The automotive industry has experienced significant globalisation since the 2000s, particularly through the integration of Global Value Chains (GVCs). However, this has led to ambivalent outcomes for catching-up. The Indian and Brazilian automotive sectors represent two industries in large emerging economies that have not successfully caught up to core countries, in contrast to China. In this chapter, we examine economic and social upgrading in the Indian and Brazilian automotive industries. We consider historically developed positions, industry characteristics and current key developments, including the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, companies’ strategies and the role of state programmes, particularly industrial policy—with a primary focus on the current key trajectory towards electrification. We conclude that India has achieved stronger market success and earlier electrification than Brazil, but has a significantly worse record in terms of social upgrading. In contrast, the Brazilian sector lacks substantial economic upgrading but shows historically developed strong social upgrading. Later in the chapter, we provide explanatory factors for these findings.