Archive for the ‘India’ Category

Speaking at a World Economic Forum in New Delhi, Carlos Ghosn -- head of Nissan Motor Company and Renault SA -- had some interesting things to say about the global auto industry. Among the most notable and encouraging items, Ghosn believes that the international sales slump has ended and that the industry is beginning to rebound. He had previously predicted global sales to ring in around 55 million units, but has now upgraded that figure to 60 million. (For reference, 2008 and 2007 each saw sales in the 70-million-unit range.)

Like his rivals at Toyota, Ghosn attributes much of the rebound to sales incentives offered by governments around...

Step into a taxi and the thought of whether or not it has an air-conditioner, an electronic meter or even if the cabbie is willing to come to your home to pick you up is probably never going to cross your mind.

In India’s bustling city of Mumbai, taxis are stuck in the past but things are starting to change and the old-school drivers aren’t happy, even going so far as to cause strikes, court cases and violence in resistance.

Mumbai has a fleet of about 200,000 taxis, all based on a car called the Padmini that dates back almost half a century. However, authorities want to phase out the old rust-buckets and new modern vehicles...

Despite the general unpleasantness that's plagued the auto industry for over a year, Ford is doing comparatively well these days. In fact, given the gradually rebounding global economy and Ford's new strategic alliances in Asia, CEO Alan Mulally feels fairly optimistic about the next two years.

Mulally expects Ford to finish 2009 with a 16% share of the American auto market, based on estimated industry-wide U.S. sales of 10.5 to 11 million units. Although Ford hasn't posted an annual profit since 2005, Mulally says the company is on target to at least break even by calendar year 2011. The company recently instituted a $10 billion...