It is truly a heady moment to commemorate 75 years of Independence and there are no two ways about the fact that India has come a long way since 1947. More specifically, the economic reforms unleashed by the PV Narasimha-led government in 1991 played a big role in accelerating the growth story. What can one… Continue reading LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD
Tag: Suzuki
INDIA@75: Honda City, the rock steady brand
The launch of the City in 1998 marked the official foray of Honda in India and the mid-size sedan quickly caught the fancies of India’s middle class who wanted a top brand that offered Japanese technology, reliability and a fun-to-drive nature that typically characterises Honda products. In those days, buyers in look for a mid-size… Continue reading INDIA@75: Honda City, the rock steady brand
India at 75: Electric is now mantra for automakers
As the push for sustainability gains further momentum the world over, India’s ICE companies and startups, many of whom work with the old economy players are looking to reengineer the vehicle architecture from a sustainability perspective. For a developing country like India, where the predominant share of the personal vehicle parc is formed by two-wheelers,… Continue reading India at 75: Electric is now mantra for automakers
INDIA@75: For cars, it was survival of the fittest
Even as India celebrates 75 years of Independence, its true potential was unleashed only in 1991 when the PV Narasimha-led government kicked off its historic economic reforms initiative. Till then, it was just another part of the world map chugging along complacently with a minuscule presence but all that changed when liberalisation became the new… Continue reading INDIA@75: For cars, it was survival of the fittest
How the 800 reshaped mobility
The people’s car that changed the motoring landscape in India and also marked the birth of what has today evolved into being a thriving automotive industry of global recognition, was launched in December 1983. The keys to the first car rolling off the then Maruti Udyog facility in Gurgaon, Haryana, were handed over to Delhi-based… Continue reading How the 800 reshaped mobility
‘I think India has lost a lot of time’
It is an overcast Thursday afternoon in Gurugram but the mood livens up when DK Jain enters the Lumax corporate office. The Chairman Emeritus who has been part of this auto component maker’s growth story for over six decades now is in a mood to go down memory lane and recall his early days as… Continue reading ‘I think India has lost a lot of time’
India at 75: When the Japanese came calling in the 1980s
The Eighties were an action packed decade for the Indian automotive industry and in a sense heralded the first wave of reforms. This was the time the Japanese entered the market with the focus being on two-wheelers and light commercial vehicles (LCVs). Suddenly, a host of new brands littered the landscape ranging from Honda, Suzuki,… Continue reading India at 75: When the Japanese came calling in the 1980s
India@75: From a colony to a leading economy
The road to 75 years has not been easy, yet India has come a long way – from a country that saw its wealth drained by its colonial masters, to a major player in the global economy. Atul Thakur lists some of the milestones of each post-Independence decade.1947-1957: NEHRUVIAN SOCIALISM Unlike many other colonies, India… Continue reading India@75: From a colony to a leading economy
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: 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