Mercedes not aiming to chase numbers in luxury car space: MD & CEO

Santosh Iyer, managing director and chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz India, talks about the rising competition ahead of Tesla's India entry

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz posted its best-ever sales numbers in India during the first quarter of 2025-26 (Q1FY26), driven by a stellar showing in electric vehicles (EVs). Santosh Iyer, managing director and chief executive officer (MD & CEO) of Mercedes-Benz India, talks about growing competition ahead of Tesla’s India entry, and rising craze for sports utility vehicles (SUVs) in a video interaction with Shine Jacob. Edited excerpts: 

Globally, your company witnessed a 9 per cent drop in sales in the second quarter of calendar year 2025 (April to June), with EV sales also dipping by 18 per cent. How was