Maruti Suzuki Records 4.5 Lakh Festive Bookings and Sells 3.25 Lakh Cars

Car Sales Jump as Maruti Leads India’s Strongest Festive Season in Years with 4.5 lakh bookings after GST cuts.

Maruti Suzuki recorded 4.5 lakh bookings and sold 3.25 lakh vehicles during this year’s festive season between Navratri and Diwali. This is the company’s strongest festive performance in more than ten years. Across the industry, car sales rose by 15 to 35 percent compared to last year. The main reason was the GST rate cut announced on September 22.

The GST Council lowered the tax on cars under four meters from 28 percent to 18 percent. This led to showroom price drops of about 12 to 15 percent, much higher than the usual festive discounts of 5 to 7 percent. Many buyers who had delayed their plans finally made purchases because cars became noticeably cheaper. Manufacturers also offered finance schemes and exchange bonuses, creating the best buying environment in years.

Maruti broke records on Dhanteras by selling 51,000 cars in a single day, compared to 41,500 last year. Across all brands, more than one lakh cars were sold during the two days of Dhanteras, worth nearly ₹8,000 to ₹8,500 crore in total. Showrooms stayed open late into the night to complete deliveries as customers lined up to take home their new cars on the festival day.

The return of strong demand for small cars surprised the industry. Maruti received 94,000 bookings for models like the Alto, S-Presso, Celerio, and WagonR. This is almost double the figure from last year. Dealers said many two-wheeler owners are now choosing to upgrade directly to small cars. The GST cut has made ownership easier for first-time buyers and revived the entry-level segment after years of decline.

Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales at Maruti Suzuki, said the company is now getting nearly 14,000 bookings daily, up from an average of 10,000 earlier. Production teams worked extra shifts, including Sundays and holidays, to keep up with demand. The company used rail transport more widely to move cars from its Gujarat plant to markets as far as Jammu and Punjab. Even with these efforts, some models may see shortages after Diwali.

Tata Motors also posted a strong performance, delivering over one lakh vehicles during the festive period, a 33 percent rise from last year. The Nexon led sales with 38,000 units, growing 73 percent, while the Punch added 32,000 units, up 29 percent. Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, said their electric vehicles crossed 10,000 deliveries, an increase of 37 percent. EV models like the Tiago EV and Punch EV are now seeing higher acceptance among mainstream buyers.

Hyundai Motor India reported 30 percent growth in sales, with average daily deliveries of about 2,500 cars. Tarun Garg, Chief Operating Officer, said customer inquiries increased 10 percent year-on-year and bookings rose 17 percent. On Dhanteras alone, Hyundai sold nearly 14,000 cars, 20 percent higher than last year.

Sales data shows that smaller cities drove much of this growth. Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets outperformed metro areas. Vinkesh Gulati, Chairperson of the Automotive Skills Development Council, said demand from smaller towns picked up quickly after the GST changes. The tax reduction helped improve affordability, especially for first-time buyers outside major cities.

Experts believe the strong numbers also reflect buyers advancing their purchases. Many who planned to buy later in the year decided to act early to take advantage of lower prices. C S Vigneshwar, President of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, said the festive season could set new sales records once final figures are tallied, but he expects a slight slowdown in the coming months as demand stabilizes.

Maruti’s performance stands out in a country where car ownership remains low at about 34 per 1,000 people. The GST cut has encouraged many motorcycle users to move to small cars, which is vital for the long-term growth of the auto market. As more first-time buyers enter the segment, they are likely to upgrade again in a few years, creating a stronger foundation for future demand.