Vehicle registrations up 45% in September on festive demand; pure EV registrations rise 126%

India's automobile market saw strong activity in September 2026. According to VAHAN data, total vehicle registrations in the country so far this month have risen 45% compared with last year. Registrations of pure electric vehicles (EVs) grew 126%. Ganeshotsav fell in September this year, and festive demand appears to have benefited considerably.

By segment, two-wheeler registrations rose 48%, passenger vehicles 41% and commercial vehicles 44%. Within commercial vehicles, the medium and heavy commercial vehicle (M&HCV) segment performed well, with a 51% rise. Three-wheeler registrations also grew 26%.

However, the September 2025 base has to be kept in mind while comparing. Between September 1 and 21 last year, people were waiting for a cut in GST rates, so vehicle purchases were slow. The new GST rates came into effect on September 22, and registrations then jumped sharply. For this reason, this year's figures are comparatively affected by a low base.

Among two-wheelers, TVS Motor and Hero MotoCorp performed well, while Bajaj Auto and Royal Enfield lagged the segment as a whole. In electric two-wheelers, TVS maintained a market share of more than 26.6%. The share of the Bajaj Chetak rose by about 140 bps from the previous month, while that of Hero MotoCorp's Vida rose by about 150 bps.

In passenger vehicles, Hyundai, Mahindra & Mahindra's auto business and Maruti Suzuki performed strongly. Tata Motors' passenger vehicle business, on the other hand, trailed the overall market. In commercial vehicles, Tata Motors performed better than Ashok Leyland.

The most striking figure is the 126% rise in pure EV registrations. The percentage looks large because of the low base, but the numbers still show that electric mobility is expanding rapidly. Customer demand remained strong in the festive season, making September an important month for the auto market.