The automotive industry covers companies involved in the designing, development, manufacturing, marketing and selling of motor vehicles. Automotive industry began in the 1980s, 'horseless carriage' being the first to be manufactured. At present, there are more than 800 million cars and light trucks across the world consuming over 260 billion US gallons of fuel every year.

India is one of the larger automotive markets in the world and is the 6th largest in the world in terms of passenger cars and commercial vehicle manufacturing. In 2009, India emerged as Asia's fourth largest exporter of passenger cars behind Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. India overtook Thailand in 2010 to become the 3rd largest exporter of passenger cars. Chennai is the biggest contributor producing 35% of India's revenue share. Mumbai & Pune contributes to 33% of the market whereas the National Capital Region contributes to 32%.

In addition to the major automobile producing companies, the automotive sector also include several automotive parts manufacturers. By 2011, there were over 3600 factories producing automotive parts across India. The average firm made up to US $6 Million in annual revenue.

Automobile sector has been a major employer in India for quite some time now. An automobile engineer has 3 options to choose from: Product or Design, Development and Manufacturing. Automobile engineering demands specialized training, lot of hard work, dedication and determination.

If you looking for a career in automotive sector, here are the number you should be earning. A graduate engineer at a major OEM may get stipend up to Rs. 30,000 per month during training and Rs. 40,000 after confirmation. An automobile engineer can earn somewhere between Rs. 2.5 LPA to 8.0 LPA along with bonuses and perks. With increasing experience and moving towards higher positions, the earnings can go as high as Rs. 30 Lakhs per annum.