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How Greater Consumer Responsiveness Helped Indian Brands Overtake Global Giants

Once overshadowed by global brands, Indian carmakers now lead the charge in SUVs, EVs, and safety.

By Prerna Lidhoo & Ketan Thakkar

15 Jan 2026

6975 Views

How Greater Consumer Responsiveness Helped Indian Brands Overtake Global Giants

For the past two decades, India’s carmakers operated in the shadow of global benchmarks. German brands set the bar for engineering excellence, Japanese manufacturers defined reliability while Korean players raised the game on features and value. By contrast, Indian OEMs were focused on frugality and cost-efficient engineering but 2025 proved to be the year when they truly came of age.

For the first time in years, there was a structural shift in India’s passenger vehicle pecking order, with Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra both overtaking Hyundai to break into the top three by domestic retail sales. Mahindra emerged ...

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