The tradition of unveiling the union budget each year on 1st February will continue to happen in 2025. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will mark her 8th consecutive year in the budget announcement on 1st Feb 2025. Although the union budget for 2025-2026 is yet to be announced, there has been a lot of anticipation going around in the country for various sectors. One of these is the automobile industry, which is expecting key changes that may shape the future of the automotive industry in India.
This article will give you a look into what are the expected announcements for the automotive industry in the upcoming budget (2025-2026).
Introduction
Electrification, affordability, battery manufacturing, and infrastructure may be some of the key areas of announcements. Let's dive deeper for more clarity:
Why is the Automobile Industry a Key Focus Area?
The automotive industry is one of the symbols of technological advancements for any country, including India. It also drives employment on a large scale and significantly contributes to the GDP of the country. Leaving the automotive industry in the Union Budget is probably not possible.
The automotive industry alone contributes to around 6% of the total GDP of India, while it also contributes 35% to the manufacturing industry. These numbers explain the importance of the automobile industry in the Union Budget.
Role of Union Budget in Shaping Automobile Industry
To bolster the automotive industry, the Indian government has significantly dedicated funds and resources to this sector. The automobile PLI schemes also received an allocation of around ₹3,500 crore in the year 2024-2025. The government also spent around ₹8,844 crores under the Fame-ll scheme in the fiscal year 20223-2024 for two, three, four wheelers and buses.
Owing to such past trends in automotive industry expenses, experts are anticipating a more rigorous plan for the automobile sector in the upcoming budget.
Key Expectations for the Automobile Industry
The union budget 2025-2026 is awaited. However, the upcoming budget may impact various segments of the automobile industry, such as GST rates, PLI (Production Incentives) schemes, infrastructure for electric vehicles (EV), research & development, and more.
The auto sector is set to benefit from the PM E-Drive and Auto PLI Policy, which emphasize the local production of EV components. Additional support may come from tax cuts, increased funding for rural programs like MGNREGA, higher tax breaks on housing loans, and expanded spending on housing.
Here are more details:
Expected Budget Allocations
As per the anticipations, the upcoming budget may allocate the following to the automotive sector:
GST rates decline
There may be a reduction in the GST (Goods and Services Tax) rates for electric and hybrid vehicles. Currently, it is at 28%, while it may go down to 18%. The purpose is to encourage more environmentally friendly vehicles
EV infrastructure building
To assist the transition to electric vehicles, the government may also pay heed to building a better EV infrastructure. It may involve building more recharge stations, battery manufacturing, etc.
PLI investments
Continuing the past trends, it is also anticipated that the government will continue allocating a budget for PLI investments like previous budgets.
Research & development allocation
To match the global advancements, the government may also spend on research and development in the automotive industries. It may include areas like connected vehicles, autonomous driving, etc.
Policy Updates Likely to Impact the Automobile Industry
As discussed above, the anticipated reduction of GST will boost the purchasing power of end consumers leading to more sales and manufacturing of electric vehicles. By leveraging the budget for research and development and allocating funds for EV infrastructure, the overall automobile industry can expect a boom.
Trends from Previous Budgets and Their Influence on 2025
Over the past few years, the automotive industry in India has undergone major changes and the union budget has a role to play in it. Under the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India ), the government continued to invest in EV manufacturing and infrastructure.
Further, promoting hydrogen as a clean fuel under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, scaling charging stations for EVs across the country, increasing the production of EV batteries, and more have continued to be a part of government plans. Highly likely these segments will continue to impact the upcoming budget of 2025-2026.
Challenges to Address in Budget 2025
The automobile industry is poised to witness growth and also success in the year 2025 and more to come. However, like any other sector, the automotive industry also has its challenges and drawbacks to address. To ensure a swift movement toward success, addressing certain challenges in this sector is essential. Let's discuss these in detail:
Existing Issues in the Automobile Industry
Certain drawbacks limit the growth of the automobile industry to some extent, like:
High Costs of EVs
Electric vehicles are bound to be costlier than traditional vehicles due to the high costs of lithium-ion batteries. In the current market scenario, the cost of EVs may remain high in comparison to petrol/diesel vehicles. Hence, mass adoption of EVs may remain a challenge.
Limited Charging Stations
Unlike fuel stations, charging stations are limited to specific areas. The advancements in charging station establishment are more evident in tier 1 cities. On the other hand, tier 2 and 3 cities do not have sufficient stations. Thus, even if people think of buying an EV, the lack of charging stations forces them to backstep.
Dependency On Imports
Despite various government schemes and PLI initiatives, we are still heavily dependent on foreign. These include batteries, semiconductors, etc. So, the manufacturing process may take time to speed up until domestic manufacturing of these parts increases.
Lack of infrastructure
Various advanced features of the automobile industry are still awaited in India due to a lack of infrastructure. These may include cars with reliable internet, 5G networks, etc.
Environmental Concerns
On the one hand, EVs are environmentally friendly; on the other hand, the disposal of batteries remains a concern for the environment. So, a strong sustainable goal is needed. Other than this, the concern about fuel impacting the environment continued to remain a warning sign
Lack of General Awareness
In India, there is still a lack of awareness regarding EVs and also various myths that impact its sale. Many are unaware of the benefits and several hesitate from shifting to an unconventional model.
Industry Expectations to Overcome Hurdles
To overcome the challenges to the automobile sector, the following changes may be required:
A strong sustainable goal for EVs and other models of vehicles
Enhancing infrastructure is key to promoting environmentally friendly vehicles like EVs
A decrease in GST may attract more buyers towards electric vehicles and other such alternatives
Increasing awareness of both environmental concerns and the benefits of environmentally friendly vehicles is the key.
Additional Read: Union Budget 2025: What to Expect for the Agri-Tech Industry?
Additional Read: Union Budget 2025: What to Expect for MSME Sector
Do you have a trading account app or demat account app?
You can open an account with Bajaj Broking in minutes.
Download the Bajaj Broking app now from the Play Store or App Store.