India’s auto industry is experiencing a significant surge in sales during the festive season of Dhanteras, with major automakers like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, and Hyundai Motor India reporting strong customer demand. The festive period, which spans two days, has given automakers an extended window to capitalize on the auspicious muhurats and push record volumes.
Maruti Suzuki is leading the charge, with projections of its highest-ever Dhanteras sales. The company expects to deliver 51,000 vehicles by Monday, a nearly 23% increase over last year’s 41,500 deliveries. According to Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer of Marketing & Sales, the increase is primarily due to the “GST 2.0 magic,” which has led to an unprecedented customer response, with 4.5 lakh bookings and 3.25 lakh retail sales, marking a growth of over 50% compared to the same period last year.
Other major automakers, such as Tata Motors and Hyundai Motor India, are also reporting robust growth. Tata Motors expects to deliver over 25,000 vehicles during the extended Dhanteras and Diwali period, while Hyundai Motor India anticipates around 14,000 units deliveries, approximately 20% higher than last year. The strong demand is attributed to the festive spirit, a buoyant market environment, and the encouraging impact of GST 2.0 reforms.
To manage the high demand, Maruti Suzuki’s showrooms are remaining open late into the night, and production is running even on holiday weekends. The company has already delivered 38,500 vehicles and expects to reach 41,000 by the end of the day. The traction is very good, with 14,000 bookings coming in every day. Overall, the Indian auto industry is witnessing a strong festive season, driven by the combination of festive spirit and the impact of GST 2.0 reforms.
The GST 2.0 reforms have provided a positive momentum to the industry, with customers responding enthusiastically to the price reduction announcements. The extended delivery window during the Dhanteras period has also helped automakers to push record volumes. As the festive season continues, it will be interesting to see how the industry performs and whether it can sustain the momentum in the coming months.