Honda to launch 10 new cars in India by 2030

Honda is doubling down on its future plans for India and as a part of these efforts, the Japanese carmaker will be launching 10 new cars in India by 2030 – 7 of which will be SUVs. Honda will also be making its upcoming 0 Alpha electric SUV in India (which will be launched in 2027), and this SUV will also be exported back to Japan. We had the opportunity to gain more insights about Honda’s future plans for India on the sidelines of the Japan Mobility Show 2025 in a press conference with Toshihiro Mibe (Honda president) Toshio Kuwahara (President & CEO, Asian Honda) and and Takashi Nakajima (President & CEO Honda Cars India). Here are some of the takeaways.

“India is a priority market. [We will] spend more efforts on going forward,” explained Toshihiro Mibe (Honda president). He added, “Within Honda we have set up a project team for the Indian market and are working on strategy. The key word in this is EV and electrification.” Takashi Nakajima (President & CEO Honda Cars India) said that the company also has aggressive launch plans for India, with 10 or more models to be launched by 2030, including the 0 Alpha electric SUV. “SUVs have become mainstream in India,” he said.

Toshio Kuwahara (President & CEO, Asian Honda) added that the 0 Alpha electric will make “Best use of the parts and components of the Elevate because it is an SUV.” Mibe said that the plan is to export the 0 Alpha to Japan and some Asian markets from India. The battery technology of the 0 Alpha is from CATL (in China), with the cells being produced in Indonesia, and these will be brought to India. Speaking about hybrids, Kuwahara said, “We will expand our hybrid product range for India.” When asked about the possibility of the Honda Civic Type R being India-bound, Nakajima said, “Cannot provide you details as of today. (We) always consider possibility in broader context.”

Speaking about the sub 4-metre segment, Kuwahara said, “We recognise that the sub 4m is the main area of growth and (we are) preparing to enter that market.” Mibe added to this point by saying that Honda’s R&D is “working with Indian local suppliers to drive down costs is the primary objective. India is advanced in software development and we have collaboration with KPIT, about 2000 software engineers working on software for Honda. Not just India but global strategy.” Kuwahara said, “We do know that the Indian market is very price sensitive. We have to think of prices and look at Indian customer trends. Honda is superior in car features, especially turning and stopping in crisp manner. We want to make sure EVs are also like this, offering customers far beyond expectations.”

Considering these takeaways, it is evident that Honda is committed to the Indian market. And with new products in the pipeline which will include SUVs, hybrids and EVs, we will have to wait and watch how Honda’s resurgence in the Indian market plays out.