Automobile Industry
- India is set to emerge not only as a large domestic market for automobile manufacturers but also as a crucial link in the global automotive chain.
- It is one of the most dynamic industrial groups in India.
- The first automobile industry of India was started in 1947.
- The industry is Premier Automobiles Ltd located at Kurla (Mumbai).
- It was followed by Hindustan Motors Ltd at Uttarpara (Kolkata) in 1948.
- At present, India is the 7th largest producer of automobile manufacturers which include two-wheelers, commercial vehicles, passenger car, jeep, scooty, scooters, motor cycles, mopeds and three-wheelers.
- Major centres are at Mumbai, Chennai, Jamshedpur, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Pune, New Delhi, Kanpur, Bengaluru, Sadara, Lucknow and Mysuru.
- Chennai is nicknamed as the “Detroit of Asia” due to the presence of major automobile manufacturing units and allied industries around the city.
- Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra &Mahindra and Hindustan Motors are the largest passenger car manufacturers of Indian companies in the country.
- The presence of foreign car companies such as Mercedes Benz, Fiat, General Motors, and Toyota and the recent entry of passenger car manufacturers BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and Volvo make the Indian automobile sector a special one.
- Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Eicher Motors, Mahindra &Mahindra and Ford Motors are the major Indian companies which manufacture commercial vehicles. MAN, ITEC, Mercedes Benz, Scania and Hyundai are the foreign companies engage in the manufacture of commercial vehicles.
- Two-wheeler manufacturing is dominated by Indian companies like Hero, Bajaj Auto and TVS.