New Delhi, June 4 -- For decades, small cars drove India's market for passenger vehicles. But this has changed in recent years. So much so that our largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, has rung an alarm bell. A senior executive for marketing and sales, Partho Banerjee, has said a sales revival in this segment would need incentives.

road prices would make small cars more affordable for users of two-wheelers looking to upgrade. By one reported estimate, from close to a million cars priced under Rs.5 lakh a decade ago, this segment has seen unit sales shrink to a thin slice of a market that saw as many as 4.3 million passenger vehicles roll onto Indian roads in 2024.

Also Read: Mint Quick Edit | Auto dispatches: Still at a crawl

This ...