GST 2.0 and the Festive Boom Drive India's October Auto Sales Boom
GST 2.0 and the Festive Boom Drive India's October Auto Sales Boom
October's 40.5% monthly retail increase demonstrates the importance of timing: policy change combined with a holiday spike.
The growth engines of this comeback were small vehicles, two-wheelers, rural consumers, and first-time car owners.
India's auto retail sector reached its highest-ever monthly sales across all categories in October 2025. The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) reports that the total number of vehicles sold at retail increased by 40.5% annually to over 4.02 million units.
Sales of passenger cars increased by about 11.4% to 557,000.
Retail sales of two-wheelers increased by roughly 51.8% to 3.15 million units.
Overall retail sales increased by almost 21% year over year during the 42-day holiday period (Dussehra through Diwali).
Strong rural demand and tax relief under GST 2.0, which lowered GST rates on small automobiles and entry-level vehicles, contributed to the increase.
Here is a summary of the October 2025 performance of some of the major manufacturers of passenger cars:
| OEM | Units sold approximately | Year-on-year growth |
|---|---|---|
| Maruti Suzuki | 176,318 units | 10–11% increase |
| Tata Motors (PV) | 61,295 units | 26.6% growth |
| Mahindra & Mahindra (PV/SUV) | 71,624 units | 31% increase |
| Hyundai Motor India | 53,792 units | 3-4% decrease |
About 70% of monthly passenger vehicle volumes were accounted for by Maruti, Tata, and Mahindra together.
Many entry-level cars (engine up to 1,200 cc petrol or 1,500 cc diesel under 4m length) had their GST reduced from 28% to 18% under the new tax regime. This tax relief greatly enhanced affordability.
The extended holiday season increased consumer spending and optimism. Dealers reported good conversion rates and heavy foot traffic.
Sales of passenger vehicles in rural areas increased more than three times faster than those in urban areas, and the rise of two-wheelers in rural areas was almost double that of urban areas. Infrastructure spending and increased farm earnings were beneficial.
Passenger car inventory levels dropped to about 53–55 days (a decrease of 5–7 days), suggesting improved supply and demand alignment.
Analysts caution that even while October's spike was remarkable, some of the demand was pent-up and would soon fall off. However, the fundamentals, strong rural incomes, rising first-time buyers, and tax relief under GST 2.0 indicate a more stable long-term trajectory. With the introduction of new compact and small SUV models, automakers plan to continue on this momentum, concentrating on entry-level markets that have significantly increased in popularity.
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