India’s automobile sector has consolidated its position in the global rankings, with eight homegrown brands listed among the world’s 100 most valuable and strongest names, according to Brand Finance’s Automotive Industry 2026 report. The London-headquartered brand valuation consultancy publishes the rankings annually, using a royalty relief methodology compliant with ISO 10668, and assesses brand strength through a balanced scorecard aligned to ISO 20671.
The global automobile sector’s collective brand value was recorded at USD 575.4 billion in this year’s report. Within that pool, Indian brands account for a growing share, with Mahindra leading the country’s representatives in the brand value table and multiple Indian names placing in the top tier for brand strength.
Mahindra
Mahindra moved to 25th place in the brand value ranking, recording a 17% year-on-year increase to USD 3.8 billion. The brand received a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 86.5 out of 100 and an AAA rating, placing it eighth among the world’s strongest automobile brands. Brand Finance’s report attributes the performance to a product strategy centred on SUVs and electric vehicles, noting that flagship models — including the Scorpio and its EV range — have maintained consumer traction. Higher SUV margins, platform sharing across models, and cost discipline were also cited as contributors to profitability.
Looking at the near term, the report points to Mahindra’s Born Electric platform and international partnerships as factors in its electric vehicle rollout. Its diversified portfolio — which spans tractors and farm equipment alongside passenger vehicles — was noted as a structural offset to cycles in the passenger vehicle segment.
Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield was ranked the third strongest automobile brand globally, with a BSI score of 88.9 and an AAA rating. Its brand value rose 30% year-on-year to USD 1.2 billion — the steepest percentage gain among Indian brands in the ranking. The report notes that the brand’s motorcycle-focused product range and its positioning as a lifestyle brand have contributed to its standing in global markets.
Tata Motors
Tata Motors was placed fifth among the world’s strongest automobile brands, with a BSI score of 88.1 and an AAA rating. Its brand value stood at USD 3.3 billion. Brand Finance’s market research found the brand to be strongly perceived on environmental, social, and governance measures in its home market, a finding the report attributes to its focus on electric vehicles. The research also noted that, while familiarity and credibility scores are high in India, there is scope for the brand to strengthen consumer advocacy and emotional affinity.
Maruti Suzuki
Maruti Suzuki rose to 34th place by brand value, with a 9% increase to USD 2.7 billion. The brand retained its AAA rating and recorded a BSI score of 87.2, ranking it sixth among the strongest automobile brands worldwide. The report describes its performance as reflecting sustained consumer trust and reliability perceptions in the Indian market.
Mixed results among other Indian brands
The picture across the remaining Indian brands in the ranking was not uniform. TVS recorded a 16% rise in brand value to USD 1.3 billion, while Ashok Leyland posted a 6% increase to USD 727.3 million. By contrast, Hero’s brand value declined 7% to USD 1.5 billion, and Bajaj Auto saw the steepest fall in the Indian cohort, with its brand value dropping 21% to USD 2.5 billion. The report did not provide specific reasons for these declines.
Brand strength versus brand value
A notable feature of this year’s results is the disparity between brand value rankings and brand strength rankings for several Indian names. While Mahindra ranks 25th by brand value, its BSI score of 86.5 places it eighth by brand strength — a distinction the report treats as two separate measures.
Brand value captures the economic contribution of a brand using a royalty rate applied to projected revenues, while brand strength reflects performance on intangible metrics such as marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business outcomes. India having four brands in the global top ten by brand strength — ahead of their brand value rankings — indicates relatively high consumer and market perception scores relative to the revenue bases these brands currently command.
“Indian brands are no longer competing solely on affordability or domestic scale — they are building strong, distinctive identities with global relevance. Mahindra’s rise, alongside the performance of brands like Royal Enfield and Tata Motors, reflects a broader transformation driven by product innovation, growing EV ambitions, and deeper consumer trust,” said Ajimon Francis, Managing Director, Brand Finance India.
Brand Finance calculates brand values using the royalty relief approach, estimating the royalty rate a brand owner would charge for use of the brand in the open market, applied to projected brand-specific revenues discounted to net present value.
Brand strength is assessed using a balanced scorecard that measures marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, expressed as a BSI score out of 100. Brands are then assigned a rating up to AAA+. The consultancy conducts over 6,000 brand valuations annually and surveys more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries through its Global Brand Equity Monitor.