Copyright thehindubusinessline
Improved consumer sentiment, driven by GST 2.0 reforms, discounts, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) offerings, and financing schemes, led to decent sales by Indian auto makers in October. Maruti, Tata, Mahindra lead the pack with double-digit gains The country’s largest passenger vehicle maker, Maruti Suzuki India, reported a double-digit increase in domestic wholesales to 1,76,318 units in October, compared with 1,59,591 units in the corresponding month last year. The company stated that it saw a significant increase in the retail sales contribution of small cars. Between April and September, the retail sales contribution was 16.7 per cent, and post-GST implementation, it is now 20.5 per cent. Mahindra & Mahindra reported domestic wholesales of 71,624 units, a 31 per cent year-on-year increase from 54,504 units in the same month last year. The company also unveiled its all-electric SUV, the XEV 9S, a 7-seater built on Mahindra’s advanced INGLO platform. Tata Motors reported a 27 per cent year-on-year growth to 61,134 units in the domestic market in October, as compared with 48,141 units in October 2024, owing to record electric vehicle wholesales. The company saw a 73 per cent year-on-year increase in electric vehicle wholesales at 9,286 units. Kia India reported 30 per cent year-on-year growth, registering sales of 29,556 units in October 2025, up from 22,735 units in October 2024. Overall, passenger vehicle industry retail sales are expected to grow by 12 per cent in October. “In October, we had a growth of almost 20 per cent as compared to last year. Our vehicle market share will be around 43.5 per cent. We have a network stock of 1,04,000 vehicles, which stands for 19 days’ stock. Our endeavour is now to supply more vehicles, and our production team is working. Our production team is working on Sunday as well to maximise production. The 40-day festival period is completed, and we had 5,00,000 bookings in this period. The retail sales were 4,01,000 units in the 40-day period, which is almost double that of last year,” said Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer - Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki. The company will run ‘Pragati ka Tyohar’, a month-long campaign aimed at two-wheeler owners who are looking to upgrade to four-wheelers. The campaign will offer tailor-made solutions for consumers, including easy financing options. OEMs focus on new buyers, EVs drive future-ready momentum “The overall industry has not grown for the last two years. Growth of 1 and 2 per cent is as good as no growth. Resizing from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) A to OEM B is happening when new models are launched. Therefore, when the revised GST was implemented, we thought being the market leader, we should expand the market. The market expansion will happen only when two-wheeler customers upgrade to four-wheelers,” added Banerjee. The total vehicle sales stand at 120,142 units, a 26 per cent growth compared to the same month last year. October also saw the launch of the new editions of Thar, Bolero & Bolero Neo,” said Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO, Automotive Division, M&M Ltd. “Our diverse product portfolio continues to connect strongly with evolving consumer needs. The growing contribution of our EV range further validates our direction toward future-ready, sustainable mobility solutions for India. This achievement inspires us to continue delivering vehicles that combine technology, safety, and style for a progressive driving experience,” said Atul Sood, Senior Vice-President and National Head, Sales and Marketing, Kia India. However, Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) reported a 3% year-on-year decline in domestic sales to 53,792 units in October, compared to 55,568 units in the corresponding month last year. “We witnessed robust market demand and high consumer enthusiasm leading to second second-highest monthly sales of our formidable SUV duo – the Hyundai CRETA and VENUE combined, with 30,119 units sold. We expect to accelerate this momentum with the upcoming launch of the all-new Hyundai VENUE, which is already open for bookings,” Tarun Garg, Whole-time Director & Chief Operating Officer, HMIL. Two-wheelers show mixed trends In the two-wheeler segment, TVS Motor Company reported an 8 per cent year-on-year growth to 4,21,631 units in October as compared with 3,90,489 units in October 2024. However, Suzuki Motorcycle India reported a 1 per cent decline to 1,03,454 units in October, compared with 1,04,940 units in the same month last year. Published on November 1, 2025
