Top Indian Automobile Industry News & Updates - 23 March 2026,Monday
🏢 Industry
Tata Semiconductor raises $735 million for chip fab, pledges Dholera land
New Delhi/Bengaluru: Tata Semiconductor Manufacturing Pvt Ltd has raised ₹6,835 crore (about $735 million) from five foreign banks to fund its ₹91,000 crore semiconductor fabrication (fab) facility in Gujarat. The lenders have put conditions on ownership, branding and equity that reflect their reliance on the Tata Group’s credit profile and the tight financing terms shaping India’s chip manufacturing push, according to company filings and executives aware of the matter.
CAFE-3 may raise entry car prices by 17%, yet target out of sight
The proposed Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE-3) norms could raise the cost of entry-level cars by up to 17%, significantly higher than the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s (BEE) official projections, while still falling short of meeting compliance targets, industry sources said. Under the draft framework, the BEE has estimated that automakers opting for technology-based compliance measures—such as start-stop systems, tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), regenerative braking, improved transmissions and LED lighting—would incur an additional cost of about ₹15,000 per vehicle. For flex-fuel and related pathways, the BEE estimates costs at around ₹40,000.
📝 Telangana to link vehicle data to Vahan, scrap 2% tax on used vehicles
📝 Government to launch 7th trench of critical mineral block auctions today
📝 Delhi government eyes private push to expand EV infrastructure ahead of policy rollout
📝 AI is coming to India’s highways! Here’s what it means
📝 Modernising Vehicle Scrappage: Addressing regional bottlenecks
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🚗 ICE Car/SUV
Skoda Auto Volkswagen India evaluates potential price hikes amid geopolitical tensions
New Delhi: Skoda Auto Volkswagen India (SAVW) is currently monitoring the impact of the West Asia conflict on commodity costs. The premium automaker stated that any potential price hikes for its vehicle lineup will depend on how the situation evolves.
'Skoda Auto India eyeing up to 12% sales growth in 2026 on product push'
New Skoda Kushaq review: Easy to love, hard to beat
After the launch of the sub-4 metre SUV Kylaq in January 2025, sales of its elder sibling, the Kushaq, have been under pressure – and dropped from 17,567 units in 2024 to just 10,744 units in 2025. But the new Kushaq is expected to bring midsize SUV buyers back to Skoda showrooms – especially the all-new eight-speed torque-converter automatic with the 1.0-litre engine. We took it for a spin on roads around Jaipur.
📝 Skoda India rolls out new Kushaq lineup with prices from ₹10.69 lakh
📝 2026 Renault Duster review: Comfort meets performance
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Electric Car/SUV
JSW MG Motor bets on non-metros to accelerate sales of EV Windsor
📝 Tata Harrier EV gets new dual-motor QWD 75 variant; prices start at ₹26.49 lakh
📝 BYD Atto 3 gets benefits for March: Check details
📝 How to maintain your electric car for long-term use: Simple tips
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⛟ Commercial Vehicles
Non-Metro routes jack up intercity bus travels
Rising demand from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities is emerging as a key driver of growth in India’s intercity bus market, with technology-led platforms such as IntrCity SmartBus scaling up to tap this opportunity.
📝 Big EV Reset: New rules could change how India builds electric trucks
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🎤 Interviews & Features
Dhurandhar is back in town: New Renault Duster
Dhurandhar means being a top gun in your field, which the original Duster was from 2012-15. Then, it ran into the undisputed Animal of the SUV market — the Creta. This ‘alpha male’ has been hunting every other SUV ever since, and be it a Maruti Suzuki or a Kia, the Creta has decimated the competition. The Duster — discontinued in 2022 — is back. We drove it across the Himalayas, and realised it has refined its DNA and polished its physique to challenge the alpha.
West Asia crisis impact on Indian industry won't be long-term: Hajime Aota
📝 2026 Skoda Kushaq Facelift: Which variant should you buy?
📝 2026 Renault Duster first drive review: Dusting off the competition
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🏍 EV/ICE Two Wheelers
Amid global uncertainty, TVS doubles down on customer-centric strategy: Gaurav Gupta
TVS Motor Company is navigating a volatile global environment with a sharper focus on agility, localisation, and customer-centric product development, as geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions continue to reshape the auto industry.
Electric two-wheeler firms brace for subsidy exit, war-hit to costs
New Delhi: India’s top two-wheeler makers are bracing for pressure on margins and demand, as a surge in commodity costs linked to the ongoing West Asia war coincides with the impending withdrawal of electric vehicle (EV) subsidies. The twin blow has led to concerns that the companies, including TVS Motor, Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp, may be forced to raise prices, absorb cost pressures, or risk slowing adoption of EVs.
Yamaha Music India announces AR Rahman as new brand ambassador
Motorcycle makers switch gears after GST reset, turn to 350cc models
Motorcycle manufacturers are reworking engine platforms and product pipelines to move into the 350cc bracket, the GST overhaul of last September is reshaping pricing and demand in the mid-capacity segment.
A first: Two-wheeler sales cross 20 million in FY26, shows VAHAN data
Source Credit: Surajeet Das Gupta, Business Standard
New Delhi: For the first time in a financial year, India’s two-wheeler market, including both internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric models, crossed the 20 million mark in registrations in FY26, according to VAHAN data. The previous peak was in pre-Covid FY19, when registrations stood at 18.4 million.
📝 TVS Motor reimagines mobility as art with bespoke e-scooter showcase
📝 Uber launches bike taxi services in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram
📝 TVS Motor scales up iQube push with nationwide family-centric campaign
📝 TVS gains as Hero, Bajaj lose share in India’s 2W market since 2022
📝 Electric Motorcycle segment likely to get traction
📝 Five mistakes bike owners make that reduce engine life
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🌇 Allied Industries
Not Just Exide and Amara Raja: 2 specialty chemical stocks riding the $681 billion global battery boom
The next leg of industrial growth is quietly shifting away from traditional end-markets and into highly specialised, high-purity ecosystems. At the heart of this shift lies a powerful demand engine. The global battery market is expected to expand at a 16.6% CAGR to reach US$681 billion (₹63 lakh crore) by 2034, up from US$ 125 billion in 2023, as per Gujarat Fluro.
📝 Steelbird launches numerology series helmets starting at ₹2,249
📝 Axor x Altor Apex Smart Helmet Review: Smart Features, But Not Quite Seamless
📝 Portronics Torque X portable pressure washer launched at ₹5,099
📝 Tyre makers move up the value chain-via Tamil Naidu
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🌢 Fuels, Lubricants
Russian crude tanker begins discharge at New Mangalore Port
Mangaluru: A crude oil tanker carrying Russian crude, which reached New Mangalore Port on Saturday night, started discharging crude at Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd’s (MRPL) single point mooring facility under the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) on Sunday morning.
Ready to supply more than 20% ethanol blends amid rising oil prices: AIDA
📝 Auto LPG rationing starts as OMCs cap refuelling at 10 litres
📝 Refiners in India, elsewhere in Asia look to buy Iranian oil after U.S. waives sanctions
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EV Charging
📝 Going out of city? EV battery dip may raise stress
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🌍 Emissions/Environment
Eye on tackling air pollution, Delhi govt ties up with IIT-Madras to study “smog-eating” coatings on roads
Can “smog-eating” photocatalytic coatings, when applied on roads, pavements, and tiles, dismantle key air pollutants and clean Delhi’s foul air? This is what scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras are researching, as they attempt to simulate the Capital’s toxic air.
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💸 Finance & Insurance
📝 Long-term comprehensive car insurance: Meaning and benefits
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📖 Magazines
📝 Franken-awesome!: An unconventional way to restomod a Triumph 3HW
📝 In-depth look at the JSW Gecko Sherp: It's like nothing else
📝 5 things to know before buying the Ather Rizta S 3.7kWh
📝 2026 Kawasaki Z900 review: Big Changes
📝 Nissan India President on brand’s new strategy, upcoming products and more
📝 Indian rally legend Hari Singh missing after speedboat accident
📝 How Porsche is pursuing a quieter life for owners
📝 What car brands must do to make entry-level cars exciting again
📝 3 reasons to buy the new Skoda Kushaq and 2 not to
📝 Which variant of the new Skoda Kushaq should you buy?
📝 The Magnificent Seven: Celebrating seven generations of the Rolls Royce Phantom
📝 Every twin-cylinder bike under Rs 10 lakh
📝 Ather Rizta long term review, 5,600km report
📝 Tata Motors to hike ICE vehicle prices from April 1
📝 Skoda launches Kushaq facelift at Rs 10.69 lakh
📝 Renault Duster review: Can it live up to its legacy?
📝 Tata Harrier EV QWD now more affordable with Fearless+ trim at Rs 26.49 lakh
📝 Nissan, Spinny collaborate for 55-minute vehicle exchange program
📝 Hero Destini 110 road test, review
📝 Inside River Mobility: River Runs Deep
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