Japanese auto major Honda Motor Company on Friday said that it would launch 10 new cars in India by 2030, out of which seven will be sports utility vehicles (SUVs), to regain its market share of 5 per cent in the Indian passenger vehicles market.
However, the senior management of the company declined to share any investment figures, saying they were still in the planning stage right now and it has formed a project team to look after everything.
“Within Honda, we’ve started out the project team, especially for the Indian market, and the project team is working on the strategy for the Indian market now. The project team is trying to develop the strategy, and one of the key works in this process is the electrification of the vehicles…we are exploring all kinds of the potential approach in the Indian market,” Toshihiro Mibe, President and CEO, Honda Motor Company, told reporters here.
For instance, just like Honda’s two-wheelers are performing well in the Indian market with collaborative approach with the Indian suppliers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), there could be similar partnerships for the cars business to maximise its localisation in the country, he said.
“So, the team is working out the optimal strategy for India, and they are defining high-level, directions now… we have unveiled the 0 (Zero) series at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, including the O-Alpha, which will be launched in India in 2027. So, currently, we are thinking of a very aggressive model launch plans, including that model as well. Our plan is to export 0-Alpha from India to Japan and to some other Asian markets as well. That’s our plan,” Mibe noted.
Therefore, across all the different types of the internal combustion engine, like a petrol engine or a hybrid, or battery electric vehicles (BEVs), Honda would be able to deliver attractive products for its customers in India, Mibe added.
On asked about their strategy for regaining the 5 per cent market share in India, Takashi Nakajima, President and Chief Executive Officer, Honda Cars India (HCIL), said, “Our market share in India is less than 5 per cent maybe because of our efforts to streamline the number of the models over there in the past. However, rather than sticking to the percentage of market share over there, we’d like to try to come up with these 10 models in the Indian market by 2030 so that we can become stronger in the Indian market in the future.”
Also, the Indian automotive market is expanding now, and it is becoming clearer which segment in particular is showing significant growth in the Indian market, and therefore identifying the products to be launched to increase the number of cars to gain back the market share, Nakajima added.
HCIL had a market share of 5 per cent in 2018-19 and currently holds around 2 per cent only in the Indian passenger vehicles market.
The company registered a cumulative growth of 20 per cent in its total sales with 1,31,871 units during calendar year 2024 as compared with 1,10,143 units in 2023. Domestic sales of the company stood at 68,650 units and exports at 63,221 units in 2024.
Honda Cars sells only three products in India right now — City and Amaze sedans and midsize SUV Elevate.
(The writer is in Tokyo at the invitation of Honda Cars India).
Published on October 31, 2025
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