Indian automakers are experiencing a significant surge in demand during the festive season, with leading manufacturers reporting robust delivery figures for Dhanteras 2026. While many are celebrating strong sales, some brands are struggling to meet customer demand due to tight inventories and production capacity constraints.
Maruti Suzuki Leads with High Deliveries
Maruti Suzuki India, the country's largest carmaker, anticipates delivering approximately 30,000 vehicles on Dhanteras alone. The company has already recorded impressive retail sales of over 400,000 units between Ganesh Chaturthi (September 14) and November 6, a notable increase from 346,000 units during the same period last year. This sustained demand is attributed partly to the strong performance of refreshed models like the Brezza and Baleno, which have accumulated significant pending bookings.
Tata Motors and Hyundai Also See Growth
Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles expects its single-day Dhanteras deliveries to exceed 12,000 units. The automaker has seen a retail growth of over 20% since Ganesh Chaturthi compared to the previous year, with newly launched products contributing significantly to this momentum.
Hyundai Motor India is also optimistic, targeting around 16,000 deliveries across the Dhanteras and Diwali period, representing a 14% increase over last year's figures. Both companies highlight the positive impact of new vehicle launches and refreshed models in driving consumer interest.
Mahindra Grapples with SUV Stock Shortages
Despite strong customer demand and being recognized as the fastest-growing brand by VAHAN registrations during the festive period, Mahindra & Mahindra faces significant inventory challenges. The company reports physical SUV stocks are close to zero across most of its portfolio, with less than eight to nine days of stock available, excluding vehicles in transit.
Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director and CEO of Auto and Farm Sector at Mahindra, stated that the company is operating at full capacity, with October volumes exceeding previous capacity indications. Mahindra maintains its outlook for mid-to-high-teen growth in SUV volumes for the fiscal year 2027, underscoring the ongoing challenge of converting strong bookings into timely deliveries amid stretched production.
Broad-Based Demand Across the Sector
The overall strong festive performance across various manufacturers indicates a broad-based demand in the Indian passenger vehicle market. While new launches and refreshed models are successfully attracting buyers, Mahindra's inventory situation highlights the industry-wide struggle to keep pace with an enthusiastic customer base, particularly for popular SUV segments during peak celebratory periods like Dhanteras auto sales.