India’s electric vehicle market is becoming a high-voltage battlefield, where home-grown stalwarts and cash-charged Chinese players race to claim the future of mobility.
Chinese-backed brands shake up India’s EV market
Over the period of past 12-18 months, Chinese companies and their Indian partners have expanded rapidly through new product launches and an increasing number of showrooms, challenging the dominance of legacy domestic brands in the Indian EV market space.
As per the data from the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), 1 out of every 3 electric car sold in India now happens to have Chinese ties.
When it comes to the electric passenger vehicle market, this space was once monopolized by Tata Motors with 85% of market. Fast forward to now, JSW Motor, BYD, and Volvo collectively control 33.3% of this segment.
Posting a staggering growth of 165% YoY, these three companies more than doubled their sales between January and October.
Notably, in the same period, the total electric passenger vehicle market grew 87 percent to 136,610 units and without the Chinese brands, growth would have been just 63 percent.
On the flipside, as per the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the internal combustion engine (ICE) segment continues to struggle and has posted a 1.4 percent decline in the six months ending September.
Global Giants Gear Up for India’s High-Voltage Race
This is not all, as the competition is set to further intensify as the Dutch-headquartered Stellantis, which owns multiple European, Italian, and American brands, is preparing to introduce Chinese-backed Leapmotor in India, with product, powertrain, and launch plans in finalization.
On the other hand, Mumbai-based JSW has partnered with China’s Chery to bring passenger vehicles under a new brand by 2027, while its joint venture with China’s SAIC for MG Motor India will see multiple new launches. JSW plans to invest ₹26,000 crores and launch up to 25 new models by 2030, including EVs, hybrids, and range extenders, with prices starting at ₹8 lakhs.
The largest automaker of China, BYD, is eyeing a local manufacturing plant in India to expand its portfolio and compete effectively on pricing. Notably, BYD is already the fifth-largest EV maker in India, selling 500–550 units monthly across 47 showrooms in 40 cities, with models priced between ₹25 lakhs and ₹53 lakhs.
Meanwhile, Tesla has had a quiet start since entering India in July, selling 104 Model Y units in August and September, and recently opened a new retail centre in Gurugram, targeting premium EV buyers.
Indian hot wheel EV race is far from over and maybe has just begun — and which brand will surge ahead is a story still charging toward the horizon.
Summary
India’s EV market is heating up as Chinese-backed brands like JSW Motor, BYD, and Volvo capture one-third of sales, challenging Tata Motors’ former dominance. Sales grew 87% YTD, while ICE vehicles declined. Global players—including Stellantis, Chery, and Tesla—are expanding operations. With massive investments and new launches planned, the Indian EV race is far from over, and the next leader is yet to emerge.
