Vehicle sales set to hit record 3.2 crore in 2026 as Dhanteras deliveries surge

Vehicle sales in the country are expected to reach about 3.2 crore this year, the first time they will touch that level. This would be a rise of roughly 10 per cent over last year. Industry representatives say demand for vehicles was strong during the festive season, which is why the figure will be reached.

Sai Giridhar, president of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, said a total of 2.8 crore vehicles were sold in 2025, while about 3.2 crore sales are expected this year.

The festive season ran from Ganesh Chaturthi through Navratri to Dhanteras on November 6. In this period, retail vehicle sales reached 11.23 lakh units. Vehicle makers too had expected large deliveries, and the big companies had projected growth of twice last year's.

Partho Banerjee, a senior executive at Maruti Suzuki, said: "On Dhanteras we are going to deliver about 30,000 vehicles. Both the Brezza and the Baleno are getting a very good response. In just two months, Baleno sales have crossed 50,000 and Brezza sales have crossed 70,000. A large number of bookings for both cars are still pending." The company has dispatched more than 4 lakh vehicles since the start of the festive season, against 3.4 lakh in the same period last year.

A total of 31,72,466 vehicles were sold in October. This was a rise of about 25 per cent over the previous month, but sales were about 24 per cent lower than a year earlier. The fall in two-wheeler and passenger vehicle sales is cited as the main reason.

Tata Motors recorded growth of more than 20 per cent in the period. Amit Kamat, a Tata official, said: "We got a very good response on Dhanteras. We expect more than 12,000 vehicles to be delivered in a single day. Deliveries will continue until Diwali."

Hyundai also recorded good growth on Dhanteras. Tarun Garg, managing director of Hyundai, said: "Dhanteras and Diwali are the most auspicious days to bring home a new vehicle. This year too we are seeing strong demand from customers. We are going to deliver about 16,000 vehicles, which is 14 per cent more than last year."

October was the best month for commercial vehicles, three-wheelers and tractors. Two-wheeler sales were 23,21,419, a rise of 29 per cent over the previous month but a fall of 28 per cent over the year. Passenger vehicles sold 5,07,768, which is 18 per cent more than the previous month. This was the third-best October on record.

Passenger vehicle sales in 2026 are expected to reach 52 to 53 lakh, crossing the 50 lakh mark for the first time. Demand is coming from both cities and villages, with urban areas accounting for about 60 per cent and rural areas 40 per cent. The rural market is very important for entry-level cars and two-wheelers. Giridhar said: "If the condition in villages is good, sales of entry-level cars will also be good."

Vehicle stock currently stands at 43 to 45 days. Sales from Dhanteras to Diwali are expected to bring it below 30 days. Giridhar said that if stock does not come down to around 30 days, everyone will have to spend money to clear inventory at the end of the year.

Electric vehicle (EV) sales in October reached 3.55 lakh, the highest ever. Giridhar said: "It is not that there is no demand for EVs. The real problem is getting the vehicles." Hybrid and CNG vehicles are also getting a good response. On the whole, the outlook is hopeful, but dealers are worried about a post-festival slowdown, supply problems and higher interest rates.