Autocar_Professional India Online News – Page 1797

India at 75: When Padmini ruled the roost

Mumbai’s taxi drivers still swear by the brand even though it is a rarity on the roads. The Premier Padmini is today only a fond memory of an era gone by. Memories come flooding back when you see it in old Hindi films that are telecast on television from time to time. The Padmini may… Continue reading India at 75: When Padmini ruled the roost

India at 75: How Santro created the magic for Hyundai

It was the Santro that paved the way for Hyundai’s remarkable success story in India. When it debuted in 1998, people were taken aback by its radical Tall Boy looks because this was unlike anything that they had seen in the past. Yet, they admitted that it was different and that by itself was a… Continue reading India at 75: How Santro created the magic for Hyundai

India at 75: On the Amby trail

Any account of the evolution of India’s automotive market is incomplete without a mention of the Ambassador and its journey. In many ways, the Ambassador story also unfolds the story of India’s economic growth. In the world of cars, it’s been a great leveller – From the corridors of power to the common man’s porch,… Continue reading India at 75: On the Amby trail

India at 75: Remembering the car companies that didn’t click

The history of Indian car making is littered with success, glory, incompetence and failure. We look at those marques that have fallen by the wayside. Hindustan Motors / Mitsubishi Hindustan Motors or HM was the mainstay of the Indian auto industry from the early ‘40s. The company made various models of Morris cars like the Hindustan… Continue reading India at 75: Remembering the car companies that didn’t click

India at 75: Remembering India’s failed car companies

India at 75: RC Bhargava on how Maruti came to be and what it is today

He’s the man who steered Maruti from inception, and four decades on is still at its helm as non-executive chairman. RC Bhargava tells Hormazd Sorabjee about the most important chapter in the auto industry’s history. How do you think India’s journey has been from being a protectionist state to a liberal one after independence?India was… Continue reading India at 75: RC Bhargava on how Maruti came to be and what it is today

India at 75: StaIwarts who paved the way for India’s auto sector

In the beginning was the Licence Raj. When independent India adopted the Soviet-inspired model of socialism, it placed its bets on planning to allocate resources such as scarce foreign exchange. The government did not believe in being dependent on the outside world, and import substitution was encouraged. Business would have to make products with basically… Continue reading India at 75: StaIwarts who paved the way for India’s auto sector

India at 75: Events and legislations that shaped Auto Inc since Independence

From delicensing to BS6 emission norms, these rules made their mark on our automotive industry. 1952: Tariff Commission takes control The Tariff Commission of 1952 was set up to protect the local industry from global competition. Part of its brief was to look into ways and means of establishing an indigenous automobile industry. But rather… Continue reading India at 75: Events and legislations that shaped Auto Inc since Independence

India at 75: 10 most significant cars since Independence

Here’s looking at the cars that defined the Indian market and the way consumers looked at cars over the past 75 years. Mahindra (CJ) Jeep (1947) It started out as something for the military, but then, just as designer Barney Roos had explained to KC Mahindra back in the day, it turned out to be… Continue reading India at 75: 10 most significant cars since Independence

WHEELS OF TIME

If you lived in the 1950s in India and wanted to buy a car, you’d have a choice of a Fiat, Skoda, Buick, Oldsmobile, even a Ford or two, and many others. Some of these brands may sound familiar to us today but way back then, these cars were imported into India. India was not… Continue reading WHEELS OF TIME