THE GREAT INDIAN EV RACE

THESE DAYS, animated discussions in corporate circles are often dominated—Trump tariffs apart—by the latest car launches from the major automakers. And discussion also centres around how the auto companies are now aggressively fighting for a share of the electric vehicles (EV) pie. Never has this trend of EV launches been more pronounced than in 2025. Whether it is Tata Motors or JSW MG Motor or Mahindra, the auto market has rarely seen such action as it is doing this year, where all major players are betting big on EVs, bolstered in large measure by the government's push towards clean mobility.

- SOURAV MAJUMDAR Editor-in-Chief [e-mail] @TheSouravM

In this Auto Special, we take a close look at all aspects of this EV battle—the several new launches, the challenges in the EV market, who's winning, and much more. But the overwhelming fact is that the race for EV supremacy is well and truly on. Let’s take a look at the figures: if one considers EV penetration in passenger vehicles in FY25 compared to FY24, the rise is not dramatic. Penetration of EVs in passenger vehicles in FY25 stood at 2.6% compared to 2.3% in FY24. But the real impact is visible later. If you look at the first quarter of FY26, penetration shot up to 4.1% compared to 2.4% in Q1FY25. This rise tells the story of how India is now warming up to EVs. As Karan Dhar writes in his opening essay, the slew of launches has ensured that tepid growth is a thing of the past. And, as Society of Indian Autom