New Delhi: The global automotive industry is navigating a far more difficult environment amid uncertainty tied to trade tensions, supply chains and energy prices, according to International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) President Shailesh Chandra.
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Speaking at the launch of OICA's Global Automobile Industry's annual sales data on the sidelines of the Beijing Motor Show, he said the sector is being reshaped by technological change, geopolitical pressures and diverging public policies.
Chandra, who is also the President of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Managing Director & CEO, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd, said global growth is still visible, but it is no longer broad-based. Some regions are advancing while others are losing momentum.
"The industry remains resilient, but the environment has become far more demanding. Manufacturers are managing slower growth in some markets, fiercer competition in others, and continued uncertainty linked to trade tensions, supply chains, affordability, energy prices and the pace of electrification," Chandra said.
He said global automobile production of passenger vehicles, trucks and buses increased to 9.64 crore units in 2025 from 9.27 crore units in 2024, marking a growth of 3.9 percent. Global vehicle sales also moved higher, rising to 9.98 crore units in 2025 from 9.53 crore units in 2024, which translated into a growth of 4.7 percent, he said.
Even with that overall increase, Chandra stressed that the pattern of growth is uneven and depends heavily on the region.
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Production in Asia-Oceania rose by 7.6 percent in 2025 compared with 2024, Chandra said. Europe recorded a decline of 0.8 percent, while production in the Americas fell 2.1 percent. Africa was broadly stable, though it slipped 0.3 percent, he added.
Chandra was elected in November last year as the President of OICA, the worldwide federation representing national associations of motor vehicle manufacturers that has 36 member associations.