The automotive industry of the world's largest democracy ranks 5th in the world. With automotive giants such as TATA, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hindustan Motors India has come long since independence. The first car to be manufactured in India was the Hindustan Ambassador manufactured in Kolkata in collaboration with  Morris Motor of the UK.

Due to stringent laws on imports and several other factors, our country’s market was not entirely open to foreign investors and, of course, foreign competition. We were pretty protective about our country’s products which led to such a grave situation, just like some over-possessive parents protect their child and consequently refrain from worldly exposure. However, due to liberalisation in the 1990s, our country saw a wave of change. With several restrictions being lessened, our markets seemed to be taking a whiff of fresh air and lifting itself outwards from the realm of the nativity. Liberalisation welcomed new and contemporary car models and promoted healthy growth of the market.

Coming back to the point, what do you prefer? Indian cars or foreign cars? Our first answer or ‘reflex’ would be foreign cars, because of manifold reasons. But things have changed quite a lot in the last few years.

“Indian car makers beat their foreign counterparts in crash safety.”

                                                                                                     -The Economic Times

We have made massive progress in many sectors with the nation's urge to pull ourselves from mere importers to exporters. The automobile industry is one of them. Indian market cars are some of the most challenging and most reliable vehicles. We have ranked 8th in Best car manufacturers of the word list. However, Foreign vehicles are considered lighter and have greater fuel efficiency and safety. Today we will resolve some of your doubts regarding Indian cars vs foreign cars.

Here is a brief comparison between different cars and their prices:

Some of the popular cars in India (with their price ranges)are:

Maruti Suzuki Baleno(6.3-9.3 lakhs)

Hyundai Santro((3.91-4.9 lakhs)

Ford Ecosport(7.9-11.7 lakhs)

Maruti Suzuki Alto(3.3-4.45 lakhs)

Out of these cars mentioned above, only one brand, i.e. Maruti Suzuki is an Indian brand but with a Chinese tie-up. So, what is the reason behind this? There are certain drawbacks of Indian cars under which they are not preferred:

The smaller size-buying capacity of customers in India

Comparatively lower fuel efficiency and so on.

When we compare cars online, we find that leading car producers such as Germany and the UK have decades of experience in this area and are still improving their qualities. On the other hand, we have a lower market exposure, making our situation even more vulnerable. But despite such factors, our indigenous and ingenious automobile industry has managed to make some of the most challenging and affordable cars best suited for Indian terrains and traffic. Most of our vehicles ranked 5 on the global NCAP ratings as well.

Let's talk about some of the best cars India has produced :

1. Tata Nexon

First Indian car to score 5 star  NCAP rating

Equipped with safety features such as an Electronic safety program, rollover mitigation etc

Rain sensing wipers, electric sunroof

Price range:7.39 lakhs-13 lakhs

2. Mahindra XUV 300

First Indian car to get a 4-star child safety rating

It has some great safety features like:7 airbags, front parking sensors, all 4 disc brakes

Has Tyre Pressure Monitoring system as well

Dual-zone fully automatic temperature control

Price -9 lakhs (starting)

3. Mahindra Scorpio

Bold stance and tough car

Scorpio has been intense since 200,2, and even after 18 years, the demand seems to have no bounds.

Price-16 lakhs-21 lakhs

So,these were some of the best cars India has manufactured. Indigenous cars are not that fragile and can tolerate many things; consequently, they are best suited for the Indian terrain. They are quite affordable as well. Comparison between cars manufactured in India and those abroad reveals that most Indian cars fail at providing that comfortable ride experience to the customer as they lack ample legroom in the rear seats. On the other hand, foreign cars such as Toyota Corolla provide an enhanced user experience at a much higher price. The cost factor is the major drawback of foreign cars or the significant difference between foreign and domestic cars, 

which makes most customers pull their eyes away. Foreign cars are more equipped with world-class features and charge a much higher price.

Brands such as Autobest deal in second hand luxury cars. Upon visiting such brands' sites and talking to them, we find that the luxurious, sophisticated vehicles such as Audi have exuberantly low resale value. Why? They use so much sophistication, and they become obsolete after some time. The second reason might be the high car-servicing price, which is pertinent but not relevant to the Indian context. Common thinking is that you don't buy a second-hand car just to spend money on its repair.

Our verdict would be that, though we have come a long way in manufacturing cars, we still need to work on specific areas to make our vehicles even more competent. For example, we need to improve our car servicing facilities and equip our vehicles to enhance the driver's and riders' experience. So, as per a customer's requirement, one may choose whatever suits them the best and panders to their needs.