Hyundai is in the process of making India the centre of its international growth plan with a big product rollout. The South Korean automaker has a vehicle lineup of over 100 new and redesigned models in development, of which 26 are targeted for the Indian market by 2030.
The plan, unveiled at Hyundai Motor's 2026 CEO Investor Day in Seoul, also features increased production capacity, increased use of local parts and components, and a wider range of petrol, hybrid and electric vehicles. Bloomberg says that Hyundai is looking to strike the right balance between transitioning to EVs, shifting consumer preferences, and increasing competition from Chinese automakers, as reported by the Economic Times.
Hyundai’s 26-model India plan
In all, India will see 26 products from Hyundai's global pipeline. There will be seven new nameplates, as well as new entries in segments such as MPVs and off-road SUVs. Additionally, Hyundai will launch an electric SUV exclusively for the Indian market.
The company aims to achieve 80% of sales from SUVs in India by 2030, as SUVs are gaining traction in the domestic market. Hyundai will also be releasing a new internal combustion mid-size SUV.
The first major addition will arrive in the fourth quarter, featuring a new infotainment system and Level 2 driver-assistance technology.
More hybrids and EREVs join Hyundai’s EV strategy
Hyundai is also taking a new tack on electrification. It will invest more in a hybrid and extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) portfolio rather than being primarily an electric vehicle manufacturer.
The company anticipates that 60% of sales in the rest of the world will be electric vehicles by 2030, rising from 23% in 2025. It is also sticking to its goal of selling 5.55 million vehicles worldwide by the end of the decade.
Seven different vehicles, including the new Hyundai Tucson, Tucson Hybrid, Ioniq 3 and Santa Fe EREV, will be under the hood over the next eight months globally. The Santa Fe EREV, planned for the first half of 2027, is expected to offer more than 600 miles (about 966km) of total range.
This combination of powertrain choices is logical. Although EV adoption continues to increase, charging stations, prices, and customer preferences are still unevenly distributed across markets. Hybrids and EREVs allow Hyundai to not rigidly lock in on one particular technology but remain flexible.
India to get 320,000 more vehicles in annual capacity
Hyundai also wants India to get into the manufacturing business. It wants to boost India's annual production capacity by 320,000 and procure over 90% of the components from the domestic market.
In the past, the company had revealed plans to invest ₹45,000 crore in India over the next five years. It also aspires to make India its second largest global region and aims to make India an important export hub. The broader global strategy sees Hyundai have an extra 1.27 million production capacity by 2030. The biggest growth will be in North America, followed by India.
The strategy may lead to increased options for Indian consumers in the SUV, EV and hybrid sectors. Further, more local manufacturing would help the company keep costs down and make India-built cars more competitive in export markets.
Hyundai is also going beyond cars and into pickups, light commercial vehicles, robotics and autonomous technology. It will use Boston Dynamics to start manufacturing robots in 2028 and aims to produce 30,000 robots a year by then.
Overall, Hyundai's India strategy seems more about a country becoming an integral part of its global product and manufacturing portfolio than about just expanding its model mix in the market.
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