FADA 8th Auto Retail Conclave 2026 Vision and Announcements
The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) hosted its 8th Auto Retail Conclave 2026 in New Delhi on September 1, 2026, under the theme "BHARAT: Inclusive Mobility, Inspired Growth." The event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, automobile manufacturers, dealers, and ecosystem partners to deliberate on the future of India's automotive retail sector, emphasizing the critical role dealers play in expanding mobility access, driving employment, supporting entrepreneurship, and enabling India's evolving automotive ecosystem.
During the inaugural session, FADA unveiled several key initiatives including the FADA Digest 2026, commemorative editions of Kaleidoscope, and launched the first-of-its-kind FADA Employee ID Programme aimed at creating a professional identity and structured career pathway for employees across automobile retail. The conclave also presented insights from the 6th Dealer Satisfaction Study (DSS'26), which reinforced the need for transparent communication, sustainable dealership economics, collaborative planning, and stronger long-term partnerships between dealers and OEMs.
Shri H. D. Kumaraswamy, Hon'ble Union Minister of Heavy Industries & Steel, Government of India, attended as Chief Guest and emphasized that India's mobility story extends beyond cities to include two-wheelers, tractors, and emerging technologies, with dealerships generating livelihoods and fostering entrepreneurship across communities. Mr. Sai Giridhar, President of FADA, emphasized that the future of automotive retail depends on stronger collaboration between dealers, OEMs, and government stakeholders, with technology, consumer expectations, business models, and mobility solutions evolving at an unprecedented pace.
The conclave highlighted emerging opportunities from rapid growth in used-vehicle retail, electric mobility, digitization, AI-enabled customer engagement, and workforce development. FADA, representing over 15,000 automobile dealerships with approximately 30,000 outlets employing about 5 million people, reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening dealer capabilities through research, industry advocacy, training initiatives, and enhanced state-level engagement to build an economically sustainable, technologically progressive, and customer-centric automotive retail ecosystem aligned with India's mobility aspirations.