At a time when electric vehicle (EV) demand is going through a sluggish phase globally, battery electrics are expected to take centre stage at the Auto Expo 2025 that opens Friday, with the country’s biggest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, expected to unveil the e-Vitara, and its domestic rival Hyundai, launching an electric variant of its popular Creta line of SUVs. The Auto Expo 2025, now being held under the umbrella of the Bharat Mobility Global Expo, is returning to Delhi after a decade. But there are more comebacks on the anvil – the roughly 5,000 international participants expected at the event, will include more Chinese professionals for the first time in over half a decade, as India is learnt to have eased visa norms for them for this show, and some major automakers like Bajaj and Hero are also returning to the expo after a gap of some years. In India, the Auto Expo is the flagship event for the $240-billion auto industry, which contributes 7 per cent to the nation's GDP, 14-15 per cent of GST collections, and 7 per cent of overall merchandise exports. Here’s what to expect from it: Focus on EVs At India's largest motor show, a redoubled focus on showcasing and commercially launching EVs, including by companies that have either been on the fence or on the other side of the EV divide While this is Suzuki’s first EV globally, the company plans to launch electric variants in the smaller car segment as well, Toshihiro Suzuki, representative director and president of Suzuki Motor Corporation, told reporters Thursday. He said that while globally, EVs are facing sluggish demand, the category has huge potential to grow in India. “We have studied the products of manufacturers in India who started offering EVs early to understand the products and features that need to be equipped in the cars,” Toshihiro Suzuki said through a translator. Hyundai has a larger EV portfolio than that of Maruti Suzuki’s, but the Creta EV will be its cheapest EV offering in the country.The Creta is already India’s most popular full sized SUV, and its EV variant will allow Hyundai to offer a more affordable EV option to its customers, who may not yet be able to or willing to spend on its Ioniq line of EVs. China gets a welcome The Chinese automobile story over the last half a decade or so has been one of constant rise. The country has shrugged its older image of making cheap knockoffs of popular cars, and focused on innovating in the EV space. China’s BYD recently overtook Tesla as the largest producer of EVs. But beyond finished cars, China currently has an insurmountable lead in intellectual property for IPs for EV technology, and battery manufacturing. In the auto parts and components ecosystem too, Chinese OEMs have made significant progress. And after a long hiatus – since relations between India and China worsened following border clashes – more Chinese professionals and technicians are expected to come to India, as New Delhi has seemingly eased visa norms for the Chinese, which have been in place for the last five years.
