Festive boost drives record October car sales for Maruti, Tata, Mahindra

The Indian passenger vehicle market ended October 2025 on a celebratory note. The country’s leading automakers, from Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra to Tata Motors, Kia and Toyota, have reported record domestic sales in October, fuelled by strong festive demand and an improved post-GST business climate.

Maruti Suzuki leads the charge with festive record

Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest carmaker, clocked its highest-ever retail sales in October, delivering 2.42 lakh units, up nearly 20 per cent year-on-year. According to Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer for Marketing & Sales, the company registered over five lakh bookings during the 40-day festive window starting Navratri, converting about 4.1 lakh of them into retail sales, double last year’s tally.

“Post-GST 2.0, we’ve seen stronger footfalls from first-time buyers," Banerjee noted, adding that improved price transparency and dealer margins have helped sustain the momentum. Maruti’s domestic passenger vehicle wholesales stood at 1.76 lakh units, another all-time high.

Mahindra, Tata, Kia hit new peaks with SUVs

Mahindra & Mahindra sold a record 71,624 SUVs last month, up 31 per cent from a year ago, marking its best-ever monthly tally. “This is our highest SUV sales in a single month," said Nalinikanth Gollagunta, CEO of Mahindra’s automotive division, adding that demand for the Scorpio-N and XUV700 continues to outpace supply.

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles followed close behind with its best-ever wholesales of 61,295 units, a 26.6 per cent jump year-on-year. The company said SUVs contributed over 77 per cent of total monthly sales, led by the Nexon, Punch and Harrier range.

South Korean automaker Kia India also hit a milestone with 29,556 units, its best-ever month since debuting in India. Atul Sood, Senior Vice-President (Sales & Marketing), said, “Our diverse product portfolio continues to resonate with evolving consumer needs, while our growing EV contribution validates our direction toward future-ready mobility."

Toyota and Skoda record strong gains

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) reported a 39 per cent jump in October sales, touching 42,892 units, up from 30,845 last year. Varinder Wadhwa, Vice-President for Sales, Service and Used Car Business, said, “The positive economic environment and festive sentiment have fuelled strong enquiries and order intakes."

Skoda Auto India also joined the record club, selling 8,252 units, its highest-ever monthly figure. Between January and October, the brand has already surpassed its full-year sales record from 2022, clocking 61,607 units.

For India’s auto sector, this October’s numbers underline two clear trends: the rise of SUVs as the dominant body style, and the return of strong consumer sentiment across income brackets.

While HMIL recorded a marginal 3 per cent dip at 53,792 units, it was its second-highest ever monthly sales for Creta and Venue combined, indicating sustained demand for the two models.

As India moves deeper into the festive quarter, automakers are hopeful that this momentum will last into early 2026, buoyed by rural recovery, new launches, and sustained traction in the mid-size SUV category.

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