Top Car Brands Manufactured in India: The Complete 2025 Guide

The first time you look at India’s roads, it hits you—there’s a wild mix of cars. Some are compact hatchbacks zipping through traffic, while others are hulking SUVs flexing their muscles. You’d think India just imports all these brands, right? Think again. India isn’t just a huge car market; it’s an absolute powerhouse of car manufacturing, churning out millions of vehicles every year—many wearing badges you’d recognize instantly, and some you might never have heard of. Here’s a wild fact: in 2024, India became the third-largest car producer in the world, beating even Korea. That’s no small feat for a country where cows sometimes outnumber cars on the streets.

The Landscape of Car Manufacturing in India

When you peel back the hood on Indian car manufacturing, it’s not just about the big names. Yes, you’ll see the likes of Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors everywhere. But there are about 25 major car brands now being manufactured on Indian soil. Some are completely homegrown, while others are foreign companies building cars here for the Indian market—and for export, too. Here’s a peek at how India’s car factories stack up:

*Ford ceased retail operations for Indian buyers in 2022, but it still builds cars for overseas markets from Indian plants as of last year.

That table doesn’t even cover every local player or the luxury brands with assembly lines inside India. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi all assemble in India too, giving a local touch to their premium cars. It’s clear: if you’re driving in India today, odds are your car (or your Uber) rolled off a plant somewhere in Chennai, Pune, Gujarat, or Haryana.

Homegrown vs. Global: The Big Players on Indian Roads

There’s a nice rivalry brewing between Indian brands and foreign heavyweights who set up shop here. Maruti Suzuki plays king of the hill, with more than 40% of the market—that's like every other hatchback you see in a crowd of cars. Maruti’s small cars hit the sweet spot for Indian buyers: they’re cheap, reliable, and low on fuel bills. Tata Motors and Mahindra aren’t just about commercial vehicles anymore. Tata’s Nexon isn’t just India’s favorite SUV; it’s the top EV in the country, outselling older petrol workhorses in some months. Mahindra, meanwhile, has rebranded from ‘jeep maker’ to ‘SUV king.’

Check out some stats from 2024 that show how these players are running laps around each other:

• Maruti Suzuki: 17+ lakh units produced, 2.5+ lakh exported
• Hyundai: 7.5+ lakh units produced, almost half going abroad (huge export share)
• Tata Motors: Closing in at 6.8 lakh units, with Nexon and Punch leading the charge
• Mahindra: Over 4.5 lakh units, with the Scorpio still a rural hero

On the global side, Hyundai and Kia have made Chennai their playground, pumping out cars not just for Indians but the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Renault has turned its Chennai plant into a Kwid-making machine, sending budget hatchbacks all the way to South Africa and Brazil. Volkswagen’s Pune and Aurangabad factories make India one of its few bases for right-hand drive production. These foreign brands have customized their cars to survive India’s wild weather and rough roads—check how every model here has ‘extra ground clearance’ and ‘dust filters’ that German engineers probably never even imagined before landing here.

The fun part? There’s a growing buzz around Chinese brands. MG Motor and BYD have squeezed into the Indian market—MG with its British badge, but Chinese money; BYD aiming straight for the EV segment. Both entered in the last five years and now assemble their models inside Indian plants. Don’t be surprised if you see more Chinese names on new cars—in the next few years, the list might double.

Why So Many Car Brands Build in India?

It boils down to two things: massive demand and booming exports. India’s car-buying crowd is huge and young; the median buyer is under 35. The country wants ‘value for money,’ so companies can’t just sell old models shipped in from abroad. They have to set up huge factories, churn out cars that are tough as nails, and keep prices low. Companies who bring in a car from outside get hit by import taxes of up to 100%—that’s cruel. So, even global giants like Toyota and Honda set up plants and pull components from local suppliers. This makes the ‘made in India’ badge more common every year.

Here’s another secret: India isn’t just making cars for itself. It became the #1 exporter of small cars out of Asia in 2023, with Hyundai, Maruti Suzuki, and Renault shipping waves of hatchbacks, sedans, and crossovers worldwide. South Africa, Ecuador, and Chile are stuffed with Maruti Suzuki Swifts and Renault Kwids built in India. In 2024 alone, India exported over 7 lakh passenger cars. See how this looks in real numbers:

So, every time you spot a budget car in Latin America or Africa, remember—there’s a decent chance it started as a shell rolling down a line outside Delhi or Chennai. And as the West pushes for more electric cars, India’s switching gears. Every brand, Indian or foreign, now promises new EVs made in India in the next few years.

Electric Cars, Luxury Labels, and the Future Factory Boom

Ten years ago, buying an electric car in India seemed a joke. Now? Everyone wants a Nexon EV or the wild-looking BYD Atto 3. Over a dozen new electric models, from SUVs to compact hatchbacks, now thunder out of Indian plants. Tata Motors is leading the charge with EV versions of its bestsellers—by 2025, it’s aiming for 20% of its total production to be electric. Mahindra’s not far behind, with its XUV400. Even the global guys—Hyundai, BYD, and MG—are now training their factories to spit out more EVs than ever before. The government’s FAME scheme (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) throws subsidies at both makers and buyers, setting India up as a major EV hub for Asia. And here’s a little trivia: in 2024, India produced 1.2 lakh electric cars—triple the volume from just two years ago.

Luxury isn’t just being flown in by first-class cargo anymore. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and even Volvo now assemble upwards of a dozen models in Indian plants, keeping sticker prices reasonable (well, relatively) for well-heeled buyers. Mercedes rolls out their S-Class in Pune—all the wood, leather, and gadgets you’d expect, built with local labor and supplier parts. It’s a win-win: they dodge import duties and make luxury more accessible.

Looking ahead, there’s no sign of any slow-down. Global giants like Tesla are making noises about finally setting up a factory here, with government sweeteners tempting them daily. Indian startups like Ola Electric and Pravaig are gearing up to flood the roads with yet more locally-made EVs. The component makers behind every ‘made in India’ car are also getting fat contracts, turning small towns into car-part capitals. This isn’t just a phase—by the end of this decade, India could be building nearly 6 million cars a year. If you’re thinking of picking a car, or just curious about where your next hatchback or SUV was born, know this: India’s automotive horizon is crowded, competitive, and increasingly home-grown.