JSW plans to introduce EV brand under Make in India

JSW Group is preparing to introduce its own electric vehicle (EV) brand, indicating its intention to become a significant player in India’s rapidly expanding EV market, months after signing a $1.5 billion joint venture with China’s SAIC Motor to manufacture and market Morris Garages’ EVs.

Earlier this year, SAIC sold a 35% share in MG Motor India to the steel giant. After having trouble raising money because of India’s stringent restrictions on Chinese investments, which were put in place in 2020 as a result of border disputes between the two nations, the Chinese company teamed up with JSW for its activities in India. Jindal further disclosed that this new EV-focused endeavor will be the focus of JSW’s planned auto facility in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. JSW’s proposed Rs 27,200 crore investment in EVs and commercial vehicles, which is anticipated to generate 5,200 employments, was welcomed by Aurangabad Industrial City in October.

JSW plans to join a competitive market that currently includes Hyundai, Mahindra, and Tata Motors by introducing its own EV brand. In November 2024, JSW MG Motor India sold 6,019 wholesale units, a 20% increase from the previous year. EVs accounted for 70% of the company’s monthly sales. Windsor, the electric crossover, sold 3,144 units, which is noteworthy.

Even though EV sales in India have lagged behind those in China, they are starting to increase, especially among affluent buyers. S&P Global Mobility estimates that approximately 2% of India’s passenger car industry is now made up of full-size electric vehicles, with only 100,000 sold per year. In the meantime, government incentives and subsidies have propelled China’s hegemony in the EV industry. These incentives have mostly increased sales of electric two-wheelers in India.