India’s passenger vehicle makers are working Sundays and holidays and raising production schedules to meet demand ahead of Dhanteras and Diwali, with new launches adding to the festive buying momentum.
Maruti Suzuki has already worked an additional production day in October, while Tata Motors has operated on some Sundays to improve supplies to dealerships. Hyundai, Kia, Mahindra & Mahindra, JSW MG Motor India and Renault are also increasing output, according to people familiar with their manufacturing plans.
Festive Production Push
• Maruti Suzuki: October output could exceed 2.5 lakh vehicles; extra working days across October and November could add around 30,000 units.
• Tata Motors: Suppliers have been asked to prepare for production of around 1 lakh vehicles between October 1 and Diwali.
• Hyundai and Kia: Annual production plans were revised upwards by 50,000 units each in the second half of 2026.
• JSW MG: The company is seeking 3,000–5,000 additional units after the Hector Tomahawk launch.
Demand Outlook
Dealer inventory remains manageable, but November and December production will test demand after the festive peak. Gaurav Vangaal, Associate Director, Light Vehicle Production Forecasting, Indian Subcontinent, at Mobility Global, said the production increase reflected manufacturers’ confidence in near-term demand. “We expect another strong production month, with market leaders firing on all cylinders,” he said.
Maruti Suzuki’s October production could exceed 2.5 lakh vehicles for the first time, excluding vehicles produced under its alliance arrangement at Bidadi, near Bengaluru, sources said.
The company is preparing for daily output of 10,500–11,000 vehicles. It has already worked an additional production day in October and is seriously considering more working days in November.
Together, the additional days across the two months could bring in around 30,000 incremental vehicles, sources said.
Despite adding half a million units of manufacturing capacity, Maruti Suzuki is seeking to raise output across its plants. Its production programme serves both domestic and export demand.
An official email seeking Maruti Suzuki’s comments on the higher production plans did not elicit a response.
The manufacturing push comes as pending bookings rise. Maruti Suzuki’s order backlog increased from around 2 lakh vehicles at the beginning of October to 2.7 lakh after Dussehra.
Retail sales between Ganesh Chaturthi and Dussehra grew 35%, with small-car deliveries increasing around 16% and SUV volumes doubling.
“We are making every effort to maximise deliveries and serve our customers,” said Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki. He expects double-digit retail growth over the full festive period through Diwali, although Navratri retail sales alone were broadly unchanged from a year earlier.
Industry-wide retail presents a more mixed picture. Provisional figures from the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) put passenger vehicle registrations during Navratri 2026 at 1,82,728 units, down 21.9% year on year.
The comparison reflects last year’s GST-led buying surge and an 11-day Navratri period against ten days this year. FADA’s figures also cover a shorter period than Maruti Suzuki’s Ganesh Chaturthi-to-Dussehra comparison.
Vangaal said the GST reduction had improved affordability and supported demand over the past year. Buyers timing purchases around auspicious days, promotional offers and new launches were also contributing, making it difficult to separate the effect of tax changes from pent-up demand.
Tata Steps up Production
Tata Motors has asked its vendor ecosystem to prepare for cumulative passenger vehicle production of around 100,000 units between October 1 and Diwali, people familiar with the plans said.
The company has been raising production month on month, including on the EV front. Over the past six months, it has taken capacity at its Pune plant to around 33,000 vehicles a month and is also increasing output at Ranjangaon, sources said.
Tata Motors is expanding Punch production capacity and preparing for output of around 7,000 Punch EVs a month, according to industry sources.
Responding to queries from Autocar Professional, a Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles spokesperson said that improved customer sentiment was translating into higher showroom walk-ins, enquiries, bookings and deliveries across its multi-powertrain portfolio.
“With a healthy booking pipeline and the festive season building towards Diwali, we have stepped up production and sharpened logistics to improve the availability of high-demand models and variants,” the spokesperson said.
The maker of the Nexon and Punch said it continuously reviewed manufacturing and supply-chain capacities against market demand and its recent and upcoming product launches. It declined to confirm the specific production estimates. “As a matter of policy, however, we do not comment on specific production volumes or capacity planning,” the spokesperson added.
New Launches
At Hyundai and Kia, new launches are supporting higher manufacturing schedules. Both the companies revised their annual production plans upwards by 50,000 units each. The revisions were made in the second half of 2026.
Hyundai’s newly launched Bayon and Kia’s Sorento are supporting the higher output as the manufacturers seek to convert new-model interest into deliveries.
Tarun Garg, Managing Director of Hyundai Motor India, said that the company was seeing strong festive momentum and expected the Bayon to help sustain demand beyond the immediate boost from the GST reduction. He reiterated domestic sales growth guidance of 8–10% for the current financial year.
“We believe with the Bayon we have a great arsenal up our sleeve to carry forward this momentum of H1 into next year,” he said.
JSW MG Motor India is working overtime to secure supplies following the launch of the Hector Tomahawk. The company is looking to add around 3,000–5,000 units to its earlier production plan after the launch, people familiar with the programme said. The additional output could take its calendar-year volumes to around 1 lakh for the first time in 2026.
Renault is increasing output, led by the new Duster Hybrid, while Mahindra is also stepping up production. Industry sources describe manufacturing activity across much of the passenger vehicle market as running at a heightened pace, with Honda and Stellantis among the exceptions.
“Inventory levels appear manageable, with most of the additional production meeting current demand,” Vangaal said.
Higher stocks ahead of Navratri and Diwali follow a seasonal pattern, he added. Production schedules are likely to be adjusted after the festive peak, depending on fresh bookings and the stock remaining at dealerships.
Vangaal expects production to remain relatively stable in the second half of FY27, noting that manufacturers prioritised domestic demand over exports in the first half. Year-on-year growth, however, will face a tougher comparison following last year’s GST-led production increase.
“The real test will be production in November and December,” he said.