M&M races to number 2 spot in Sept passenger vehicle sales

The race to become India’s second-largest carmaker by volume took a new turn in September, as Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) pipped Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles to become the country’s second-biggest passenger vehicle player, according to VAHAN registration data.

Mahindra & Mahindra’s September retail sales stood at 57,466 units, compared with 55,926 units sold by Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, as per VAHAN. Hyundai Motor India Ltd recorded 49,998 registrations, occupying the fourth spot.

Mahindra & Mahindra was India’s second-largest passenger vehicle maker in FY26. However, the carmaker lost this position to Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles in the first five months of FY27.

Maruti Suzuki, India’s biggest carmaker by volume, recorded registrations of 169,433 units in September.

M&M’s wholesales, shipments from the factory shop floor to dealerships, jumped 14% year-on-year to 64,092 units in September. In comparison, Tata Motors passenger vehicle wholesales grew 15% year-on-year to 68,810 units, aided by the subcompact SUV Punch.

Meanwhile, Maruti Suzuki clocked passenger vehicle wholesales of 1,81,838 units, up 37% year-on-year. Hyundai Motor India’s domestic wholesales rose 10.9% year-on-year to 57,166 units in September.

In electric vehicles, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles maintains its lead as the country’s top-selling EV maker by volume. TMPV recorded registrations of 14,706 EVs in September, twice those of the 7,366 electric SUVs sold by M&M.

Electric vehicles accounted for over one-fourth of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles’ sales compared with 14% a year ago as the company’s EV demand continues to outstrip supply.

“We have very swiftly moved to a penetration level of 25% in electric vehicles,” Shailesh Chandra, the managing director and CEO of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, told reporters in September.

India’s biggest electric carmaker has ramped up its EV capacity from 8,000 units a year ago to over 16,000 units. EV bookings now account for 30% of the automaker’s total bookings, according to Chandra.