FADA data showed that 1.123 million vehicles were sold in 10 days. Currently, electric vehicles account for more than one-tenth of sales.
The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said around 11.23 million vehicles were sold in Indian showrooms during the 10 days of Navratri this year. This is an increase of nearly 27% from Navratri 2024. This is a decrease of approximately 6.5% compared to last year. FADA released provisional data on October 21, the day after Dussehra.
At first glance, the decline relative to 2025 looks worrying, but FADA chairman Mr Sai Giridhar said it was “largely visual”. Last year the festival lasted eleven days instead of ten. It also comes amid the rollout of the GST 2.0 reforms, which, he said, “pull a wave of pent-up demand into an extraordinary window”. In other words, buyers waiting for a price drop flooded in all at once.
Two comparisons
FADA asked that this year be compared with 2024, which it called “the last truly comparable holiday.” By that measure, the numbers are strong. Sales increased in all major categories except construction equipment.
Two-wheelers drive growth. Sales volume was 834,000 vehicles, an increase of 32.4% compared to 2024. Sales of passenger cars (i.e. sedans and SUVs) reached 183,000 units, an increase of 10.4%. Three-wheelers grew by 19%, commercial vehicles by 16.5%, and tractors by 20.2%. Wheeled construction equipment is the exception, down 16.5% from 2024.
The extra day counts, too. Dividing the total by the number of days gives about 112,000 cars per day this year, compared with 109,000 per day last year. Well, on a day-to-day basis, this year’s Navratri is ahead of last year’s, instead of being about 3% behind.
car concern
This photo is not very comfortable for a car. Passenger car sales fell nearly 22% from last year, from 234,000 units to 183,000 units. Even on a daily basis, the decline is around 14%.
Mr Giridhar’s statement called the overall decline “marginal” and “superficial”. It made no mention of the car’s steep decline. Two-wheelers accounted for about three-quarters of total sales, leading to a decline in overall sales. Compared with last year, the decrease was only 2.8%. Last year, the GST 2.0 craze seemed to boost car sales far more than other categories.
Electric vehicles surge
The highlight is electrification. Electric vehicle sales were approximately 117,000 units, an increase of 26.78% over last year and an increase of 83% over 2024. They accounted for nearly 10.5% of holiday sales, up from about 7.7% a year ago.
The scope for growth is broad:
Electric two-wheelers: 75,758 units sold, 33.4% more than last year and 87% more than 2024. Electric vehicles: 12,305 units sold, 26% more than last year. Electric commercial vehicles: 1,288 units sold, nearly double last year’s 657 units, albeit from a smaller base. Electric tricycles: 28,086 units sold, an increase of 10.5%. They remain the most electrified segment, accounting for over 60% of all three-wheeler sales by my calculations.
Even though overall car sales fell 22%, electric vehicles grew 26%. Their car sales share increased from about 4.2% to about 6.7%. The FADA chairman said this shows that “India’s EV transformation has become self-sustaining.”
Holiday Outlook
FADA is now looking ahead to Dhanteras to Diwali period. “We remain cautiously optimistic: affordability is strong and aspiration continues to rise,” he said. He described auto retail as a reflection of “the enduring driver of India’s growth story”.