Auto Retail Sales Hit Record 24.23 Lakh Units in August; Alternative-Fuel PVs Overtake Petrol: FADA

New Delhi: Automobile retail sales in India grew 17.51 per cent to a record 24,23,201 units in August, riding on continued momentum of GST 2.0 despite a seasonal monsoon lull and the delayed onset of the festive calendar, FADA said on Monday.

In August last year, total automobile retail sales in India stood at 20,62,038 units, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said in a statement.

For the first time in India’s history, PV alternative-fuel share (CNG + Hybrid + EV) reached 41.95 per cent, overtaking petrol (40.85 per cent), it shared.

“August 2026 delivered the biggest-ever August in Indian auto retail, with the industry registering 24,23,201 units, up 17.51 per cent YoY, even as retails eased 6.48 per cent over a record July on the seasonal monsoon lull and a festival calendar that shifted Ganesh Chaturthi and the spillover of Onam-led buying into September,” FADA President Sai Giridhar said.

According to him, the defining development of the month, however, was a structural one: for the first time in India’s history, alternative fuels – CNG, hybrid and electric combined – overtook petrol in the Passenger Vehicle market, at 41.95 per cent against petrol’s 40.85 per cent. A little over a year ago petrol led this contest by nearly eleven percentage points; that lead has now been erased.

“… Much of the YoY strength rests on a soft August 2025 base, when buyers had deferred purchases awaiting the GST 2.0 rate cut, and dealers report that the festive curtain-raiser came in below their own expectations — the true test of the season lies in showroom conversion through September to November, not in year-on-year optics,” the FADA President observed.

The auto industry has been experiencing robust growth ever since GST rates were reduced in September 2025.

Meanwhile, passenger vehicle (PV) retail sales were at 4,02,398 units last month as compared to 3,46,468 units in August 2025, a growth of 16.14 per cent.

Two-wheeler sales were up 19.69 per cent to 17,14,610 units in August this year as compared to 14,32,537 units in the same month a year ago, according to FADA.

Three-wheeler sales stood at 1,22,281 units last month as compared to 1,12,553 units in August 2025, a growth of 8.64 per cent.

Commercial vehicles also witnessed a 14.45 per cent rise in retail sales at 90,769 units last month as compared to 79,306 units in 2025, it added.

He further stated that a widening monsoon deficit — around 13 per cent, with 14 states short of rain — held tractors flat and pulled them 25.03 per cent lower MoM (month-on-month); every other rural segment outgrew its urban counterpart.

Rural passenger vehicle sales rose 24.99 per cent versus urban’s 10.93 per cent; rural commercial vehicle sales rose 16.33 per cent; and rural three-wheeler sales rose 23.95 per cent, even as urban three-wheeler sales fell.

“Rural demand, in other words, has begun to decouple from the monsoon – the farm-income-linked segment softened, yet the non-farm rural economy of livelihood mobility, goods movement and construction kept accelerating,” Girdhar stated.

Looking ahead to September 2026, dealer sentiment stays constructive but has moderated from July’s peak, with 67.09 per cent of dealers expecting growth, 27.35 per cent a flat market and 5.56 per cent de-growth.

For the September-October-November 2026 period, 81.62 per cent of dealers expect growth, 17.09 per cent a flat market and just 1.28 per cent de-growth — a strong reading, though moderated from the 87.85 per cent recorded a month ago, FADA said.

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