Chennai: The value of India’s automobile exports touched $12.15bn in FY25, up from $10.98bn a year earlier and nearly doubling from $7.13bn in FY21, driven by record passenger vehicle and two-wheeler shipments and a recovery in commercial vehicle exports, according to Union commerce ministry data.Passenger vehicles remained the largest contributor, with exports rising 10% to a record $6.84bn in 2024–25, compared with $6.22bn in the previous year and $3.78bn in 2020–21. South Africa and Saudi Arabia were the biggest markets for India-built cars and SUVs, with shipments of $1.25bn and $1.19bn, respectively. Mexico remained a key destination at $887m, while exports to Japan surged to $813m from just $29m four years earlier, highlighting India’s expanding presence in developed markets. Shipments to the UAE stood at $471m, while Indonesia also recorded strong growth.Two-wheeler exports rebounded to $3.21bn in 2024–25, up from $2.77bn in 2023–24 and $2.06bn in 2020–21. Mexico was the largest market at $390m in FY25, compared with $90m in FY21. Latin America drove much of the growth, with exports to Colombia reaching $380m and shipments to Guatemala rising to $173m from $84m in FY21. Brazil recorded exports of $123m. However, shipments to Nigeria fell sharply to $188m from more than $440m in 2021–22, pointing to weaker demand in parts of Africa. Commercial vehicle exports rose to $1.70bn in 2024–25, from $1.58bn in the previous year and $767m in 2020–21, reflecting steady demand from West Asia and Africa. Saudi Arabia remained the largest market at $332m, followed by South Africa at $199m and Indonesia at $174m. Exports to the UAE increased to $142m, while Georgia emerged as a fast-growing destination with shipments of $89m. Three-wheeler exports, however, declined to $398m in 2024–25 from $657m in 2021–22 and $519m in 2020–21, due to falling demand in Africa. Shipments to Nigeria dropped to $54m from more than $150m three years earlier. In contrast, Latin American markets such as Mexico and Peru recorded growth, with exports rising to $51m and $43m respectively.The data indicate a gradual shift in India’s automobile export profile, with passenger vehicles and two-wheelers driving overall expansion and Latin America, West Asia and developed markets gaining prominence. While Africa remains an important destination, its share has declined in segments such as two- and three-wheelers.In FY25, India exported 5.36m vehicles, including 4.2m two-wheelers and 0.77m passenger vehicles.
