Scooter Industry Delivers Strongest-Ever First-Half Performance: 4.42 Million Units

India’s scooter industry is showing no signs of slowing down. After hitting a high of 7.52 million units in CY2025, which translated into 13% growth and an additional 1.10 million units over CY2024, scooter wholesales in the first six months of CY2026 are even better. As per SIAM, a total of 4.42 million scooters were dispatched by 10 OEMs in the first half of 2026. This makes for stellar 33% YoY growth and a similar 1.10 million additional units as in CY2025. The only difference is that this has been achieved in six fewer months.

This growth is seen in the strong monthly numbers right since CY2026 opened. In fact, scooter wholesales have surpassed the 700,000-unit mark in five of the past six months, barring April when sales were 691,993 units. Of the 11.40 million two-wheelers sold in H1 2026, scooters (4.42 million units, up 33%) accounted for a 39% share – an increase of 3 percentage points from the 36% they had in H1 2025. At 39%, this is the highest contribution the scooter segment has made to overall 2W sales, improving upon the 37% in CY2025 and 34% in CY2024.

Of the 11.40 million two-wheelers sold in first-half CY2026, scooters (4.42 million units, up 33%) accounted for a 39% share, which is the highest yet and beats the previous best of 37% in CY2025.

The bigger-volume segment of motorcycles' (6.70 million units, up 17%) share of total 2W sales in H1 2026 has fallen to 59% from 62% in H1 2025, down 3 percentage points YoY. This is lower than the 61% share bikes had in CY2025 and 63% in CY2024. Meanwhile, the share of the humble moped in both H1 2026 and H1 2025 has remained unchanged at 2%, similar to that in CY2025.

The strong increase in scooter sales and 2W market share can be attributed to the multiple hikes in petrol prices in mid-May 2026 and an increase in the 2W buyer shift to e-mobility, catered to mainly by e-scooters and only a handful of zero-emission motorcycles. Starting May 15, oil marketing companies implemented four hikes in petrol prices over a span of 10 days. In Mumbai, petrol (priced at Rs 104.21 on May 14) became costlier by Rs 7 and 7% to Rs 111.21 a litre. Sixty-two days since the May 14 hike, prices of petrol remain unchanged (as of July 16).

SCOOTER INDUSTRY HEADED FOR RECORD 9 MILLION SALES IN CY2026

With 44,20,634 units sold in the first six months of the year, India Scooter Inc has already achieved 59% of its CY2025 sales of 7.52 million units. At present, it is 3.10 million units (31,03,045 units) away from surpassing that total. Given the monthly average of 736,772 units in H1 2026, powered by the GST 2.0-driven price cuts in ICE models, ongoing rapid growth in demand for electric scooters, as well as the festive season this year, it can be expected that scooter sales will first cross the 800,000 milestone and then go on to ride past 900,000 units in annual sales for the first time in a calendar year. Let’s take a closer look at the movers and shakers in first-half CY2026.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India: 1.62 million units, up 32%
H1 2026 market share: 37%

Market leader Honda maintained its grip with 1.62 million scooters, led by the Activa and Dio models. The 32% growth has helped market share edge down to 36.74% from 37.22% a year ago. Honda sales included 2,100 units of the Activa-e and QC1 electric models, down 4% YoY.

While HMSI remains unassailable as the longstanding segment leader, the rapid advance of TVS Motor Co, particularly over the past three fiscal years, has seen a dynamic shift in the two companies’ scooter market share. From 57% in FY2017, Honda’s scooter share has fallen sharply to 37%, while TVS Motor Co has doubled its share to 28%.

TVS Motor Co: 1.26 million units, up 32%
H1 2026 market share: 28%

TVS Motor Co dispatched 1.26 million scooters in the first six months of this year, marking 32% growth (H1 2025: 959,039 units). This comprises 10,24,145 units of the ICE-powered Jupiter, NTorq and Zest models, up 26% YoY (H1 2025: 814,156 units) and 241,087 units of the iQube and Orbiter EVs, up 66% YoY (H1 2025: 145,063 units).

The latest H1 data also reveals that the share of EVs in TVS’ overall scooter sales has increased while that of the three ICE models has decreased. In January-June 2026, the ICE scooter share dropped to 81% versus 85% in H1 2025 while that of the two e-scooters rose to 19% compared to 15% a year ago.

Suzuki Motorcycle India: 595,194 units
H1 2026 market share: 13%

Suzuki, which dispatched 595,194 units in H1 2026, posted an 11% increase, the same as in CY2025, albeit in an expanding market its share has dropped to 13% from 16% a year ago. The Access 125 continues to be Suzuki’s volume driver, ahead of the Burgman Street and Avenis. The e-Access, Suzuki’s first electric scooter, contributed 3,390 units in H1 2026. On the EV retail sales front, Suzuki sold 2,042 e-Access units in H1 2026, including a monthly high of 523 units in June.

Hero MotoCorp: 345,938 units, up 72%
H1 2026 market share: 8%

Hero MotoCorp posted the strongest growth among the larger manufacturers with 345,938 units, up 72% YoY. This total comprises 243,841 ICE scooters (up 54%) and 102,097 Vida e-scooters (up 136%). This strong performance sees the company, which has recently increased its equity stake in Ather Energy to 30.68%, increase its scooter market share to 8% from 6% in H1 2025.

Similar to TVS, Hero MotoCorp too has seen a sharp increase in its EV penetration level. In H1 2026, the share of Vida scooters jumped to 30% versus 21% in H1 2025, while that of Hero ICE scooters dropped to 70% from 79% in H1 2025. In early July, Hero Vida launched the new VX2 Plus 4.4 kWh variant, priced at Rs 143,000 (ex-showroom New Delhi). This move expands Vida's VX2 product line to four distinct battery and performance configurations.

Bajaj Auto: 206,542 units
H1 2026 market share: 4.67%

Bajaj Auto dispatched 206,542 scooters in the first half of 2026, up 53% YoY. This comprised 203,692 Chetak electric scooters, up 52% YoY (H1 2025: 133,888 units) and 2,850 Yulu e-bikes, up 104% YoY, marginally increasing its overall scooter market share to 5% from 4% a year ago.

India Yamaha Motor: 188,755 units, up 39%
H1 2026 market share: 4.26%

Yamaha clocked 39% growth, dispatching 188,755 units to post a marginal market share increase to 4.26% from 4.10% a year ago. While combined sales of the Fascino and Ray ZR at 175,487 units grew 40% YoY, demand for the Aerox was up 15% to 12,590 units. Yamaha, the last of the three Japanese scooter makers to enter the EV market in India, dispatched 678 EC-06 scooters from March to June. On July 8, India Yamaha launched its second e-scooter, the Aerox-E. Priced at Rs 282,000, the Aerox-E is the most expensive Yamaha two-wheeler on sale in India at present.

Ather Energy: 163,681 units, up 73%
H1 2026 market share: 4%

Ather Energy sold 163,681 scooters, up 67% YoY, to increase its share in the overall scooter market to 4% from 3% a year ago. The smart electric scooter maker recently became the fourth Indian OEM to surpass 700,000 EV sales. The Rizta continues to be Ather’s key volume driver, alongside the 450X, 450S and 450 Apex.

Piaggio Vehicles: 19,162 units, up 27%
H1 2026 market share: 0.43%

Piaggio, which markets the Aprilia and Vespa brands in India, recorded wholesales of 19,162 units, up 27% YoY. The Italian scooter major, an industry forerunner in electric scooters, having launched the Vespa Elettrica in 2018 and the Piaggio 1 urban commuter in 2021, has been late in entering the EV market in India.

River Mobility: 11,569 units (April-June 2026)
H1 2026 market share: 0.26%

Bengaluru-based River Mobility has dispatched 11,569 units of its sole product, the Indie, in the April-June quarter. This includes its highest monthly wholesales of 5,217 units in June. Having recently become a SIAM member, wholesales numbers for January-March are not available. On the retail sales front, River also registered its highest monthly retails of 4,436 units in June, taking its cumulative sales from October 2023 to over 43,000 units.

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