The year 2024 ended on a sombre note with the passing away of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. We need to be grateful to Dr Singh for opening up the Indian economy in 1991 when he was the Union finance minister and that brought in foreign investment and all the global manufacturers to India. Thanks to this, today we can buy the best cars in the world in India. In fact, now India has also become the venue for global car launches. Dr Singh also made sure that the Indian manufacturers did not suffer and would be able to compete with their international counterparts. Rest in eternal peace, Dr Manmohan Singh.
The second loss for the automotive world was the demise of Osamu Suzuki, the former CEO of Suzuki Motor Company. He was responsible for setting up Maruti Suzuki India in collaboration with the Government of India to offer us the first modern people’s car, Maruti 800. It is thanks to Suzuki san that Maruti Suzuki has grown from strength to strength and is the largest car manufacturer in India. Rest in peace, Osamu Suzuki.
The year gone by was extremely hectic with a number of new cars being launched and 2025 promises to be even more hectic, starting with the Hyundai Creta Electric drive, then the Bharat Mobility Show, followed by the Škoda Kylaq drive. This is just the beginning and there is plenty more to come.
This is the first editorial of 2025 and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers and all the manufacturers a happy New Year and safe driving in 2025.
EDITOR – ASPI BHATHENA