News in Short
- Maruti Suzuki delivered around 30,000 cars on Dhanteras 2026.
- Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles retailed 12,000 units on the day.
- Hyundai expects to deliver around 16,000 vehicles across Dhanteras and Diwali.
- Maruti reported over 4 lakh retail sales between Ganesh Chaturthi and November 6.
- Passenger vehicle wholesale and retail volumes crossed 5 lakh units in October 2026.
India’s festive car-buying rush delivered strong numbers on Dhanteras 2026. Maruti Suzuki delivered around 30,000 vehicles, while Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles retailed 12,000 units. Hyundai Motor India expects to deliver approximately 16,000 vehicles across Dhanteras and Diwali.
The numbers reflect strong demand during the festive season. Automakers also reported healthy retail momentum beyond the traditional auspicious buying days.
Maruti Suzuki leads Dhanteras deliveries
Maruti Suzuki expects to have delivered around 30,000 vehicles on Dhanteras. The company also reported strong sales momentum throughout the festive period.
Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales at Maruti Suzuki, said retail sales crossed 4 lakh vehicles between Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14 and November 6. During the corresponding period last year, the company recorded 3.46 lakh units.
Two models have contributed to this momentum. Maruti said the Baleno crossed 50,000 sales in two months, while the Brezza crossed 70,000 units. Both models also have substantial pending bookings.
Tata Motors and Hyundai report strong festive demand
Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles expected single-day Dhanteras deliveries to cross 12,000 units. The company also reported retail growth of over 20% since Ganesh Chaturthi compared with the same period last year.
Amit Kamat, Chief Commercial Officer at Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, said Diwali muhurat deliveries would continue until Wednesday. The company expects demand to remain strong during the coming days.
Hyundai Motor India expects to deliver around 16,000 vehicles across Dhanteras and Diwali. According to Managing Director and CEO Tarun Garg, this would represent nearly 14% growth over last year.
The figures highlight the strong festive response across three major passenger vehicle manufacturers. However, Hyundai’s number covers both Dhanteras and Diwali, unlike the single-day figures reported by Maruti and Tata.
October passenger vehicle volumes cross 5 lakh
The festive demand also supported strong passenger vehicle volumes in October 2026. Wholesale and retail volumes both stood above 5 lakh units during the month.
Earlier, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) data showed that passenger vehicle sales during Navratri 2026 reached 1.83 lakh units. This represented a 22% decline year-on-year, but a 10% increase over Navratri 2024.
Mahindra & Mahindra also reported strong demand during the festive period. Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director and CEO of its Auto and Farm Sector, said the company was the fastest-growing brand over the approximately 25-day period tracked from Navratri. This assessment was based on comparable festive-day VAHAN registration data.
Jejurikar added that physical SUV stocks were close to zero across most of Mahindra’s portfolio. Dealerships had less than eight to nine days of stock, excluding vehicles in transit. The company was operating at full capacity, with October volumes exceeding previously indicated capacity levels.
Mahindra also reported strong demand for its electric SUV portfolio during October. It continues to expect mid-to-high-teen growth for its SUVs in FY27.
The festive season has therefore delivered strong signals for India’s passenger vehicle market. Maruti, Tata and Hyundai reported healthy customer demand, while Mahindra highlighted tight dealership inventory and capacity utilisation.
