Top Car Brands in India

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The automobile industry in India has enjoyed a gold rush in the recent past as far as demand, production and sales are concerned. The automobile industry in India is definitely on a roll and is predicted to become the third-largest automobile market in the world by 2016. India currently manufacturers over 21 million vehicles a year, out of which cars account for more than three million. India became the fifth largest manufacturer of cars in 2014. The automobile industry in India has proved to be beneficial for most foreign car manufacturers. Most of them have also opened their manufacturing units in different parts of the country. Due to the increase in disposable income in India, the demand for four-wheelers has increased immensely. The top car brands in India that enjoy a wide and loyal customer base include Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Honda. Apart from these brands, Toyota, Ford, GM BMW, Nissan, Volkswagen and Skoda are also gaining momentum in the Indian automobile market. Some of the domestic brands like Tata are also giving stiff competition to their foreign counterparts. Indian automobile brands are taking over these foreign brands on home turf.

List of Top Car brands in India

Maruti Suzuki India

Maruti Suzuki
Maruti Suzuki India Limited, commonly known as just 'Maruti', is a household name in India. This is the first name that comes to the minds of the people of India when they talk about cars in general. The company began its operations in India in association with the Government of India and came to be known as Maruti Udyog Limited in 1981. It is India's largest manufacturer of automobiles in terms of market share. Maruti is based in 1,446 cities and towns across India and its sales network is spread across 980 cities. Two of its state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, Gurgaon and Manesar, churn out around 1.5 million vehicles annually. At present, the company makes models like Alto, WagonR, A-Star, Swift, Dzire, SX4, Grand Vitara, Ertiga and Omni. Maruti’s market share in India in 2014 was 49.9 per cent. According to the latest data, Maruti Suzuki has a market share of 21.60%.

Hyundai

Hyundai
By market share, Hyundai Motors India is the second-largest car manufacturer in India. Owned by the South Korean manufacturer, Hyundai Motor Company, it entered India in 1996. The company has been India's biggest car exporter for about 10 years. It has a manufacturing facility in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The 415 Hyundai dealership outlets in India sell out eight models in India; namely, Grand i10, i10, Eon, Elite i20, Verna, Xcent, Santa Fe and Elantra. Hyundai’s market share in India in 2014 was 21.3 per cent. According to the latest data, the current market share of Hyundai is 20.19%.

Honda

Honda
A subsidiary of Japanese multinational, Honda started its operations in India in December 1995 in partnership with Siddharth Shriram Group’s Usha International as Honda Siel Cars India Limited. The company has two manufacturing units: a 150-acre plant in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, and a 450-acre plant in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. Honda has 170 outlets in 107 cities of India that are currently selling models like Brio, Amaze, City, Mobilio and CR-V. Honda's market share in India in 2014 was 7.5 per cent, making it the third-largest car manufacturer in India. According to the latest data, the current market share of Honda is 0.91%.

Tata

Tata
Tata Motors Limited is a subsidiary of Tata Group. Founded in 1945, Tata is a manufacturer of passenger cars, trucks, buses and military vehicles. It was the first Indian company to be able to develop a fully indigenous developed car. With the launch of Indica, Tata entered the passenger car segment in 1998. Tata has two subsidiaries at the moment – a South Korean manufacturer Tata Daewoo and a British car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover. Tata’s market share in India in 2014 was 6 per cent, making it the fourth-largest car manufacturer in India. According to the latest data, the current market share of Tata is 8.15%.

Toyota Kirloskar

Toyota Kirloskar
A joint venture of Toyota Motor Corp and Kirloskar Group, Toyota Kirloskar began functioning in India in 2004. Toyota Kirloskar has two manufacturing facilities: Bidadi and Bangalore in Karnataka. They have a combined capacity of manufacturing 1,50,000 vehicles annually. The company currently manufactures Etios Liva, Etios, Etios Cross, Innova, Corolla Altis, Fortuner, Camry, Prius, LC Prado and LC 200. Toyota Kirloskar’s market share in India in 2014 was 3.2 per cent, making it the fifth largest car manufacturer in India. According to the latest data, the current market share of Toyota is 6.25%.

General Motors

General Motors
In a joint venture with Hindustan Motors, General Motors resumed its functions in India in 1994. It first entered India in 1928 but ceased to operate in 1954. General Motors started with selling Opal cards and then moved on to the Chevrolet brand. It has two manufacturing plants: one in Halol, Gujarat, and the other in Talegaon, Maharashtra. Chevrolet currently sells Spark, Beat, Sail Hatchback, Sail, Enjoy, Cruze, Captiva and Tavera. General Motors’ market share in India in 2014 was 2.94 per cent.

Ford

Ford
Ford first started in India way back in 1907 but ceased to function in 1954 due to the losses it suffered. In October 1995, Ford came back in amalgamation with Mahindra & Mahindra. Ford India has a manufacturing facility near Chennai with an annual capacity of manufacturing 4,40,000 vehicles. Ford India's current models are Fiesta, Classic, Figo, Figo Aspire, EcoSport and Endeavour. Ford India’s market share in India in 2014 was 2.89 per cent. According to the latest data, the current market share of Ford is 3.31%.

Nissan India

Nissan India
Nissan made its way to India in 2005. Nissan India has a manufacturing plant in Chennai and has made an investment worth Rs. 45 million with its global partner Renault. Nissan India is currently manufacturing and selling Terrano, Micra Active, Evalia, Micra and New Sunny in India. Nissan India’s market share in India in 2014 was 2.2 per cent. According to the latest data, the current market share of Nissan is 1.08%.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen
Volkswagen came to India in 2007 and introduced Volkswagen and Audi. It has two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities; namely, Chakan and Pune in the state of Maharashtra with an annual capacity of manufacturing around 2,00,000 cars. Skoda Auto India Private limited shares the plant for making Skoda Rapid. Volkswagen is manufacturing and selling Polo, Polo GT, New Cross Polo, Vento, Vento TSI, Vento Magnific and New Jetta in India. Volkswagen’s market share in India in 2014 was 1.3 per cent. According to the latest data, the current market share of Volkswagen is 0.19%.

Skoda

Skoda
The Indian wing of Skoda Auto of Volkswagen Group started operating in India in 2001. Skoda has a manufacturing plant in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, which has a capacity of manufacturing 40,000 vehicles annually. Some of the Audi models are also manufactured at this plant. Five models are currently manufactured by Skoda. Those are Fabia, Octavia, Superb, Yeti and Laura. Skoda’s market share in India in 2014 was 1.1 percent. According to the latest data, the current market share of Skoda is 0.09%.

Last Updated on August 27, 2021