Honda names India among top three global markets, plans three new SUVs by FY27
Tokyo: Japanese auto major Honda is reassessing its global strategy and has identified India as one of its three key markets for future growth, together with the United States and Japan.
Takashi Nakajima, President and CEO of Honda Cars India, said the company’s global leadership has placed India at the centre of its long-term expansion plans, according to a Financial Express report.
“Our two-wheeler business is already very big in the country, and we are aiming to follow a strong growth direction for our four-wheeler business by building both brand and volume,” Nakajima said at the Japan Mobility Show 2025 in Tokyo.
To drive this growth, Honda is preparing an aggressive product roadmap, with a particular focus on the SUV segment—the fastest-growing category in India’s passenger vehicle market.
The company plans to launch three new SUVs by FY27, featuring both hybrid and fully electric powertrains.
Nakajima said Honda would adopt a multi-powertrain strategy, progressively increasing the share of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in line with its global goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
At present, Honda’s SUV portfolio in India includes only the Elevate, while the Amaze and City cater to the sedan segment.
At the auto show, Honda unveiled the Honda 0 α (alpha), its latest global model. Toshihiro Mibe, President and Representative Director of Honda Motor Co, announced that Japan and India would be the first markets to receive the new model from 2027.
Nakajima also underscored the importance of scaling up local production to support the company’s renewed ambitions.
Honda’s Tapukara plant in Rajasthan, which has an annual capacity of 180,000 units, may see expansion and additional investment to meet rising demand.
On the possible revival of the Greater Noida facility, which halted production in 2023, Nakajima said no final decision has been made but that multiple options are under consideration, including setting up a new plant in South India. “This is just an option,” he clarified.
The renewed push comes as Honda aims to recapture market share amid fierce competition.
The carmaker reported a 20% rise in sales in 2024, delivering 131,871 units, nearly half of which were exports (63,221 units).
Domestic sales stood at 68,650 units, compared with 84,289 units in 2023, when total sales reached 110,143 units.
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