India’s electric-car exports have surged sharply in the first quarter of 2026-27, with Europe emerging as the primary destination amid new trade opportunities under the India-UK FTA, signalling a pivotal shift in the country’s EV export landscape.
India’s electric-car exports jumped sharply in the first quarter of the 2026-27 fiscal year, with Europe emerging as the main destination, according to trade ministry data. Shipments rose from 1,309 vehicles a year earlier to 10,802, while export earnings climbed to $369 million from $22.2 million. Spain led the market by a wide margin, taking 4,007 vehicles worth $146.4 million, followed by the United Kingdom, which imported $78.7 million of Indian electric cars after buying almost none in the same period a year earlier.
The British market has become more significant as Indian manufacturers look beyond their domestic base. Industry data cited by the India Brand Equity Foundation showed that vehicle exports from India to Europe, including the UK, Germany, Spain and Norway, reached about ₹559 crore between April and August of the 2025-26 fiscal year. Even so, those shipments still made up only a small share of India’s total vehicle exports.
The surge reflects a broader push by global automakers to use India as an export hub for electric vehicles. Suzuki Motor has already shipped more than 7,400 units of its first electric model, the eVitara, to European markets, while Honda has said India will serve as a manufacturing base for an upcoming EV aimed at Japan and other Asian countries. The Times of India reported that Maruti Suzuki has now joined the electric passenger vehicle export group, with about 16,000 eVitara units sent to 36 countries since August 2025, mostly to Europe and Japan.
The export outlook for Indian EV makers may improve further under the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which took effect on 15 July 2026. According to the Financial Express, the deal will eventually allow duty-free access for up to 88,000 electric, hybrid and hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles a year in the UK, starting with a quota of 17,600 units and rising over time. Tata Motors, Mahindra and Maruti Suzuki are all assessing the opportunity, as manufacturers position themselves for a market that is becoming more open to made-in-India electric vehicles.
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