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Passenger vehicle makers are estimated to have delivered around 1 lakh cars on Dhanteras this year, generating more than Rs 10,000 crore in revenue, as strong consumer sentiment and festive buying drove demand across major markets.

The estimated deliveries are broadly in line with the industry’s Dhanteras performance last year, according to a senior industry executive. The north recorded particularly strong demand, while sales in southern markets remained steady.

“Consumer mood continues to be very positive almost across all states. The industry may have delivered around 100,000 today (Dhanteras), which is on par with the total of last year (2025). The north has done very well even though the south has done steady business,” the executive said.

With the average selling price of a passenger vehicle estimated at around Rs 10-12 lakh, the industry could have generated between Rs 10,000 crore and Rs 12,000 crore in revenue from Dhanteras-day deliveries alone.

Dhanteras is considered an auspicious occasion for buying vehicles and other high-value goods, making it one of the most important days of the festive season for automobile retailers.

Maruti expects 30,000 deliveries

Maruti Suzuki, India's largest passenger vehicle maker, expects to deliver around 30,000 vehicles on Dhanteras this year, Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer, marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki, said. The company had sold around 51,000 vehicles over the two days of Dhanteras in 2025.

Hyundai Motor India is also expecting higher festive deliveries this year. Tarun Garg, managing director and chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor India, said the company expects to deliver around 16,000 vehicles during Dhanteras, nearly 14% higher than last year.

“Dhanteras and Diwali are one of the most auspicious days to bring home a new vehicle and we are witnessing strong customer demand this year as well. We expect to deliver around 16,000 units, nearly 14% higher than last year,” Garg said.

Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles expects its single-day Dhanteras deliveries to cross 12,000 units.

“Dhanteras saw an outstanding response, with single-day deliveries expected to cross 12,000 vehicles. Diwali muhurat deliveries will continue till Wednesday, and we expect this momentum to carry into the coming days,” said Amit Kamat, chief commercial officer, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles.

Festive demand remains strong

The strong Dhanteras performance comes after a robust festive season for passenger vehicle retailers, with manufacturers and dealers seeing healthy customer enquiries and bookings.

The industry had also recorded a sharp increase in demand during the 2025 festive season following the reduction in GST rates, which came into effect on September 22 last year.

The tax cut had lowered the effective prices of several passenger vehicles and provided a significant boost to festive-season sales.

This year, the industry is entering the festive period without the benefit of a comparable tax reduction, making the strength of Dhanteras demand a key indicator of underlying consumer sentiment.

The estimated 1 lakh deliveries on Dhanteras also come at a time when manufacturers have been carrying higher inventory ahead of the festive season, with dealerships preparing for the traditional surge in purchases around Dhanteras and Diwali.

With Diwali muhurat deliveries continuing through Wednesday, automakers expect the festive buying momentum to remain strong over the next few days.

(With inputs from Varun Singh)