Dear friends,

In a changing global and economic environment, resilient domestic industries and strong stakeholder coordination remain essential. The automotive retail sector continues to play a key role in supporting consumer access, employment, and effective policy implementation on the ground. Against this backdrop, FADA’s engagement across states reflects its commitment to representing member concerns through structured dialogue and constructive collaboration.

Friends, I am happy to share that nominations for the 7th edition of the FADA Dealership Excellence Awards 2026 are now OPEN. Widely regarded as the “Oscars” of our industry, these awards recognise excellence in performance, innovation, and customer service.

This year features 55 awards across 28 categories, offering dealerships multiple opportunities to showcase their achievements and stand out among the best. The last date for submission of nominations is June 5, 2026.

For the first time, FADA has also introduced two new categories - Tractor and Construction Equipment - making the awards more inclusive and widening participation across segments.

Also, the survey for the 3rd edition of the Dealer Satisfaction Study 2026 (DSS’26) for Finance & Insurance companies is now LIVE. The study aims to capture dealer expectations and assess how effectively they are being met.

Your participation will help our knowledge partner, PremonAsia, gather authentic industry insights. All responses will be kept strictly confidential and used only in aggregated form.

The findings will contribute to a comprehensive report supporting future strategies, policy discussions, and initiatives to improve the overall dealer experience. The survey is available in major Indian languages for ease of participation. The last date for submission is June 13, 2026.

The awards for both these initiatives will be conferred during the Finance & Insurance Summit scheduled to be held on July 10, 2026, at Hotel Aurika in Mumbai. The programme is currently being finalised, and further details will be shared shortly.

Reverting to activities of your Federation and on the capacity-building front, FADA Academy, in collaboration with IIM Udaipur, continues to advance its mission with the planned 2nd eidtion of its 3-day residential executive program for automotive retail leaders in May 2026, focused on leadership excellence in a rapidly evolving mobility ecosystem.

FADA GenX, under Chairman Mr Rishabh Sanghi, successfully concluded a learning visit to Bengaluru, engaging with innovators such as River Mobility and Ultraviolette, along with dealership exposure at Bimal Maruti. The initiative strengthened peer learning, capability building, and camaraderie among next-generation leaders.

WiF, under Chairperson Ms Rashmi Kale, held its core committee meeting to further strengthen the vertical and enhance member participation across FADA initiatives.

FADA State Chapters have remained highly proactive in addressing ground-level challenges and strengthening engagement with stakeholders. Let me take you through some of the key initiatives and contributions during the month.

FADA Delhi, under the leadership of Shri Sailender Luthra, actively contributed to shaping the Draft Delhi EV Policy 2026–2030 through structured representations to the Transport Department of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Continued engagement with senior officials, including Commissioner Ms Niharika Rai, IAS, has ensured that industry perspectives remain central to policy formulation.

FADA Delhi also successfully hosted the 23rd edition of Vyapar and the 3rd edition of “Vyapar Delhi – Badalti Dilli”, bringing together policymakers, automobile dealers, and industry leaders to deliberate on a roadmap for sustainable and inclusive mobility in the national capital.

The event was graced by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi Smt Rekha Gupta as Chief Guest. In her address, she emphasised the importance of the dealer network in supporting the clean mobility transition, noting that the draft policy envisages mandatory adoption of electric two- and three-wheelers from 2027–28, along with incentives linked to scrappage of older vehicles.

FADA Delhi Chairperson- Mr Shailender Luthra reiterated the industry’s perspective, appealing for continued policy support and inclusive consultation to safeguard employment and sustain growth for family’s dependent on the automotive retail ecosystem.

In my address, I reinforced that dealers represent the final link between policy and the customer, and therefore bear the practical responsibility of implementing transition on the ground. This makes close alignment between policy intent and ground-level realities all the more critical.

On the sidelines of Vyapar, I also expressed concerns regarding the adverse impact of the ongoing conflict in West Asia on export volumes and the supply of key commodities such as oil and aluminium. Similar concerns were also highlighted by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji in his recent address to the nation, where he emphasised the need for caution, resilience, and prudent use of available resources in the current global environment.

The event witnessed a strong participation of over 350 attendees, with 17 speakers contributing across 9 insightful sessions covering key industry themes.

One of the most memorable highlights was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to veteran industry leader Mr Raj Chopra in recognition of his outstanding and enduring contribution to the automobile retail industry.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the distinguished speakers and guests who graced the event and shared their valuable insights, including- Chief Guest: Smt. Rekha Gupta, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt of NCT of Delhi; Mr Amit Jain, EVP & Chief Commercial Officer, JSW Motors Ltd; Mr Apurv Gupta, Retail Business Head, L&T Finance Ltd; Ms Gurveen Bedi, Senior Vice President, Spinny; Mr Jatin Harjai, FCA, Advocate & Leader, JHA Legal; Shri Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India; Mr Kartick V Nagpal, President - Rosmerta Group; Shri Kunal Behl, Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd; Ms Nupur Saxena Arora, WiF Director, FADA Delhi; Mr Rajeev Chauhan, Vice President - Electric Passenger Vehicle Business, BYD India Private Limited; Mr Saurabh Vatsa, Managing Director, Nissan Motor India Private Limited; Mr Shailender Luthra, Chairperson, FADA Delhi & Dealer Principal, Brite Autowheels Pvt Ltd; Mr Tushank Sharma, Account Director, SalesForce; Mr Vishal Sawant, AI Solutions Growth Lead, Jio Haptik (a Meta Partner); and Mr Vivek Sahai, Business Head, Vehicle Refinish, India Cluster, JSW Dulux Limited (formerly Akzonobel India Ltd.).

I would also like to thank our partners for their valuable support in making the event a grand success- our Platinum Partners: Rosmerta Technologies Limited; Silver Partner: Rolls Pe; and Bronze Partners: Shimnit India P Ltd; ICICI Lombard; Axalta; and Chola MS General Insurance.

My sincere thanks to the FADA Delhi Chapter, led by Mr Shailender Luthra, and to the FADA Secretariat, under the leadership of CEO FADA Mr Saharsh Damani, for their dedicated efforts in successfully organising the event.

FADA Rajasthan, under Chairperson Mr Sharvik Shah and Vice President Mr Sai Giridhar, worked closely with the Transport Department to address operational bottlenecks in vehicle registration and improve ease of doing business. As a continuation of the Vyapar Rajasthan initiative, the Transport Department has also initiated further consultations with FADA Rajasthan members to better understand dealer challenges and identify practical solutions aimed at improving administrative efficiency and dealer experience in the state.

FADA Chhattisgarh, under Chairperson Mr Vivek Garg, convened timely consultations on regulatory changes impacting vehicle number generation processes and HSRP delivery timelines, ensuring member concerns were effectively represented. These matters were also discussed with senior officials, including Addl. Transport Commissioner Mr D Ravishanker, to seek resolution of operational bottlenecks affecting dealers.

A significant highlight during the period was the engagement led by FADA Maharashtra Chairperson Mr Sachin Mahajan along with Mr Rajeshwar Niwal (Two-Wheeler Vertical Head), Mr Vishal Chordiya, Mr Surendra Chaudhari, Mr Vijay Patil, Mr Sunil Suchak, Mr Harshal Suchak, Mr Zuber Dhannani, and district association leaders with Hon’ble Transport Commissioner Mr Rajesh Narvekarji. The meeting provided an important platform to discuss key concerns of the two-wheeler industry in a constructive and solution-oriented manner.

FADA Jharkhand organised a Townhall in Jamshedpur under the leadership of Chairperson Mr Govind P Mewar, creating a strong platform for direct dialogue between dealers and the Federation leadership. With the presence of Vice President FADA- Mr Sai Giridhar and CEO FADA - Mr Saharsh Damani, discussions focused on ground-level dealer concerns, evolving market dynamics, and the need for continued policy support. The interactive engagement further strengthened alignment between members and leadership while reinforcing shared industry priorities.

As we move forward, FADA remains committed to strengthening industry-government collaboration, enhancing digital and regulatory ease of doing business, and supporting members through continuous learning and advocacy. The collective efforts of our leadership, state chapters, and members reflect a shared vision of a stronger, more resilient, and future-ready automotive retail ecosystem.

Together, we will continue to drive transformation with unity, purpose, and resolve.

Warm Wishes,

CS Vigneshwar
President - FADA