On the sidelines of the 2026 S-Class facelift’s reveal, Mercedes global CEO Ola Kallenius said he is absolutely convinced about the scale of its future in India. However, in response to a query from Autocar India on the impact the India-EU FTA could have on local production, he was not specific, saying, “India is a growth market, so whatever happens, we are going to grow and continue to invest in the country. We will always adjust to achieve the best equilibrium for the models there.”
- Mercedes currently assembles over 10 model lines in India
- Mercedes India R&D centre’s inputs incorporated in the 2026 S-Class
India input in 2026 Mercedes S-Class facelift
Mercedes’s Bengaluru R&D centre is the brand’s largest outside Europe.
Currently, Mercedes-Benz India produces the A-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, GLA, GLC, GLE and GLS at its plant in Pune and even the AMG C 43, Maybach S 580 and all EQ models.
The plant, and indeed the whole of Mercedes’s business, will always be significant in India. The brand’s Bengaluru R&D centre is its largest outside of Germany, and Kallenius affirms that the country will continue to be at the forefront of the brand’s global operations. “The new S-Class has contributions from five continents; that’s what’s required to make the best car in the world, and the India R&D centre played an important role.”
Kallenius also hailed the contours of the FTA agreement, saying, “It’s not possible for both sides in any agreement to get everything, but I have to applaud [commerce and industry] minister [Piyush] Goyal and the EU trade secretary for this important deal.”
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Suraj Viswanathan
