Navratri 2026 Vehicle Retail Crosses 11.23 Lakh Units; EV Sales Surge 27% Despite Overall Decline
India's automobile retail market recorded 11.23 lakh vehicle registrations during Navratri 2026, reflecting 26.76% growth over the comparable 2024 festive period. However, registrations declined 6.52% compared with Navratri 2025, while electric vehicles emerged as a major growth driver.
India's automotive retail sector registered 11,23,086 vehicles between October 11 and 20, 2026, according to provisional data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA).
Although the headline figures indicate a 6.52% decline from the previous year, FADA highlighted an important distinction: Navratri 2025 covered 11 days, compared with 10 days in 2026, and benefited from exceptional demand following the GST 2.0 rollout.
Compared with the 10-day Navratri 2024 period, vehicle registrations grew 26.76%, with two-wheelers, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and tractors all recording growth.
Navratri 2026: Segment-Wise Vehicle Retail
Category | Navratri 2026 | Vs 2025 | Vs 2024 |
Two-wheelers | 8,34,075 | -2.79% | +32.41% |
Passenger vehicles | 1,82,728 | -21.91% | +10.39% |
Three-wheelers | 45,735 | -7.51% | +19.04% |
Commercial vehicles | 35,618 | +1.12% | +16.47% |
Tractors | 22,690 | +0.89% | +20.21% |
Construction equipment | 2,240 | -1.97% | -16.45% |
Total | 11,23,086 | -6.52% | +26.76% |
Two-Wheelers Dominate Festive Retail
Two-wheelers continued to account for the largest share of India's festive vehicle demand, with 8,34,075 registrations, representing approximately 74.3% of total vehicle retail.
Although two-wheeler sales declined 2.79% compared with Navratri 2025, registrations increased 32.41% over 2024, suggesting a considerably stronger market relative to the earlier comparable festive period.
Passenger Vehicle Retail Falls Nearly 22%
Passenger vehicle registrations reached 1,82,728 units, compared with 2,34,004 units in Navratri 2025, reflecting a sharp 21.91% decline.
However, against Navratri 2024 registrations of 1,65,534 units, passenger vehicle retail expanded 10.39%.
The differing performance underscores the impact of the unusually strong 2025 festive base and the additional day included in last year's reporting period.
EV Retail Emerges as the Biggest Highlight
Electric vehicle registrations reached 1,17,437 units, compared with 92,628 units in 2025, an increase of 26.78%.
EVs represented approximately 10.46% of total festive vehicle retail, up from 7.71% a year earlier, signalling expanding adoption across multiple segments.
EV category | Navratri 2026 | YoY growth |
Electric two-wheelers | 75,758 | +33.41% |
Electric three-wheelers | 28,086 | +10.51% |
Electric passenger vehicles | 12,305 | +25.97% |
Electric commercial vehicles | 1,288 | +96.04% |
Total EVs | 1,17,437 | +26.78% |
Electric two-wheelers led in absolute volumes, while electric commercial vehicles recorded the highest percentage growth from a relatively small base. Electric passenger vehicles also grew strongly, with their share of overall passenger vehicle registrations rising to approximately 6.7%.
Commercial Vehicles and Tractors Maintain Growth
Commercial vehicle registrations increased 1.12% over Navratri 2025 to 35,618 units, while tractor registrations rose marginally by 0.89% to 22,690 units.
Against 2024, commercial vehicles and tractors delivered stronger growth of 16.47% and 20.21%, respectively.
Three-wheelers declined 7.51% year-on-year to 45,735 units, although registrations remained 19.04% above 2024 levels.
What FADA Says About Festive Demand
FADA President Sai Giridhar described Navratri 2026 as a fundamentally healthy period when measured against the comparable 2024 festive window.
The association attributed much of the year-on-year decline to the additional day of retail activity in Navratri 2025 and demand brought forward by GST-related changes.
FADA also highlighted the steady expansion of EV penetration and expressed cautious optimism about consumer demand through the Dhanteras-to-Diwali festive period.
Auto Punditz Take
Navratri 2026 presents a more nuanced picture than the headline decline of 6.52% suggests.
The comparison with Navratri 2024 indicates positive underlying retail momentum, particularly in two-wheelers and passenger vehicles. However, the steep decline in passenger vehicle registrations against 2025 cannot be ignored, even allowing for differences in the festive calendar.
The most important structural development is the growth of electric vehicles despite weaker overall registrations. EV penetration moving past 10% during the festive period indicates that electrification is becoming an increasingly important component of automotive demand.
Another useful perspective comes from daily registration averages: approximately 1.12 lakh vehicles were registered per day in Navratri 2026, compared with 1.09 lakh per day in the longer 2025 period. This suggests a roughly 2.8% increase in daily registration pace, although it is not a substitute for a fully calendar-adjusted comparison.
The Dhanteras-to-Diwali period will provide a clearer indication of whether the broader automotive market can sustain this festive momentum.
Data note: FADA's provisional figures were compiled from 1,468 of 1,469 RTOs as of October 21, 2026. Telangana registrations for three-wheelers, commercial vehicles and tractors were unavailable for the specified period. These are retail registrations, not OEM wholesale dispatches.
