India PV Retail Sales Drop 14.2% YoY in October 2026

Passenger vehicle retail sales in India registered a year-on-year decrease during October 2026, according to figures published by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). Total registrations dropped 14.23 per cent to 5,07,768 units, compared to 5,92,032 units recorded in the corresponding month of the previous year. Despite the annual decline, the market showed a month-on-month recovery of 18.86 per cent compared to September 2026, when passenger vehicle registrations stood at 4,27,213 units, signaling an upward movement from the preceding month even though totals remained lower than the previous year's figures.

Powertrain Trends and Market Share Shifts

A notable aspect of the October 2026 data was the expansion in market contribution from electric and hybrid vehicles within the Indian passenger vehicle sector. Electric vehicles captured 7.30 per cent of total registrations, marking a rise from 3.55 per cent in October 2025. Similarly, hybrid vehicles elevated their market portion from 6.96 per cent to 9.94 per cent during the same timeframe. Based on these reported market shares, electric vehicle registrations are estimated to have climbed by roughly 76 per cent year-on-year, whereas hybrid vehicle registrations expanded by about 23 per cent.

Conversely, petrol and ethanol-fuelled automobiles maintained the largest overall market portion at 41.60 per cent, despite dropping substantially from 48.96 per cent a year earlier. Diesel-powered models also experienced a reduction, with their portion dropping from 17.34 per cent down to 16.57 per cent. Meanwhile, compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas vehicles enhanced their collective market portion from 23.20 per cent to 24.59 per cent.

Manufacturer Performance and Rankings

Maruti Suzuki retained its top standing in the Indian passenger vehicle retail sector, reporting 2,11,996 units during October 2026. The manufacturer held 41.75 per cent of all passenger vehicle registrations, compared to 42.15 per cent in October 2025, while observing a year-on-year retail volume decline of about 15 per cent. Tata Motors captured the second position with 73,449 registrations and a market portion of 14.47 per cent. Mahindra secured the third spot with 64,982 units and a 12.80 per cent market portion.

Hyundai took the fourth position with 58,099 registrations, representing 11.44 per cent of the market, while Kia completed the top five group with 30,799 units and a 6.07 per cent market portion. Every manufacturer among the top five suffered a year-on-year drop in retail registrations. Tata Motors posted the smallest decrease among the top five at approximately 8.2 per cent, whereas Hyundai suffered the largest reduction at around 16.4 per cent.

Implications for Buyers

The October 2026 statistics demonstrate an ongoing transition in the domestic passenger vehicle powertrain composition as eco-friendly alternatives gain ground. Even though total retail registrations remain constrained compared to last year's figures, buyers are increasingly adopting electric, hybrid, and CNG options alongside traditional internal combustion engines.