FTA with EU also cuts duties on CKD for local assembly by half; EVs get a special carve out
The quota of 2.5 lakh automobiles for imports from the European Union (EU) on lower duties has a carve out for electric vehicles (EV) and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) also reduces duties on completely knocked down kits (CKDs) being imported into the country for assembly, officials said Wednesday.

FASTag 2026 update: NHAI says no mandatory KYV for private vehicles from February 1 for easy toll payment
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced the discontinuation of the mandatory Know Your Vehicle (KYV) process for new FASTag issuances starting February 1, 2026. The change applies to private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans, aiming to eliminate post-activation hassles, reduce paperwork, and make toll payments smoother and quicker at plazas across the country.

LTTS wins multi-year automotive engineering contract from global OEM
The Bengaluru-based company will provide advanced software, connectivity and digital engineering services across multiple vehicle technology domains for the premium automotive manufacturer. The engagement builds on an existing partnership between LTTS and the unnamed OEM.

Niti Aayog plans to advocate 90% EV share in private vehicles by 2047
New Delhi: The federal policy think tank Niti Aayog may advocate raising the share of electric vehicles in India’s privately owned cars and two-wheelers to 90% by 2047 from nearly 6% now as part of the nation’s energy transition, according to three people aware of the development.

India proposes opening of its automobile market to EU in phased manner
New Delhi: India has proposed a tightly controlled opening of its automobile market to the European Union (EU) under the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, offering quota-based and phased tariff reductions that sharply limit exposure for the mass-market auto industry while signalling flexibility on premium vehicles and local assembly. According to official details, concessions on electric vehicle (EV) imports are proposed only from the fifth year of the agreement, reflecting concerns about protecting India’s nascent electric mobility ecosystem.

Beyond the Tariff Cuts: BNP Paribas reveals why India–EU FTA won’t lead to immediate cut in luxury car prices
India and the European Union signed the long-awaited free trade agreement (FTA) on January 27. Despite the sharp headline cuts, especially in the automotive sector, analysts see limited scope for price reductions. Concerns that European imports could significantly disrupt the Indian auto market appear overstated, BNP Paribas stated in its latest report. 

Budget 2026 should ease EV duties, back localisation and green mobility, auto industry says
As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman prepares to present the Union Budget, automobile manufacturers are urging policy support for electric vehicles, local technology development and multiple green-energy pathways.

TVS Supply Chain arm acquires Swamy and Sons 3PL for Rs 88 crore
TVS SCS acquires Hyderabad-based Swamy & Sons 3PL for ₹88 crore
The Hindu Business Line

India–EU FTA unlikely to cut luxury car prices, auto parts emerge big winners
India-EU FTA Explained: Will European luxury cars get cheaper in India?

India-EU trade deal: Only native EU carmakers may get import tariff relief
 

India-EU trade deal: Auto firms eye India to take on Chinese rivals
 

Maruti Suzuki prepares 500,000 capacity boost as GST delivers record revenue
New Delhi: Country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Ltd will add a capacity of 500,000 units over the next few months at its two plants in Haryana and Gujarat as it rushes to meet high demand after goods and services tax cuts delivered its highest ever quarterly revenue.

MG Majestor SUV teased ahead of February 12 launch: How it compares to XUV 7XO, Innova Crysta, Tata Safari
MG Motor India has officially begun teasing its upcoming flagship SUV, the MG Majestor. The first set of images and details have been released ahead of its launch on February 12, 2026. Positioned as a premium 7-seater offering, the Majestor will sit above the Hector Plus and Gloster in MG’s India lineup, targeting family buyers who seek a blend of luxury, space, and advanced features in the fiercely competitive three-row SUV segment.

Maruti Suzuki Q3 profit up 4 pc at Rs 3,879 cr; total revenue at Rs 49,904 cr
Maruti Suzuki Q3 net profit rises 4% YoY, misses Bloomberg estimate
The Financial Express

Maruti, Hyundai may bear brunt of South Africa’s tariff hike plan
 

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Tech Package: Variant-wise final prices explained
Toyota Kirloskar Motor has introduced a new Tech Package for the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder SUV. This Tech Package is aimed at enhancing the SUV’s in-cabin comfort and convenience for the occupants. The Tech Package is available across all Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder variants and it commands a premium of ₹29,499 over the variant it is based on.

“We innovate not just for India, but from India for the world”: Honeywell’s Anant Maheshwari
Honeywell India operates as a critical growth engine for the company’s global strategy, leveraging over 14,000 employees, three advanced manufacturing facilities and four global centres of excellence driving AI-led, sustainable innovations built in India and scaled up globally. “India is extremely significant to our global innovation engine,” says Anant Maheshwari, president and CEO, Global Regions, Honeywell. In an interview with Sudhir Chowdhary, he speaks about the key trends and his company’s strategy for accelerating AI adoption among its clients.

Excerpts:

Mother-of-deals’ birth to paradox
Forget about cars, which made headlines, and jittered investors. Forget about medicines amid claims and counter-claims of lower prices and higher trade. Forget about the debate between labour intensive and tech-extensive sectors. The real icing on the cake in the India-EU (European Union) mother-of-all-trade-deals is about the impact on the respective farm sector. As the new lower tariffs kick in, possibly in 2027 once the EU ratifies the agreement, its value will be determined by which side manages to protect its farmers from imports, and simultaneously helps them to export. India has grappled with the aim to double farm incomes (see anchor article on this page), and push through pro-market laws to free the internal trade in agriculture. Like in India, farmers' protests have rocked several nations in the EU for different reasons such as low incomes, bureaucracy (Germany), finance (France), and politics (the Netherlands).

TVS predicts durable demand after festive season, GST cuts deliver record quarter
TVS Motor Co. expects the third-quarter momentum to continue as the share of premium motorcycles and scooters rises amid healthy consumer demand.

Planning to accessorise your Royal Enfield Hunter 350? Official prices detailed
Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is the most affordable motorcycle from the iconic brand. This roadster comes as one of the most popular models in the 350 cc motorcycle segment in India. While it is not as popular as the iconic Royal Enfield Classic 350, the Hunter 350 has been finding an increasing number of takers. The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 blends the classic torquey character associated with the Royal Enfield motorcycles with modern features.

Yamaha to overhaul India ops; to merge corporate functions, production under single entity
Yamaha restructures Indian ops, brings corporate functions, production under one entity
The Hindu Business Line

TVS Motor registers highest ever sales, revenue and profits in Q3FY26
Highest-ever quarterly sales drive TVS Motor net up 52%
The Financial Express

Bharat Forge Ltd mourns the passing of Ajit Pawar
Pune: Paying tribute to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who died in an air crash at Baramati, Baba Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Forge Limited, said that the state has lost a decisive and dynamic leader. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family Sunetra Pawar, Parth Pawar, Jay Pawar, and the extended Pawar family during this time of profound grief,” said Baba Kalyani.

Craftsman Automation Q3 PAT up at ₹107 crore on surge in other income
Chennai: Craftsman Automation Ltd, a Coimbatore-headquartered auto component manufacturer, has reported consolidated net profit for the quarter ended December 2025 at ₹107 crore, as against ₹12 crore in the same quarter last year. The jump in net profit was driven by a significant increase in other income of ₹2,769 crore (₹856 crore).  Revenue from operations for the quarter went up by 31 per cent year-on-year at ₹2,057 crore (₹1,567 crore).

Sundram Fasteners Q3FY26 profit flat at ₹131 crore
 

Rubber Board rejects tyre industry’s claim on production data mismatch
Kochi: The Rubber Board has refuted the tyre industry’s claim of a mismatch between official natural rubber production data and market realities, asserting that the current estimation methodology is scientifically robust and reliable. Board officials said the methodology, in place since 2013–14, was reviewed and validated by a panel of experts from premier national institutions. It is based on direct data collection from all stakeholders and factors in the actual tapped area, thereby capturing changes in tapping practices over time with transparency and consistency.

Honeywell, TruAlt Bioenergy sign pact for 80,000 tpa sustainable aviation fuel project
Honeywell on Wednesday said TruAlt Bioenergy Limited will use its Ethanol-to-Jet (ETJ) process technology to produce 80,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in India.

AQI in poor category, likely to worsen: Dip in temperature, rain await Delhi-NCR
Over the next three days, Delhi and its adjoining areas are likely to see a drop in temperature, accompanied by intermittent light rain, cloudy sky and fog, with the air quality expected to deteriorate towards the weekend, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) said on Wednesday.

Volkswagen India confirms 5 launches for 2026
We had reported that the Taigun and Slavia facelifts are due to launch this year, along with the all-new Tayron R-Line. Our sources now tell us Volkswagen India is also gearing up to bring the standard Tayron and a second batch of the Golf GTI. Here’s what we know so far about Volkswagen’s new cars and their respective launch timelines.

India-spec Volkswagen Tayron R-Line revealed
Volkswagen has unveiled all the details of the India-spec Tayron R-Line. This 7-seater offering will be the brand’s flagship SUV in India, sitting above the Tiguan R-Line SUV in the line-up. It also marks Volkswagen’s re-entry into the premium three-row SUV space after the discontinuation of the Tiguan Allspace in 2021. While the Tiguan R-Line is imported via the CBU (completely built unit) route, the Tayron R-Line will launch as a locally assembled model. 

Triumph Speed Twin 1200 Cafe Racer Edition revealed
Triumph has revealed a new special edition neo-retro model called the Speed Twin 1200 Cafe Racer Edition overseas. This bike – as the name obviously suggests – is a cafe racer-styled machine that doesn’t look too dissimilar to the erstwhile Thruxton 1200 and is based on the same platform as the latest Speed Twin 1200 RS.

KTM 390 Adventure R vs 390 Adventure: Price and differences explained
The 390 Adventure R has been launched in India. In a surprising turn of events, this higher-spec variant is priced lower than the 390 Adventure that comes with lower suspension travel. There are quite a few more differences, and we list out all of them for you. For clarity’s sake, we will refer to the 390 Adventure as the standard model.

Tesla kills Autopilot on entry-level EVs in US
Tesla’s entry-level Model Y and Model 3 EVs will no longer come with the lane-keeping assist (Autosteer in brand speak) feature as standard in the US. Autosteer keeps the vehicle centred in its lane while detecting lane markings, vehicles and objects. To get the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) feature, buyers will now be forced to opt for the company’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) suite at a monthly subscription of USD 99 (Rs 9,100); it’s available as a one-time purchase for USD 8,000 (Rs 7.34 lakh), though that option is going away on February 14.

3 areas where the 2026 Renault Duster could have done better
Renault has made a big splash with the debut of the new-gen Duster for the Indian market. The reborn midsize SUV sports a butch design echoing the original Duster, capable and future-ready powertrains, and an extensive list of creature comforts. However, there are a few lapses that prevent the 2026 Duster from being the complete midsize SUV package, and we’ve laid them out below.

KTM 390 Adventure R launched at Rs 3.78 lakh
KTM India has silently listed the hardcore off-road focused 390 Adventure R on its website, priced at Rs 3.78 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). At this price, the 390 Adventure R – surprisingly – comfortably undercuts the standard 390 Adventure with the spoked wheels, priced at Rs 3.97 lakh.

India-EU FTA: Which cars are expected to get cheaper?
India’s recently concluded negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union are set to fundamentally alter the country’s premium car import landscape. For the first time, import duties on fully built European cars will be reduced in a phased manner, potentially narrowing the price gap between India and global markets. However, the impact will be quota-controlled and restricted exclusively to EU-sourced completely built units (CBUs).

What the 2026 Renault Duster has to live up to
In the run up to the launch of the 2026 Renault Duster in March, the French brand has revealed nearly every detail of the new Hyundai Creta rival. When the original Duster arrived in July 2012, it created the mid-size SUV segment, offering something unique in almost every aspect. Here we take a look at the standards set by the first-gen Duster, and where the new model meets them, and where it may not.

India-EU FTA explained: Will luxury car prices actually reduce?
Hailed as a historic pact, the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (India-EU FTA) will see customs duty on EU-made cars reduce significantly over time for a select allocation, and duties on auto components will be completely abolished after five to 10 years. However, there is some confusion as to how it will actually affect luxury car prices and whether on-road prices of made-in-EU cars will reduce at all. Here we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the India-EU FTA.

BMW X3 30 xDrive M Sport Pro India launch on February 16
BMW has revealed that the upcoming 30 xDrive M Sport Pro variant of the X3 SUV will be launched in India on February 16, 2026. The international-spec X3 30 xDrive comes with a 255hp 2-litre twin-turbo petrol engine, which the India-spec model is expected to borrow. This will make this variant the most powerful X3 sold here.

Hyundai Bayon-based compact SUV N Line variant spied abroad
Around a week after our story on the Bayon-based compact SUV, spy shots of its N Line sibling have surfaced online. With Hyundai bringing the former to India, the Bayon N Line could make it here too. This fresh set of pictures of a camouflaged prototype gives us an exterior glimpse of the upcoming Hyundai SUV, and a partial look at its interior. Without further ado, let us now get into some of its details.

2026 Mahindra Scorpio N facelift spied with interior upgrades
A test mule of the upcoming Mahindra Scorpio N facelift has been spotted in the wild ahead of the SUV’s launch in the coming months. The new Scorpio N facelift spy shots preview some of the exterior tweaks we can expect, as well as feature upgrades inside the cabin. It will continue to rival the Tata Safari, Hyundai Alcazar and MG Hector Plus.

Mahindra issues statement on the BE 6 fire incident
A Mahindra BE 6 recently went up in flames. The incident, which took place near Gulaothi in Uttar Pradesh, as per the brand’s social media post, shows the electric SUV on fire on what appears to be a highway. Thankfully, all occupants are reportedly safe. A similar incident involving a Tata Nexon EV happened near Mumbai in June 2022. As per the official statement issued by Mahindra, here is what happened to the BE 6 in question.