India on track to begin commercial semiconductor chip production in 2026: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Veldhoven [Netherlands]: Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said India is on track to begin commercial semiconductor chip production in 2026, meeting the timeline set under the India Semiconductor Mission launched in January 2022.

Dholera semiconductor plant to use ASML tech, says Ashwini Vaishnaw
Vaishnaw visited ASML Headquarters in Veldhoven, Netherlands, today, an official statement said.

Karnataka High Court lifts ban on bike taxis
The Karnataka High Court on Friday lifted the ban on bike taxi services in the state, paving the way for aggregators, including Ola, Uber and Rapido, to resume two-wheeler ride-hailing operations.

DoT allocates spectrum for vehicle-to-vehicle communication
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has allocated 30 GHz radio frequency for development of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication systems that will be deployed on four-wheelers in phases, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday.

Mahindra Thar ROXX STAR edition launched. Check price, special features and other details
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/cars-uvs/mahindra-thar-roxx-star-edition-launched-check-price-special-features-and-other-details/articleshow/127276348.cms

Vinfast aims to be among India’s top-3 in 10 years
Pham Sanh Chau, the CEO of Vinfast Asia, has set a target that many in the auto industry might call audacious, even unachievable – he wants to position the Vietnamese EV maker among India’s top-three carmakers within a decade.

Mercedes-Benz expands presence in Bengaluru; young wealth driving demand growth
Bengaluru: The luxury automotive landscape in India is witnessing a significant shift as younger professionals increasingly drive demand, particularly in the tech hub of Bengaluru.

Mercedes-Benz India to add 20 touchpoints, focus stays on value over volumes: Santosh Iyer
Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, outlines the company’s network expansion plans, product strategy, localisation push and why it is staying away from price-led volume growth even as the luxury car market remains sluggish.

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Ashok Leyland opts out of PM E-DRIVE scheme for e-ambulances
New Delhi: Commercial vehicles maker Ashok Leyland has said that it will not participate in the Prime Minister Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme for e-ambulances.

Rahul Bajaj didn’t just build scooters. He built India’s business spine.
When 27-year-old Rishab Bajaj walked onto the stage earlier this month to unveil the Chetak C25, the moment carried a weight far heavier than the electric scooter’s chassis. For the fourth generation of the Bajaj family to join the business set up by Jamnalal Bajaj in 1926, this wasn’t just a product launch; it was a seance.

New Tata Punch: Polished, but not perfect
Tata’s compact SUV Punch has seen its fortunes rise and dip. In 2024, it was India’s largest-selling car with sales of 202,031 units, but in 2025, sales dropped 14.1% to just 173,502 units – a reason was an ageing design that begged for an update.

Packing a Punch: Tata Punch
When the Tata Punch first arrived in 2021, few could have predicted just how disruptive it would become. It rewrote the rulebook and topped sales charts, breaking Maruti Suzuki’s dominance, becoming the brand’s bread-and-butter product and playing a pivotal role in Tata’s turnaround. Fast forward to today, and we have an updated Punch, which claims to be more refined, better equipped and more confident than ever.

India Yamaha recalls over 3 lakh scooter units to fix faulty brake part
India Yamaha recalls more than 3.06 lakh units of its 125cc scooter on faulty brake
The Hindu Business Line

MATTER Unveils India's first AI-DV platform at technology day 3.0, announces a series of products across two-wheeler segments for a Complete EV transformation
 

Small Wonder: Chetak
‘Hey, that looks like a mini Chetak!’ exclaimed a bunch of Bajaj employees when they saw the new e-scooter. They weren’t wrong, because at first glance, the Chetak 2501 really does look like someone put the bigger Chetak in a hot wash. Same silhouette, same classy lines, all just tightened up. But spend more than a few seconds around it and the illusion breaks. This isn’t a scaled-down 35-series Chetak. It’s a ground-up scooter that just happens to share good genes with its elder sibling. And that distinction matters — because it explains why this e-scooter feels far better than its spec sheet suggests.

Kirloskar Pneumatic posts 18% revenue growth in Q3 FY26, declares ₹3.50 interim dividend
Pune: Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Ltd (KPCL) has reported strong performance in the third quarter of FY26, with revenue from operations rising by over 18 per cent year-on-year, driven by sustained momentum in its compression business and a robust order book. The Pune-based engineering company said its revenue from operations for Q3 FY26 stood at ₹403 crore, compared with ₹340 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year. Total income for the quarter increased to ₹410 crore from ₹346 crore a year ago.

Aman Kirloskar appointed MD of Kirloskar Pneumatic
Pune: Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Limited (KPCL) on Friday said its Board of Directors has approved the appointment of Aman Kirloskar as Managing Director for a five-year term beginning April 1, 2026, and ending March 31, 2031, subject to shareholders’ approval. Aman Kirloskar started his career with the Kirloskar Group as a Supply Chain Manager at Kirloskar Chillers Private Limited in May 2018. He later joined Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Limited as a Senior Manager in August 2019. In 2020, he was elevated to General Manager (Operations) and has since been actively involved in managing manufacturing, supply chain, foundry, plant engineering and quality functions of the Air Compressor and Transmission Divisions.

‘Our focus for next five years is to triple exports from India and our plants in Indonesia, Vietnam’: Aakash Minda
Davos [Switzerland]: Minda Corporation Ltd is supplying auto components to almost all automotive manufacturers in the country and its focus is to triple exports in the next five years from India and plant locations in Indonesia and Vietnam, the company's Executive Director Aakash Minda said on Thursday. In an interview with ANI, Aakash Minda said that the company is investing in making its supply chain resilient and is creating long-term partnerships. "We are supplying to almost all the automotive manufacturers in India, whether it is Maruti, Tata, Mahindra, Bajaj, TVS, HMSI. We are also exporting about 10 per cent. So, our focus for the next five years is how we can triple our exports from India as well as from our plant locations in Indonesia and Vietnam," he said.

Steady growth in H1 for auto ancillary biz

Mumbai: India's Auto Component Industry delivered resilient growth in the first half of FY26, but rising imports underline the structural challenges which lie ahead even as export competitiveness improves.

India is a strategic market for the global auto industry: Neolite ZKW Group CEO
 

ARAI to set up hydrogen IC engine development facility in India soon
 

India de-risks crude sourcing in January as Middle East backfills softer Russian flows
India’s crude oil import pattern in January 2026 indicates a clear shift towards lower-risk and execution-certain supply, with higher intake from the Middle East offsetting a more selective and compliance-driven approach to Russian crude, according to data and analysis by Kpler.

BPCL to sign $780 mn oil deal with Brazil's Petrobras, says Hardeep Puri
BPCL to double Brazilian crude intake with $780 million Petrobras deal 
The Financial Express

6 Benefits of renewing car insurance on time that most drivers overlook
 

2025 Audi A6 long term review, 6,000km report
We’re big fans of sedans here at the Autocar office, so when the A6 entered our long-term fleet, its keys kept swapping hands. Nikhil had it for a while and it played family sedan, Hormazd used it as his chariot of choice through the wedding season, and Jay had a few days with it too. Luckily, I managed to hang on to it through all of December and January. Being the Christmas season, the first thing I did was decorate it. Nope, no ornaments; but, with the help of dual-zone customisable lighting, I set up the two sections of the cabin with the quintessential Christmas colours – red and green. The ambient lighting is also nicely done with the higher sections of the dash getting sharp pinstripes, while the lower sections create a diffused glow. In a sober white or light blue shade, it really looks very classy.

Alpinestars Viper Air V4 jacket review
The latest Viper V4 serves as a replacement to the third-generation jacket that I have been using for a couple of years now, and it has made steps forward in multiple areas.

Kia Vision Meta Turismo concept could spawn a production model
The Kia Vision Meta Turismo concept, a sleek four-door GT prototype unveiled in December 2025, could eventually make its way to production. This move signals Kia’s intention to look beyond traditional SUVs and crossovers as it plans its next generation of electric vehicles. While details are still limited, the production-spec model could slot between the EV6 and EV9 in the Korean brand’s global line-up, potentially carrying the name EV7 or EV8, based on its size.

Tata launches fleet-only Xpres Petrol and CNG variants
Tata Motors has launched the fleet-only Xpres sedan priced at Rs 5.59 lakh and Rs 6.59 lakh ex-showroom, respectively, for petrol and CNG variants. Based on the Tigor, the Xpres is the ICE-powered counterpart to the already existing Xpres-T EV, which also caters to fleet operators.

Mercedes 2026 F1 challenger revealed
Mercedes has shared the first images of its 2026 F1 car, the W17, ahead of its official launch event on February 2. Alongside the renders, the team has also released footage from the W17’s first shakedown, where drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli completed 67 laps combined at Silverstone.

Mahindra Thar Roxx Star Edition launched at Rs 16.85 lakh
Mahindra has launched a new Star Edition of the Thar Roxx, priced from Rs 16.85 lakh (ex-showroom). A good play on the name aside, the Thar Roxx Star Edition is based on the top AX7L trim and comes with new blacked-out exterior and interior cosmetic elements. Mahindra has also added a new colour option to the Thar range with this Star Edition. Let’s take a closer look at all the details.  

Kia Carens Clavis EV vs Mahindra XEV 9S comparison
If you’re in the market for a three-row EV, your primary choices today are the Kia Carens Clavis EV and the recently launched Mahindra XEV 9S. While both are offered with multiple battery options, there’s a good overlap between the two, with the Clavis ranging from Rs 17.99 lakh-24.49 lakh and the XEV going from Rs 19.95 lakh-29.45 lakh. So, which one makes more sense? We gathered the two long-range versions and put them through our exhaustive test regime.

Alpinestars strengthens its presence in India
High-end Italian motorcycle gear specialist Alpinestars has bolstered its presence in the Indian market with the establishment of two new distributors and a wider range of available products.

Bugatti FKP Hommage revealed as Veyron tribute
French marque Bugatti has pulled the covers off a new one-off hypercar dubbed the FKP Hommage, which commemorates the legendary Veyron. The hypercar debuted in 2005, and put Bugatti back on the map after the brand was acquired by the Volkswagen Group in 1998. At one point, the Veyron was the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive road-legal car in the world.

Citroen launches C3 Live (O) and Aircross X Max 5-seater variants
Citroen India has announced a shift to a bookings-led production approach for select variants of its cars, under which variants will be manufactured based on confirmed customer orders rather than dealer stock. It has kicked off this strategy with two new variants – the Aircross X Max Turbo 5-seater MT priced at Rs 12.41 lakh and the C3 Live (O) priced at Rs 5.49 lakh (ex-showroom).

Indian Chief Vintage revealed as brand celebrates 125th anniversary
American bikemaker Indian Motorcycle is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, and it has kicked things off by revealing a new cruiser called the Chief Vintage. Unlike other Chief models in the line-up today, the Vintage’s design harks back to India Chief bikes of yesteryear and also pre-2021, with swooping valanced fenders, a floating solo seat, a relaxed swept-back handlebar and the signature illuminated Indian headdress on the front fender.

New Hyundai SUV spied for the first time in India
A new Hyundai SUV has been spied testing on Mumbai’s roads by Autocar India’s intrepid reporters. This SUV seems to be an all-new model that has yet to be identified. 

Nissan to sell South African manufacturing assets to China's Chery Automobile by mid-2026
Nissan Motor plans to sell its manufacturing assets in Rosslyn, South Africa, to the local arm of China's Chery Automobile for an undisclosed amount, according to a report by Reuters.