- Passenger vehicle registrations fell 13.66% during the first nine days of Navratri 2026
- Three-wheeler sales declined 1.65% to 43,057 units in the same period
- Overall vehicle registrations rose nearly 2% to 10.32 lakh units year-on-year
Passenger vehicle registrations plunged 13.66% year-on-year during the first nine days of Navratri 2026, even as overall vehicle retails crossed the 10-lakh mark, according to provisional industry estimates. Three-wheeler registrations also declined, highlighting the uneven trend in festive-season demand.
Passenger vehicle registrations stood at 1.72 lakh units, down from the year-ago period, while three-wheeler sales fell 1.65% to 43,057 units. Overall vehicle registrations rose nearly 2% to 10.32 lakh units in the first nine days of Navratri, compared with 10.12 lakh units during the corresponding period last year.
Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) President Sai Girdhar told NDTV Profit that last year's GST-led demand boost had created a higher base for comparison, particularly for passenger vehicles. He also pointed to the shorter festive window this year.
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Navratri commenced on October 11 this year and spans 10 days, including Dussehra, compared with 11 days last year.
Girdhar said buyers had deferred purchases ahead of the revised GST rates, which came into effect on September 22, leading to pent-up demand around the transition.
An auto dealer, who did not wish to be identified, said the decline should not be interpreted as a broad-based demand slowdown, arguing that last year's GST cuts had significantly boosted passenger vehicle sales and lifted the comparison base.
Commercial vehicle registrations rose 14.21% to 34,120 units, while construction equipment sales increased 10.86% to 2,185 units.The dealer attributed the growth in commercial vehicles to freight demand, fleet replacement and infrastructure-related activity. Construction equipment sales also benefited from a lower base in the year-ago period.
Two-wheeler registrations rose 5.78% to 7.60 lakh units, providing the largest volume contribution among vehicle categories. FADA said the figures are provisional and that the full retail data will be released in the next two days.
The early numbers present a mixed picture for the auto industry, with overall registrations growing marginally but passenger vehicle sales contracting sharply amid a high base and changes in the timing of festive purchases.
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