DLI scheme for semiconductor start-ups delivers chip tape-outs, patents and chip fabrications
The scheme has enabled completion of 16 chip tape-outs, fabrication of six ASIC chips, spurred 10 patents, and has trained/engaged with over 1,000 engineers engaged, the government said in a statement on Sunday.

Indian carmakers take a leaf out of Chinese playbook to bring out models quickly
New Delhi : New Delhi: Homegrown carmakers Tata Motors, and Mahindra and Mahindra are increasingly improving the speed at which they develop products to gain market share in an intensely competitive domestic market, according to senior executives at auto component makers working with the companies.

Structural constraints hinder ebikes' adoption: OEMs to NITI Aayog
 

Tata Punch facelift to get turbo-petrol engine
Tata Motors will launch the facelifted Punch on January 13. The refreshed Punch will also come with a turbo-petrol engine emerging as the most significant upgrade aimed at adding fresh sales momentum to one of India’s most popular entry SUVs.  Lower variants are expected to continue with the 1.2-liter naturally aspirated engine with pure petrol or petrol CNG option. 

Buying Nissan Magnite? You can avail benefits worth up to ₹1.20 lakh
Nissan Magnite, the leading revenue churner for the Japanese carmaker has received a price hike, after the automaker increased the pricing by 3% in January 2025. Now the auto company has announced benefits worth up to ₹1.20 lakh on this SUV. To avail these benefits, buyers have to book the Nissan Magnite before January 22.

Hyundai offers over ₹1.69 lakh benefits on Exter, i20, Grand i10 Nios and more
Hyundai has announced a price hike for its entire range of passenger vehicles, which became effective from January 1, citing increasing input costs as the reason behind this move. Now, the South Korean auto giant has announced benefits worth up to ₹1.69 lakh on its range of passenger vehicles in India. However, the benefits are available only on the cars that were manufactured in CY2025. Also, the benefits will be available till January 31 or till stocks last. Hyundai has also stated that these benefits will be available for the customers who are taking test drives between January 1 and January 31.

Mahindra XUV 7XO launched at Rs 13.66L with 540-degree camera, triple-screen and Level 2 ADAS
M&M launches XUV 7XO starting ₹13.66 lakh
The Hindu Business Line

An EV newcomer that doesn't behave like one
Source Credit: PTI, The Tribune

21 services for commercial vehicles go online

The STA will also start issuing Registration Certificates (RCs) on doorstep through postal delivery from January 10.

With e-bus tender done, CESL trains focus on electric trucks
New Delhi: Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), the Centre's demand aggregation agency, wants the government to name it as nodal agency for tendering electric trucks under the ₹10,900-crore PM E-Drive scheme, two people aware of the development said.

2026 Kia Seltos gets 5 value for money features over Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara
Kia India that started its journey with the Seltos SUV and grabbed a lot eyeballs with exciting products in the Indian passenger vehicle market over the last few years, has launched the much awaited 2026 Kia Seltos in the country on January 2. The new generation Kia Seltos comes packing a plethora of features powered by advanced technology. Kia has been known for offering cars packed with advanced technology-aided features and the new 2026 Kia Seltos too follows the same strategy.

Scooters to inverters: How Bhavish Aggarwal’s many ideas hobbled Ola’s EV edge
What do ride-sharing, food delivery, electric scooters, and home inverters have in common? To the casual observer, very little. To Bhavish Aggarwal, the restless founder of the Ola group, they are interconnected nodes in a grand, unified theory of Indian tech. Since launching Ola Cabs in 2010, Aggarwal has spun off disparate businesses at dizzying speed, finding synergies that escape most ordinary folks. In his vision, a taxi business naturally leads to electric vehicles, seasoned with food delivery, fuelled by digital payments, and eventually anchored by foundational AI models for Indian languages.

Royal Enfield Bullet 350 and Classic 350 become costlier. Here's how much to pay
Royal Enfield has increased the pricing of two of its bestselling motorcycles in India, the Bullet 350 and Classic 350. Both these Royal Enfield motorcycles have received price hike owing to the increased input costs due to surge in key raw material prices. This price hike comes after the auto company reduced the pricing of the Bullet 350 and Classic 350 last year, following the GST rate cuts, immediately before the festive season.

Simple Energy rolls out Gen 2 lineup, eyes full net profitability ahead of IPO
Bengaluru: Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler maker Simple Energy has introduced the Gen 2 versions of the Simple One and Simple OneS, along with a new performance-focused variant, the Simple Ultra.

Motherson gets PLI nod – Rs 1,900 crore investment on the cards
The auto components major, Samvardhana Motherson International’s arm Motherson Electronic Components has secured incentives under the government’s production linked incentive scheme.

ONGC activates emergency response after gas leak at Mori Field in Andhra Pradesh
Konaseema (Andhra Pradesh) : State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on Monday said it has swiftly mobilised emergency response measures after a gas leak was reported during workover operations at Well Mori#5 in the Mori Field of Andhra Pradesh.

Loose supply of petrol continues unabated in Malerkotla

Several unauthorised outlets, including grocers, workshops and roadside eateries, supply petrol and diesel round the clock at a premium price.

Stabilisation of Venezuela’s oil sector could help India’s complex refineries, crude sourcing strategy in medium to long term
 

Yamaha R15 range price cut by Rs 5,000, starts at Rs 1.51 lakh
Yamaha has dropped prices of the R15 range in India by Rs 5,000. The R15 bikes now start at Rs 1.51 lakh and go up to Rs 1.91 lakh for the top-spec R15M with ‘Icon Performance’ colourway.

Volkswagen revives physical interior controls with ID Polo
Volkswagen has revealed the electric Polo’s interior with many physical buttons, something that is not common for EVs, ahead of the hatchback’s UK launch later this year. Called the ID Polo, it’s the first Volkswagen model to adopt the brand’s new Pure Positive design language under chief designer Andreas Mindt, who aims to increase the use of switchgear based on customer feedback. 

5 things to know before buying the Royal Enfield Bear 650
The Royal Enfield Bear 650 was the fifth bike on the company's 650cc platform and the first to be designed with light off-road capability in mind. Based on the Interceptor 650, the Bear gets significant upgrades including longer-travel suspension, a TFT display, and a unique two-into-one exhaust system.

New Kia Seltos launched at Rs 10.99 lakh
The new-gen Kia Seltos has officially gone on sale at a starting price of Rs 10.99 lakh. Bookings for the new Seltos have been open since December 11 for a token amount of Rs 25,000, and deliveries will commence from mid-January.

Mahindra XUV 7XO launched at Rs 13.66 lakh
The new Mahindra XUV 7XO price starts at Rs 13.66 lakh, ex-showroom. The 2026 Mahindra SUV, which is essentially the XUV700 facelift, is the second model to use Mahindra's newer nomenclature after the XUV 3XO, which is the updated XUV300. Fresh bookings open 14 January 2026; pre-booking deliveries for select variants begin the same day, and continue through April. When it comes to rivals, it continues to go against the Tata Safari, MG Hector Plus, and Hyundai Alcazar.

6 things to know before buying the KTM RC 200
The KTM RC 200 is a fully faired sport bike positioned above the Duke 200. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.

Tata Punch facelift teased with turbo-petrol engine before January 13 reveal
Tata Motors has teased the Punch facelift via its official social media handles. Closely matching what we predicted in a previous article, Tata also confirmed that the latest avatar of its sub-4-metre SUV will be unveiled on January 13, 2026. Let us now look at some of the design and technical aspects of the 2026 Tata Punch, as revealed in the official teasers.

2026 Tata Punch revealed ahead of January 13 launch
Tata Motors has revealed the Punch facelift in full ahead of its launch on January 13. This is the most comprehensive update for the compact SUV since it was introduced in 2021. The new Tata Punch gets a Punch EV-inspired exterior and interior, new features and a new turbo-petrol engine under the hood. 

Simple One Gen 2 launched at Rs 1.40 lakh
Simple Energy has launched the Gen 2 version of its Simple One electric scooter, bringing a host of refinements to design, performance and software. Rather than a ground-up redesign, the Gen 2 focuses on improving the Gen 1.5 model with targeted updates. 

IBW 2025: The Great Migration
People don’t like change. Especially when it involves taking away a laid-back weekend by the coastline with succulent seafood and the promise of a cold one at the end of a long, tiring day. So, when India Bike Week had no choice but to move its annual congregation from Goa to a little hill station in Maharashtra, there was, understandably, some discontent. However, over the course of two days, the otherwise fairly sleepy town of Panchgani was flooded with thousands of bikers carrying the very spirit that would have made this festival feel the same, irrespective of where in the country it took place.

Dakar 2026: Takale wins Stage 1 in Dakar Classic H3 group
Last year, Sanjay Takale made history as the first Indian driver to complete the Dakar Rally. He’s now kicked off his 2026 campaign on a strong note, taking victory in the Dakar Classic H3 group with a Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ100.

KTM 390 Adventure range gets benefits worth Rs 10,000
KTM is offering complimentary accessories worth Rs 8,350 for its 390 Adventure and 390 Adventure X. Along with this, the brand is also offering a 10-year extended warranty for free, which otherwise costs Rs 2,650.  

Yezdi Adventure and Roadster now available on Amazon, Flipkart
Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles has sent out a release notifying that customers can now purchase the updated Yezdi Adventure and Yezdi Roadster through Amazon and Flipkart. Prospective customers can pay the ex-showroom price online and avail bank-affiliated deals. However, the delivery and related paperwork will take place through the company’s showroom network.

December 2025 car sales: 8 out of top 10 carmakers record growth
India’s passenger vehicle (PV) market closed calendar year 2025 on a strong note. The industry’s domestic dispatches rose 26 percent YoY in December to 404,229 units, marking one of the strongest monthly performances in recent years. The rebound was led by a combination of favourable macro conditions, most notably GST rationalisation and a revival in rural demand, alongside aggressive product actions by automakers. The revival was broad-based, with seven of the top 10 mass-market carmakers reporting YoY growth, with momentum extending across SUVs and entry-level hatchbacks. Let’s take a closer look at how each carmaker fared in the market. 

Mercedes Benz E 450 long term review, 5,800km report
I have to say this right at the beginning: our long-term Mercedes-Benz E450 is the car I’ve enjoyed the most this year. It’s the one I kept reaching for without thinking, the one that quietly became my default choice – whether it was the daily Mumbai slog, a late-night airport run, or that familiar weekend drive to Mahabaleshwar. And on that road especially, the E450 reminded me time and again why it’s such a brilliant long-distance cruiser. It crested every speed breaker and dived in and out of potholes with such aplomb that it felt like the road surface didn’t matter. And inside, it simply shut out the chaos of Mumbai streets. That alone made it a car I looked forward to driving.

Which variant of the new Hyundai Venue should you buy?
Hyundai has launched the new Venue over six years after the first-gen model went on sale in India. The compact SUV has been thoroughly overhauled inside and out, offering a fresh design, more premium interiors, several new features, familiar mechanicals, and most importantly, a compelling price tag. Let’s take an in-depth look at the new Venue line-up.

MotoSoul 2025: Legacy and loyalty
Five years ago, I walked around Hilltop in Vagator, taking in the sights and sounds of the inaugural edition of TVS MotoSoul – an event that had sufficient promise to become a worthwhile annual gathering of the brand’s most passionate ambassadors. Five years later, I’m happy to report that MotoSoul has lived up to that promise.

EV sales jump 77 percent to hit record high in 2025
Electric passenger vehicle sales in India touched an all-time high of over 1.76 lakh units in 2025, a 77 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase. Strong demand across mass-market SUVs and MPVs, along with several new launches, drove the growth, even as competition intensified.

BYD dethrones Tesla as world’s largest EV seller in 2025
Chinese EV maker BYD ended 2025 as the world’s largest seller of electric vehicles, overtaking American EV giant Tesla. Specifically, BYD EVs outsold those of Tesla by a hefty margin of nearly 38 percent globally.

BMW takes full control of Alpina brand
BMW has officially taken full control of Alpina, bringing the long-running performance brand fully under its ownership from the start of 2026. BMW has also outlined the brand’s core direction, stating that future BMW Alpina models will focus on a balance of high performance and driving comfort. 

An in-depth look into how armoured cars are built: Armour all
Armour and protection have been part of Indian history from as far back as the Bronze Age. Helmets, large metal breast-plates, chainmail and thick layers of leather have all been used for protection in battle. Survival depended on shielding the human body from harm, and that, in many ways, is basically what we are still doing today with armoured cars and SUVs.

BMW iX1 LWB vs Mini Countryman Electric performance comparison
Among the entry-level luxury EVs, the BMW iX1 LWB and Mini Countryman Electric share a lot. Both eSUVs are powered by a 66.4kWh battery and come with a front-axle-mounted motor that produces 204hp and 250Nm. In fact, these EVs are based on the BMW Group’s FAAR (Frontantriebsarchitektur) platform and can be considered badge-engineered twins, so much so that the BMW and Mini have an identical claimed 0-100kph time of 8.6 seconds. We find out which offers more real-world performance, the BMW iX1 eDrive20L or the Mini Countryman Electric.

Hyundai Motor group Executive Chair Chung presents 2026 vision: Customer-focused transformation and AI-driven ecosystem collaboration
Source Credit: ANI, TR

Seoul: Hyundai Motor Group (The Group) today shared its 2026 strategic vision with global employees, with Executive Chair Euisun Chung presenting priorities focused on continuous customer-focused transformation, strengthened ecosystem competitiveness, and AI-driven innovation to navigate evolving market dynamics and lead new industry standards.

Hyundai's Genesis surpasses 1.5 million global sales milestone first time in a decade since launch