India's automobile industry sold 23,01,355 vehicles in the domestic market in February 2026, a rise of nearly 30% from 17,73,650 units in February 2025, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on March 13, 2026. Production and exports also grew sharply in the same period, pointing to a strong demand environment across vehicle categories. Total vehicle production for the month stood at 28,64,612 units, up approximately 22% from 23,46,258 units a year earlier, while exports rose to 6,08,284 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of around 28% from 4,74,328 units.

Two-Wheelers Lead Volume Growth

Two-wheelers, which account for the bulk of India's vehicle volumes, drove much of the overall growth. The segment recorded domestic sales of 18,71,406 units in February 2026, up around 35% from 13,84,605 units in the same month last year. Production in the segment rose 24% to 23,11,594 units, and two-wheeler exports climbed approximately 26% to 4,92,414 units.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India led in production with 5,53,308 units, followed by Hero MotoCorp at 5,26,349 units and TVS Motor Company at 4,88,519 units. In domestic sales, Hero MotoCorp posted 5,16,968 units and Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India recorded 5,13,217 units. Bajaj Auto remained the largest two-wheeler exporter with 1,93,757 units shipped in February, followed by TVS Motor Company at 1,42,391 units and Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India at 54,161 units.

Electric Two-Wheelers and Premium Bikes Gain Ground

Among notable performers in the two-wheeler segment, Ather Energy nearly doubled its production to 26,484 units from 13,965 units in February 2025, with domestic sales mirroring that trend at 26,467 units versus 13,482 units a year earlier. The electric two-wheeler maker also registered 160 units in exports during the month, a category where it had no presence in the same period last year.

Royal Enfield, a unit of Eicher Motors, produced 1,06,087 units and sold 91,248 units domestically in February 2026, compared to 91,003 units produced and 80,799 units sold in February 2025. Suzuki Motorcycle India crossed the one lakh mark in domestic sales with 1,01,071 units, up from 73,215 units a year ago.

Passenger Vehicles Post Moderate Gains; Exports Surge

Passenger vehicle domestic sales reached 3,55,376 units in February 2026, a rise of around 7% from 3,31,254 units in February 2025. Maruti Suzuki India retained its position as the segment leader with domestic sales of 1,61,000 units, broadly in line with its 1,60,791 units in February 2025. The company also recorded a sharp jump in exports, shipping 39,086 units compared to 24,876 units in the year-ago period.

Mahindra & Mahindra posted domestic sales of 60,018 units, up from 50,420 units, while Hyundai Motor India sold 52,407 units against 47,727 units a year earlier. Kia India recorded domestic sales of 27,610 units in February 2026, up from 25,026 units. Toyota Kirloskar Motor sold 30,734 units domestically, compared to 26,355 units in February 2025. Overall passenger vehicle exports rose approximately 34% to 75,892 units, with Maruti Suzuki accounting for the largest share, followed by Hyundai Motor India at 13,727 units and Nissan Motor India at 8,336 units.

Mixed Picture for Select Passenger Vehicle Makers

Nissan Motor India saw one of the sharper movements in the passenger vehicle segment, with domestic sales declining marginally to 2,230 units from 2,328 units, even as the company's overall production rose to 11,290 units from 7,305 units, largely reflecting an export-oriented output strategy.

Exports from Nissan India rose to 8,336 units in February 2026 from 6,239 units in February 2025. Honda Cars India reported an edged up slightly to 5,629 units from 5,616 units, with production declining to 7,830 units from 12,535 units a year ago.

Three-Wheelers See Strong Demand and Export Growth

Three-wheelers also recorded strong growth, with domestic sales of 74,573 units in February 2026 compared to 57,788 units a year earlier, a rise of around 29%. Bajaj Auto dominated the segment with 46,417 units sold domestically and 20,709 units exported. Mahindra & Mahindra's three-wheeler domestic sales rose to 9,190 units from 6,395 units, while Piaggio Vehicles sold 9,798 units in the domestic market against 7,576 units in February 2025.

TVS Motor Company's three-wheeler domestic sales nearly doubled to 5,569 units from 2,911 units in the year-ago period. Three-wheeler exports climbed nearly 49% to 38,766 units, with Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Company accounting for the majority of shipments at 20,709 units and 15,877 units respectively.

Quadricycles Remain a Niche Play

Quadricycles, a category produced exclusively by Bajaj Auto in India, saw production jump to 1,256 units in February 2026 from 351 units a year ago. Exports rose sharply to 1,212 units from 258 units, though domestic sales in the category remained negligible at zero units for the month, compared to three units in February 2025.

Cumulative FY26 Numbers Reflect Sustained Momentum

On a cumulative basis for the April–February period of FY2025-26, total domestic sales stood at 2,45,51,735 units, up approximately 9.4% from 2,24,50,972 units in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Two-wheelers accounted for the bulk of cumulative domestic sales at 1,97,29,846 units, followed by passenger vehicles at 40,61,927 units and three-wheelers at 7,59,958 units. Cumulative exports for the eleven-month period reached 60,03,994 units, representing a nearly 25% increase from 48,10,153 units in April–February FY2024-25. Cumulative production across all segments reached 3,03,51,351 units, up from 2,73,73,519 units in the same period last year, an increase of around 11%.

SIAM, which compiles monthly wholesale data from member manufacturers, serves as the primary source of automobile production, sales, and export statistics in India. The data reflects vehicles dispatched from manufacturers to dealerships and does not represent retail or end-consumer sales. The industry's monthly performance is closely tracked as an indicator of consumer demand, manufacturing output, and the health of ancillary sectors such as auto components, steel, rubber, and logistics. India is currently the third-largest automobile market in the world by volume and has been making steady gains as an export base for global automakers, particularly in two-wheelers and entry-level passenger vehicles.