Changes and challenges for automakers as India eases coronavirus lockdown

March and April were the cruellest for automakers because of a nationwide lockdown. As economic begins to pick up, Surajeet Das Gupta explains how automakers can get business in these uncertain times

As India eases a weeks-long lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus, auto companies say demand is picking up sooner than they had expected. Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest carmaker, said it expected demand for its passenger cars to outstrip supply in June and July.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) estimated in April, a month into the lockdown, a revenue loss to the tune of Rs 69,000 crore for the industry. Things are looking up since then. German carmaker Volkswagen's India unit resumed production a few weeks ago, but if the booking trend continues the sale of