India auto sector posts record FY26 sales and exports; EV registrations rise 24.7%

SIAM said India’s auto industry contributed more than Rs 22.75 lakh crore and supported over 30 million jobs in FY2025-26. Sales and exports grew across vehicle segments, while EV registrations reached 2.5 million units as E20 compliance and PM E-DRIVE support cleaner-mobility adoption.

— Source publishedThu, 3 Sept, 2026, 18:12 IST·First seen Thu, 3 Sept, 2026, 18:27 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) · SIAM said Indian auto sales and exports hit records across passenger vehicles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers

Key facts

  • Auto sector contribution exceeded Rs 22.75 lakh crore
  • About 15% of India's GST collections
  • More than 30 million direct and indirect jobs
  • Passenger-vehicle sales: 4.6 million units in FY2025-26, up 7.9%
  • Passenger-vehicle exports: 0.91 million units, up 17.5%
  • Two-wheeler domestic sales: 21.71 million units, up 10.7%
  • Two-wheeler exports: 5.18 million units, up 23.4%
  • Three-wheeler domestic sales: 8.4 lakh units, up 12.8%
  • Three-wheeler exports: 4.6 lakh units, up 50.1%
  • Commercial-vehicle domestic sales: 10.80 lakh units, up 12.6%
  • Commercial-vehicle exports: 95,000 units, up 17.4%
  • EV registrations: 2.5 million units in FY2025-26 versus 1.97 million in FY2024-25, up 24.7%

Why this matters

The sector’s scale-up creates attractive targets for acquisitions and partnerships in EV components, battery ecosystems, charging networks, export logistics and E20-compatible technology.

What to watch

  • PM E-DRIVE disbursement pace, subsidy revisions and eligibility changes.
  • E20 rollout progress, fuel-price spreads and any policy shift affecting ICE versus EV ownership economics.
  • Public and residential charging-station additions, utilization rates and electricity-tariff changes.
  • Monthly EV registrations by two-wheeler, three-wheeler, passenger vehicle and commercial-vehicle segments.
  • Auto-loan approval rates, interest rates, delinquency trends and OEM discounting.
  • Battery-price movements, domestic cell-manufacturing output and imported-component availability.
  • Festival-season vehicle bookings and dealer inventory levels.
  • Expand EV-adjacent assortments including portable chargers, charging cables, helmets, riding gear, tyre-care products, dashcams and vehicle-cleaning categories.
  • Build partnerships with OEM dealers, charging operators, insurers and NBFCs to offer bundled ownership solutions and referral-led commerce.
  • Prioritize tier-2 and tier-3 markets for EV accessory inventory, service kiosks and localized online fulfillment.
  • Use financing, exchange and subscription offers to capture price-sensitive first-time EV buyers.
  • Track fleet and commercial-EV demand, which can create recurring bulk demand for charging equipment, maintenance supplies and replacement parts.