Maruti, Hyundai report record festive bookings on GST rate cuts

India's auto sector is witnessing record-breaking demand this festive season, driven by GST rate cuts and additional price reductions announced by manufacturers. Leading automakers Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) have reported exceptional numbers, with customer response hitting multi-year highs.

Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest carmaker, has seen an "unprecedented surge" in enquiries and bookings. "The response from customers has been phenomenal-something we haven’t seen in the last 35 years. On the very first day, we recorded 80,000 enquiries, and have already delivered over 25,000 cars, with deliveries expected to touch 30,000 shortly," said Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki.

Since September 18, when Maruti announced additional price reductions on top of the GST rate cut, the company has received 75,000 bookings, with nearly 15,000 bookings per day—about 50% higher than usual.

"Demand for small cars has been especially strong, with bookings growing by nearly 50%. Enquiries remain very high, and we may even run out of stock for certain variants. Dealers are staying open late into the night to deliver cars," Banerjee added.

Hyundai Motor India too reported its highest single-day dealer billing in five years on Day 1 of Navratri. "The auspicious start of Navratri, amplified by the momentum from GST 2.0 reforms, has infused strong positivity into the market. On Day 1 alone, Hyundai recorded around 11,000 dealer billings. This is a clear testament to robust festive sentiment and customer confidence," said Tarun Garg, Whole-Time Director and COO, HMIL.

Garg emphasised that Hyundai was among the first automakers to fully pass on GST benefits to customers. “We are delighted to make our customers’ celebrations even more joyful. Looking ahead, we anticipate sustained festive demand and remain committed to delivering value and excitement,” he said.