New Delhi: Japanese auto major Honda Motor Co will start introducing models tailored for the Indian market from 2028 and leverage its two-wheeler business to upgrade customers to passenger vehicles as part of rebuilding its automobile business, company Global CEO Toshihiro Mibe said on Thursday.
The company has positioned India along with North America and Japan as priority markets for its future growth strategy and will strategically allocate resources to these markets, Mibe, who is the Director, President and Representative Executive Officer (Global CEO) of Honda Motor Co, said in a press briefing in Tokyo.
Honda also plans to increase the annual production capacity of its two-wheelers in India, the largest market for Honda motorcycles, to about 80 lakh units in India.
“‘The global standard approach may have been somewhat excessive,” said Toshihiro Mibe, director, president, and representative executive officer at Honda.
Acknowledging that the company has had “an insufficient number of competitive models in each segment”, Mibe said Honda is now very open to local collaborations and will “utilize local resources, including external resources to develop and introduce locally tailored models as quickly as possible.” While the company did not specify the exact number of models planned for India, it had earlier announced 10 new cars for the market by 2030.
Two segments are its main targets: the sub-4-meter space and the mid-size category. While Honda did not state what body type these vehicles would be, it showcased two SUV silhouettes and said that the first of these models would arrive in 2028.
Synergize with the motorcycle business
Mibe also said that the company’s motorcycle business in India will be its key strength. In FY2026, Honda’s annual motorcycle sales stood at 5.8 million units, and Mibe said it also has the largest units in operation (UIO). It thus plans to leverage its robust supply chain to the advantage of the car business. Mibe also sees the large UIO as a potential customer base and says he would like to see the brand’s two-wheeler customers buy its cars, given that its motorcycle range has many models priced close to entry-level automobiles.
The announcements today certainly bring hope for its India operations. Honda currently stands with a market share of less than 2 percent and a product portfolio of just three models. The locally tailored models should give Honda India a shot in the arm, although it will have to hone this strategy further still, given that the Honda Elevate – a product conceived with a similar approach – is yet to find significant traction in India. Honda seems to be intent on the Indian market, though, as it also announced that it has “positioned North America, Japan and India as priority markets for future growth” and plans to further allocate resources to these markets.
