New Delhi, Oct. 16 -- If you've spent any time on the roads in India lately, it's clear that a tectonic shift has occurred. The erstwhile-ruling, sensible hatchback and the dignified sedan now find themselves taking second place to an entire flotilla of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs). It is not a momentary whim of fashion, but a deep structural reconfiguration of the Indian auto industry fueled by a strong confluence of macroeconomics, infrastructure realities and most convincingly human desire. In order to fully appreciate the extent of this boom, we have to consider the data, and the hub, of the Indian consumer.

The transition from being a niche fraction to the market center has been spectacular and highlights the uncontested monopoly ...