Formerly known as the Auto Expo, the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025 was held across the Delhi NCR region from 17th to 22nd January. Inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Bharat Mobility Expo was a glimpse of India’s automotive future, with future trends being a big highlight of the show. With the Bharat Mobility Expo coming to a close, let’s take a look at the trends that emerged.
EV optimism is at an all time high
The Maruti Suzuki e Vitara is the first attempt at an EV by the company, and its top spec variant is expected to have a range of more than 500 km. The SUV will be launched in March and prices for the base variant will begin at approximately Rs. 17 lakh (ex-showroom). Maruti Suzuki is also looking to leverage its vast dealership network for creating a charging infrastructure.
The Hyundai Creta Electric is the Korean car maker’s latest and greatest attempt at making an EV with a maximum range of 473 km. The price for the SUV has been revealed and it ranges between Rs. 17.99 lakh and Rs. 23.50 lakh. However, Hyundai has not yet revealed the timeline for test drives and deliveries.
The Maruti Suzuki e Vitara and Hyundai Creta Electric are positioned against one another and with India’s two leading car makers going head to head in this EV battle, the optimism around electric vehicles is at an all time high in the Indian automotive industry.
Apart from the India’s largest auto makers, new entrants to India have identified electric mobility as their play for market share. BYD, MG Motors, and VinFast displayed their range of EVs to indicate their future plans in India. BYD showcased the Sealion 6 PHEV coupe SUV and Yangwang U8 PHEV SUV, of which the Sealion 6 has been confirmed to be coming to India.
MG Motors showcased a range of EVs under their IM sub-brand. The IM 5 sedan and IM 6 SUV displayed at the Auto Expo 2025 demonstrated the high quality of EVs we can expect to see from MG. Meanwhile, VinFast made their debut in India by bringing their range of EV-only cars. The VinFast VF 6 and VF 7 are slated to launch later this year, and the interest at the Auto Expo should give the Vietnamese car manufacturer confidence about their launch in India.
ICE cars won’t become extinct because of EVs
Tata Motors showcased the Sierra EV concept at the 2023 Auto Expo. At the time, the Sierra nameplate was expected to make a comeback in the Indian market but as an EV. However, fast forward to 2025 and the Indian car maker has showcased a near production version of the Sierra featuring an internal combustion engine (ICE).
Another great example of ICE cars not being dead came from the Skoda pavilion. The car maker, after ditching diesel cars in India, is considering bringing back the diesel Superb!
While the initial sentiment around the year 2020 was that EVs are the solution to all of India’s mobility problems, as R&D has progressed, it has become apparent that EVs can’t be the solution to replacing all kinds of mobility options. MG Motor was the first car maker to work on this principle when they first launched the ZS EV in India and followed it up with its ICE counterpart in the form of the Astor.
More recently, Tata Motors has been using this strategy to their advantage by launching ICE and electric versions of their cars such as the Nexon, Curvv and Punch. In short, car makers have decided to hedge their bets and left it upon car buyers to shape their future direction. So, as long as people are buying ICE cars, the car makers are expected to keep making them.
Indian Car Makers aren’t shying away from Premium Segments
Tata Motors and Mahindra have made huge strides into premium segments. A decade ago, it was almost impossible to imagine that a Tata or Mahindra car could cost Rs. 20 or 30 lakh.
However at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025, the Avinya Brand from Tata Motors has grabbed headlines with its second concept model in as many years. The Indian conglomerate plans to position the premium brand between the passenger vehicle division of Tata Motors and Land Rover. In essence, it will be a premium Indian brand with its roots firmly in India. The first Avinya model was showcased at Auto Expo 2023 and its production version will go on sale in 2026.
In the case of Mahindra & Mahindra, the BE brand has come to the fore as a premium alternative. The Indian car maker showcased the recently launched BE 6 and XEV 9e at the Bharat Mobility Expo, and they are approximately priced between Rs. 20 and Rs. 30 lakh. Both these cars had already garnered great interest from Indian consumers before the Expo, and the interest has only risen since then.
Urban environments need compact mobility solutions
There is no shying away from the fact that Indian metro cities are getting crowded. Big SUVs have played a huge role in advancing the Indian automotive market, but their footprint has also become a major concern for urban traffic.
To combat this problem, a new startup called PMV Electric has emerged with an electric quadricycle at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Expo. Based out of Mumbai, it launched a two seater quadricycle called EaS-E at a starting price of Rs. 4.79 lakh. In a similar way, Pune-based Vayve Mobility showcased their three-seater electric quadricycle, the Eva, with prices starting from Rs. 3.25 lakh. Both of these micro EVs highlight the emerging demand for compact vehicles that can be used exclusively in the city for short commutes. For congested cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, small vehicles like these could become a common sight very soon.
Last Mile Mobility is the need of the hour
A majority of popular exhibitions at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Expo were related to private mobility solutions, however, the Surge S32 displayed at the Hero pavilion really excited commercial operators. It’s an electric three-wheeler that can quickly convert into an electric two-wheeler in approximately three minutes.
It has been designed by Surge, which is wholly owned by Hero MotoCorp. Both companies worked with the government to create a new classification to register the vehicle as it did not fit into any of the pre-existing classifications laid down by the government of India. The Surge S32 has the potential to revolutionise last mile mobility. Furthermore, in its three-wheeler guise, the Surge S32 can be used as a commercial vehicle, and as a private scooter in its two wheeler guise. Both the three-wheeler and two-wheeler use removable batteries that are also found on the Vida electric scooter.
Conclusion
India is a diverse country with the geography, topography, demography and even the language changing from region to region. Therefore, a diverse approach to mobility is required and was also the main trend of Bharat Mobility Expo 2025.
