Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Hyundai India faces boycott calls over Pakistan partner’s tweet

Hyundai India faces boycott calls over Pakistan partner’s tweet

South Korea's Hyundai Motor faced calls on Monday (7) for a boycott of its cars from Indians incensed over a tweet from the account of its Pakistan partner that expressed solidarity for the people of Kashmir.

The row erupted last Sunday (6), a day after Pakistan marked the annual Kashmir Solidarity Day and the posts on behalf of Hyundai's partner Nishat Group appeared on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram commemorating the sacrifices of Kashmiris struggling for self-determination.

Hundreds of social media users in India, which considers Kashmir as an integral part of the country, backed calls for a boycott, saying Hyundai must apologise for being insensitive to India's position on the decades-old dispute.

Dozens of Indians posted their intention to cancel orders for Hyundai cars in order to punish the company while urging support for homegrown brands like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra.

Responding to the furore, Hyundai's India unit said it has a "zero tolerance policy towards insensitive communication and we strongly condemn any such view".

"The unsolicited social media post linking Hyundai Motor India is offending our unparalleled commitment and service to this great country," @HyundaiIndia said, adding that it stands firmly behind its "strong ethos of respecting nationalism".

Reuters requested comment from Hyundai's headquarters in Seoul and from Nishat Group, Pakistan's largest business conglomerate, but did not receive any immediate response.

Hyundai is India's second-largest car maker after Maruti Suzuki selling close to half a million vehicles in the country last fiscal year and exporting over a million units, making it India's largest car exporter.

Ashwani Mahajan, an official at the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) group with close ties to prime minister Narendra Modi's government said Hyundai should clarify its position on Kashmir.

"While not criticising @HyundaiPakistan Indian arm of @Hyundai_Global is not even saying that Kashmir is an integral part of India. Speaks tons about their commitment to India. Doesn't this call for #BoycottHyundai?", he said.

Indian Twitter user Ashutosh Soni said he cancelled his booking for Hyundai's Verna sedan which was due to be delivered this month and purchased a car from rival Honda Motor.

"#BoycottHyundai, that's it!", Soni tweeted from his handle @CA_AshutoshSoni last Sunday, along with a photograph of himself taking delivery of a new Honda car.

"Let's make them bankrupt. India is one of the biggest market for cars," filmmaker and social activist, Ashoke Pandit said on Twitter with a screenshot of a fall in Hyundai's share price on Monday (7).

While Hyundai's share fell 1.25 per cent on Monday, weakening more than Seoul's benchmark index, the main factors behind the drop were concerns over record numbers of Covid-19 cases in South Korea, and ongoing worries that a global chip shortage could hit production and sales.

The trouble over the social media post highlights the risks global companies face amid rising nationalism in the region.

India and Pakistan have twice gone to war over Kashmir and Modi's government has pursued a policy to combat a militant separatist insurgency that it accuses Pakistan of stoking. Islamabad denies the charge but says it provides moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people.

Twitter users in India have made similar calls in the past, seeking to boycott Chinese goods in 2020 after a border clash between the two Asian giants which disrupted automobile supply chains and other industries.

Amazon.com Inc has also faced social media backlash in India after its overseas website was found selling goods with faces of Hindu gods and other sacred symbols.

(Reuters)

More For You

Modi & Trump

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House on February 13, 2025.

Reuters

India, US to discuss trade issues after tariff hike

INDIA and the United States will hold trade discussions in New Delhi on Tuesday, officials and Indian media reports said, as the two countries look to resolve a tariff dispute.

India currently faces high US tariffs on most of its exports and has not yet been able to reach a trade deal that would ease the pressure.

Keep ReadingShow less
Piyush Goyal

Piyush Goyal recalled that in February, Narendra Modi and Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Trade talks with US moving forward positively, says Indian minister Goyal

INDIA’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that negotiations on the proposed trade agreement between India and the United States, which began in March, are progressing in a positive atmosphere and both sides are satisfied with the discussions.

He recalled that in February, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Baiju Bhatt

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. (Photo: Getty Images)

Baiju Bhatt named among youngest billionaires in US by Forbes

INDIAN-AMERICAN entrepreneur Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of the commission-free trading platform Robinhood, has been named among the 10 youngest billionaires in the United States in the 2025 Forbes 400 list.

At 40, Bhatt is the only person of Indian origin in this group, which includes figures such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. Forbes estimates his net worth at around USD 6–7 billion (£4.4–5.1 billion), primarily from his roughly 6 per cent ownership in Robinhood.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Economy shows no growth in July amid political turbulence

UK's ECONOMY showed no growth in July, according to official data released on Friday, adding to a difficult week for prime minister Keir Starmer’s government.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product was flat in July, following a 0.4 per cent rise in June.

Keep ReadingShow less
India’s IT sector

India’s $283 billion IT industry, which contributes more than 7 per cent to the country’s GDP, has for over three decades provided services to major clients including Apple, American Express, Cisco, Citigroup, FedEx and Home Depot.

iStock

India’s IT sector faces uncertainty as US proposes 25 per cent outsourcing tax

INDIA’s IT sector is facing uncertainty as US lawmakers consider a 25 per cent tax on companies using foreign outsourcing services.

Analysts and lawyers said the proposal has led to customers delaying or re-negotiating contracts, raising concerns in India, the world’s largest outsourcing hub.

Keep ReadingShow less