from September.

Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited, said, “Our return to South Africa is an important milestone in Tata Motors’ global journey. We are excited to bring our new generation vehicles with cutting-edge technology, unmatched safety and modern design to a market that values ​​safety, quality and innovation. By having Motus as our preferred partner, we are confident of providing customers with a great ownership experience that will also contribute meaningfully to the local economy of South Africa.”

According to an official statement, the company will operate through 40 dealerships, which is planned to be expanded to 60 by 2026. Tata’s passenger car division has appointed Motus Holdings as its exclusive distributor in South Africa.

Tata Motors is expected to compete with the currently dominating Chinese brands in the South African markets. The growing demand for budget-friendly cars is pushing global automakers to offer more choices to customers and also prompting overseas automakers to stop relying on low-cost imports from India and China.

In South Africa, Tata Motors faces competition from Chinese automakers such as Chery Group, BYD, Beijing Automotive and GWM, which have introduced competitively priced vehicles with various powertrains in recent years.

The Indian carmaker had quit the South African passenger vehicle market in 2019 after selling brands such as the Indica hatchback. The Indica hatchback was affordable but received a mixed response from consumers. However, the company retained its commercial vehicle operations in South Africa.

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Cars, jeeps and vans can use this facility at toll plazas operated by the National Highways Authority of India and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The pass is valid for one year from activation or 200 toll trips, whichever is earlier. On completion of the limit, the FASTag automatically switches to the standard pay per-trip mode.

For point-based toll plazas, every one-way crossing is considered as one trip and return as two trips. In closed and ticketed systems, the entire journey from entry to exit is considered as one trip.

Only non-commercial private vehicles are eligible for this pass and it will be given only to cars, jeeps and vans registered for private use.

It is valid on national highways and expressways managed by NHAI and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Toll plazas of state highways are not covered under it until they are integrated into the central FASTag system.

To purchase the pass, vehicle owners must have an active FASTag installed on the windscreen, linked to their registration number.

They must not be blacklisted from purchasing the pass. Some FASTags issued specifically for new vehicles may be registered only with the vehicle’s chassis number. Annual passes cannot be activated on such FASTags and they must be updated to include the full vehicle registration number.

The pass can be purchased through the Highway Yatra mobile app, the NHAI or Ministry of Road Transport and Highways website, or authorised FASTag issuer portals.

Payment for the pass (Rs 3,000) can be made through UPI, debit or credit card, or net banking. FASTag wallet balance cannot be used for this purpose. The activation is usually completed within two hours and is confirmed by SMS.

The average toll for a passenger vehicle is around Rs 50. Without a pass, 200 trips in a year would cost around Rs 10,000. With an annual pass, the fee is fixed at Rs 3,000, saving about Rs 7,000 for those travelling on the highway.

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This was the fifth consecutive month for Kia India, when the company’s sales registered positive momentum.

According to the company, the major highlight of the month of May was the launch of Carens Clavis. This Kia car received a positive response from the customers.

Hardeep Singh Brar, Senior Vice President, Kia India and National Head of Sales and Marketing at the company, said, “The great response to Carens Clavis shows the deep trust of Indian families in the Kia brand. With Clavis, we are fully prepared to set new standards in this segment and make it more dynamic than ever.”

He said, “Our strong sales in May reflect the growing popularity of Kia’s diverse offerings across segments. This momentum is a result of our continued efforts to expand and strengthen our product-portfolio while meeting the changing needs of customers. As we continue to expand our lineup, we are dedicated to delivering future-ready mobility solutions that inspire confidence and delight our customers.” Apart from Kia India, TVS Motor Company also registered strong vehicle sales in May. According to the company, a total of 4,31,275 units were sold last month, registering a growth of 17 per cent year-on-year. The company had recorded a total sale of 3,69,914 vehicles in May last year. According to TVS Motor, the company registered a growth of 16 per cent year-on-year in two-wheeler sales. The company sold a total of 3,59,590 vehicles in May 2024 and a total of 4,16,166 two-wheelers in May this year.

The company sold a total of 3,09,287 two-wheelers domestically, while in May last year the company sold 2,71,140 units, which shows a growth of 14 percent year-on-year.

A growth of 46 percent was also registered on an annual basis for the sale of three-wheelers. The company sold a total of 15,109 units of three-wheelers in May this year. With this, the company’s exports grew 22 percent this year to 1,18,437 units, which was recorded at 96,966 units in May last year.

–IANS

SKT/ABM

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During a program in Nagpur, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that India has achieved historic progress in the automobile industry. He said that when he became the Union Minister for the first time 11 years ago, India’s automobile industry was worth Rs 7 lakh crore and was ranked seventh globally. Today this industry has become worth Rs 23 lakh crore and India has overtaken Japan to reach the third position.

Gadkari said that his department is of transport, so the automobile industry comes under his responsibility. He said, “When I became a minister 11 years ago in 2014, India’s automobile industry was worth Rs 7 lakh crore and we were at number seven. Today the size of this industry has increased to Rs 23 lakh crore, and we have overtaken Japan to reach the third position. He said that globally, the US (Rs 78 lakh crore) is at the first place in automobile industry and China (Rs 49 lakh crore) is at the second place.

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According to a statement by IESA, India’s cumulative EV sales have crossed 41 lakh units in FY 2023-2024 and the future outlook for electric vehicle sales remains positive. Their demand is increasing due to environmental awareness, customer interest, advances in battery technology and easily available and accessible EV charging infrastructure.

IESA said, “It is estimated that 83 percent of annual sales will be electric-two wheelers, 10 percent will be electric-four wheelers and commercial vehicles such as trucks, buses. At the same time, electric wheel vehicles will contribute seven percent to the sales.”

India is making significant and steady progress in its decarbonization journey, with a focus on rapid growth in electric vehicle sales, demand and supply incentives, growing consumer demand and developing charging infrastructure.

IESA President (Interim) Vinayak Valimbe said that India has seen substantial growth in electricity consumption, reaching 1,543 TWh (trillion watt hour) in 2023-24. This is an increase of seven percent compared to last year.

“According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), power consumption on public charging infrastructure is projected to be 465 GWh from April to October 2024, more than double the 204 GWh in 2022-2023,” he said.

He said that with most EV users opting for charging facilities at home, IESA estimates that the energy demand for EV charging will be 4,000 GWh in FY 2024-2025 which will increase to 38 TWh by FY 2031-2032, with peak power demand projected at 366.4 GWh.”

The Ministry of Power has prepared a National Electricity Plan, a 10-year roadmap. It is important to help drive future strategies and ensure energy security.

India is the third largest producer and consumer of electricity in the world.

The National Electricity Plan estimates that the total annual demand on the Indian power grid will grow to 2,133 TWh by 2031-32 and EV charging will account for about three per cent of this demand, according to IESA estimates.

According to the IESA report, India’s total installed capacity is projected to grow to 466 TWh in January 2025. The plan is expected to increase the capacity from 100 GW to 900 GW by 2032.

The plan serves as a blueprint to accelerate the installation of EV charging infrastructure to meet future EV charging demand and increase the number of charging stations to around 1 lakh by 2030.

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The government’s objective behind implementing this rule is to reduce the long queues of vehicles at the toll due to problems in Fastag and to make travel convenient.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways have released some important changes in the Fastag ecosystem, which aims to streamline toll payments, reduce disputes and curb fraud.

The new Fastag rule will come into effect from February 17.

Under the new rules, if the Fastag remains inactive for more than 60 minutes before the vehicle crosses the toll and remains inactive for 10 minutes after crossing the toll, the transaction will be rejected. The system will reject such payments by writing ‘Error Code 176’.

Additionally, changes have been made to the chargeback process and cooling period as well as transaction rejection rules to simplify toll payments and reduce disputes.

According to the new guidelines, if the toll transaction is done more than 15 minutes after the vehicle passes through the toll reader, then Fastag users may have to pay additional charges.

According to the updated National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) guidelines, if there is a delay in any transaction and the user has low balance in his Fastag account, then the toll operator will be held responsible.

Earlier, users could recharge Fastag at the toll booth itself and proceed further. After the new rule, now users will have to recharge Fastag first.

According to the latest data of NPCI, the number of Fastag transactions has increased by 6 percent to 38.2 crores in December, which was 35.9 crores in November.

Also, the value of Fastag transactions has increased by 9 percent It has increased to Rs 6,642 crore, which was Rs 6,070 crore in November.

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HMIL said in a statement that after starting its exports from India in 1999, the company has sold over 37 lakh cars from India to countries around the world in the last few years.

The company’s export figures reflected the success of India’s effort for self-reliant and globally competitive automobile production.

Over the years, Hyundai has expanded its global reach, exporting cars to over 150 countries.

Currently, the company supplies vehicles to over 60 countries, with Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Mexico, Chile and Peru emerging as its top markets in 2024.

The company said that Hyundai exported a total of 1,58,686 vehicles in the year 2024. Among the best-selling export models, the i10 family has crossed the 1.5 million unit mark in overseas sales. The popular Verna series has crossed the five lakh unit mark.

The carmaker has also achieved a major milestone by exporting more than 1 million vehicles to Africa.

According to HMIL Managing Director Unsoo Kim, “Hyundai Motor India Limited is proud to be the largest exporter of passenger vehicles from India on a cumulative basis.”

He said that this is a testimony to the growing trust in Indian engineering and the popularity of Indian craftsmanship around the world.

Kim said, “Under our global vision of progress for humanity, our resolve to serve global customers with a wide range of smart mobility solutions will continue to grow stronger as we commit ourselves to Make in India, Made for the World.”

Policies such as the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the automobile sector and the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme have encouraged investments in vehicle production and exports.

Meanwhile, the automobile manufacturer reported a net profit of Rs 1,161 crore in the third quarter of FY2024-25.This was a 19 per cent decline from the figure of Rs 1,425 crore in the same quarter of FY2023-24.

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Puneet Gupta, Director, S&P Global Mobility ‘India & ASEAN’, said, “OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) are largely protected due to heavy localization and sales and minimal US exports.”

He said, “India is also the preferred partner of the US and the only option for US automakers other than China for auto components.”

Royal Enfield, the bike-making arm of Eicher Motors Ltd, may be an exception as the US is a major export market for its 650 cc motorcycles.

Some auto component manufacturers may also be affected due to high tariffs.

Last Thursday, Trump ordered his administration to consider imposing reciprocal tariffs on several trading partners.

According to a Morgan Stanley report, the direct impact of reciprocal tariff hikes by the US will be manageable, but the indirect impact on business confidence through uncertainty is more worrisome.

However, domestic policy will remain supportive of growth and more measures will be taken progressively if downside risks emerge.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Trump in their joint statement have pledged to expand trade and investment to make their citizens more prosperous, nations more robust, economies more innovative and supply chains more resilient.

To this end, the leaders set a bold new goal for bilateral trade – “Mission 500” – which aims to more than double total bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.

The two leaders committed to promoting opportunities for US and Indian companies to make greenfield investments in high-value industries in each other’s countries.

In this regard, the leaders welcomed investments of about $7.35 billion by Indian companies.

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The expo attracted visitors from all demographics and walks of life, showcasing their enthusiasm for the innovative products and solutions on display. Every hall was bustling with curious attendees, eager to see the latest technological advancements and gain insights into the future of mobility and construction.

Bharat Mobility Global Expo’s role in India’s Mobility Transformation and MICE Industry

The Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, India’s biggest mobility expo was held from 17th to 22nd January 2025 at three iconic venues – Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, Yashobhoomi, Dwarka and India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, with the participation of more than 1,500+ exhibitors across the mobility ecosystem.

The Expo concluded on the 22nd of January on a triumphant note, marking a new chapter in innovation, collaboration, sustainable mobility and decarbonization.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated the Expo on 17th January 2025, underscoring his unwavering vision and trust in India’s mobility transformation journey. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, he stated, “The entire mobility industry, the whole government, and the whole nation have come together for this expo.” He further added “Driven by the aspirations of the people and energy of the youth, India’s automobile sector is witnessing an unprecedented transformation”. The Prime Minister had also inaugurated the first edition of the Bharat Mobility Global Expo, held from 1st to 3rd February 2024, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 plays a pivotal role in advancing India’s position within the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) industry by showcasing the country’s capacity to host world-class events. As a multi-venue event, the expo demonstrated the potential of state-of-the-art facilities like Bharat Mandapam, Yashobhoomi and India Expo Centre & Mart, in accommodating large-scale exhibitions, conferences, pavilions, and networking forums. The Expo reinforced India’s growing reputation as a global destination for innovative and impactful MICE event.

Innovative Product Launches

The expo witnessed 239 launches from exhibitors across all the concurrent shows, highlighting the commitment from all industries in the mobility ecosystem for a smart and sustainable mobility future in India.

There were 90 vehicle launches at The Auto Expo Motor Show 2025, showcasing majorly electric and in some cases Flex Fuel and other alternative powertrains.

97 product and technology launches were showcased at the Auto Components Show in Yashobhoomi, highlighting the resilience and readiness of the entire automotive supply chain for the transformative journey of the automotive sector.

The Bharat Construction Equipment Expo witnessed 24 launches, with many of them being BS (CEV) Stage 5 ready equipment along with electric and hydrogen-powered equipment.

The Bharat Battery Show saw 21 launches of various battery and charging solutions, highlighting the advancements in battery storage and vehicle charging solutions.

The India Cycle Show 2025, organized by EEPC India, saw 5 launches, and showcases of bicycles, e-scooters, and micro-mobility solutions, including electric bikes and scooters.

Exhibitors from the Mobility Tech Pavilion showcased technologies and products that are setting a global benchmark in mobility solutions, through technologies such as intelligent cockpits, autonomous vehicles and solutions and cutting-edge, human-centric features that are defining the future of transportation.

The India International Tyre Show 2025 launched 2 product ranges for passenger and commercial vehicles segments, and showcased advancements in tyre technology, smart tyres, use of sustainable materials, and improved safety features. In addition, companies have also announced strategic plans to enter specific tyre segments in India.

At the Steel Pavilion, companies showcased cutting-edge innovations in automotive steel, emphasizing sustainability, strength, and lightweight solutions, and highlighted the advancements in steel technology.

The Urban Mobility and Infrastructure Show 2025 brought diverse sectors of urban mobility and infrastructure under one roof, and showcased innovations, technologies and solutions in the sustainable urban transit such as Rapid Transit Systems, Mass Rapid Transit Systems and cutting-edge equipment manufacturing, and energy-efficient mobility solutions.

The Urban Air Mobility demonstrated revolutionary advancements in air mobility technologies, with companies demonstrating their VTOLs and eVTOLs, and with other companies highlighting their air mobility solutions including drones.

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Towards this goal, precision manufacturing firm Sona SPEEDS signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bengaluru-based Sarla Aviation.

Sarla Aviation develops India’s best electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Union Steel and Heavy Industries Minister HD Kumaraswamy visited the Sarla Aviation booth and showed keen interest in the prototype of the flying taxi and called it historic.

Sona SPEEDS Motors has been a part of several space missions of ISRO. This agreement establishes Sona SPEEDS as a key partner in revolutionizing urban air mobility in the country.

Choko Valliappa, CEO, Sona SPEED, said, “This partnership is a significant step in Sona SPEED’s evolution as a hub of aerospace innovation. Together, we aim to shape a cleaner, faster and more efficient future for urban transportation.”

Under the MoU, Sona SPEED will use its state-of-the-art facility in Karnataka to design and manufacture critical components such as motors and landing gear for Sarla Aviation’s eVTOL aircraft.

Rakesh Gaonkar, CEO, Sarla Aviation, said, “Sona SPEED’s expertise in engineering perfectly complements our vision for electric flying taxis. This collaboration strengthens our mission to redefine urban mobility with cutting-edge eVTOL technology.”

This development highlights India’s growing aspiration in sustainable urban air mobility and demonstrates the importance of synergy in driving innovation.

Focused on developing eVTOL aircraft, Sarla Aviation aims to transform urban mobility with faster, cleaner and more efficient transportation solutions.

The company plans to begin test flights and develop additional prototypes, which will be launched in the market by 2028.

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