India October 2026 car sales reach record 5.24 lakh, led by Maruti Suzuki

India's passenger vehicle market posted a record 5,24,226 units sold in October 2026, up 12.3% from a year earlier. The surge was driven primarily by Maruti Suzuki, which dispatched 2,12,384 passenger vehicles – a 20.5% year-on-year increase and the highest monthly domestic sales in the company's history. Including exports and other categories, Maruti's total sales reached a record 2,76,120 units.

Tata Motors posted its strongest October ever with 73,894 domestic passenger vehicles, a 20.9% rise and a 7.4% sequential gain, reclaiming second place in the market ahead of Mahindra by 556 units. Mahindra recorded a new peak of 73,338 domestic SUV dispatches, up 2.4% year-on-year and 14.4% month-on-month, though its market share slipped to 14.0%.

Hyundai Motor India delivered 62,799 vehicles, marking a 16.7% year-on-year increase and 9.9% sequential growth. Kia India achieved its highest monthly volume since entering the market in 2019, with 33,462 units – a 13.2% year-on-year rise and 4.5% sequential improvement.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor saw a sharp decline, selling 29,521 units, down 26.7% year-on-year but up 18.0% from September, with its market share falling to 5.6%. Nissan, MG, Honda, VinFast and other manufacturers posted mixed results, ranging from strong year-on-year gains for Nissan (37.4%) to double-digit declines for Volkswagen and Citroën.

The five leading OEMs – Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Mahindra, Hyundai and Kia – together accounted for roughly 87% of total sales, underscoring the concentration of growth among the largest players. Maruti Suzuki contributed about 63% of the industry's net increase of 57,412 units, helping it regain a market share above 40%.

Analysts note that competition for the second spot in the market has tightened, with Tata and Mahindra closely matched, while the performance gap between leading and smaller manufacturers has widened, reflecting divergent demand across vehicle segments.