NEW DELHI, India — India’s automobile industry posted its strongest-ever January performance, with domestic passenger vehicle sales rising 12.6 percent year over year to 449,616 units, up from 399,386 units a year earlier, according to data released Friday by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.
Total sales across passenger vehicles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and quadricycles reached 2,927,394 units during the month, reflecting broad-based growth across segments.
Three-wheelers recorded particularly strong momentum, with sales climbing 30.2 percent year over year to 75,725 units, compared with 58,167 units in January 2025.
“Passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and three-wheelers posted their highest-ever sales for January in 2026, with double-digit growth, compared to January 2025,” said Rajesh Menon, director general of SIAM.
Menon said the new year has begun on a positive note, extending the strong momentum seen in the previous quarter, supported by sustained consumer demand following the reduction in goods and services tax rates.
He added that measures announced in the Union Budget 2026 to strengthen India’s manufacturing base, combined with existing policy support, are expected to provide long-term benefits to the sector and underpin medium-term growth.
In the two-wheeler category, scooter sales surged 36.9 percent year over year to 750,580 units, up from 548,201 units a year earlier. Motorcycle sales rose 20.3 percent to 1,126,416 units, compared with 936,145 units in January 2025, while moped sales increased 16.1 percent to 48,607 units.
Passenger three-wheeler sales climbed 30.4 percent year over year to 60,881 units, up from 46,674 units in the same month last year. Sales of three-wheeler transport vehicles rose 33.4 percent to 13,374 units, compared with 10,029 units previously.
E-rickshaw sales, however, declined 7.9 percent to 925 units, down from 1,004 units in January 2025. (Source: IANS)
