Truck rentals reached new highs across major routes in December while vehicle sales achieved unprecedented levels, driven by policy support and sustained freight demand despite weather-related disruptions.
06 Jan 2026 | 1003 Views | By Sarthak Mahajan
India's mobility and logistics sector concluded 2025 with strong performance indicators, as truck rental rates climbed to record levels and vehicle sales across multiple categories reached their highest-ever annual figures, according to the Shriram Mobility Bulletin.
Truck rental rates increased substantially across major transportation corridors during December. The Delhi-Mumbai ...
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India's mobility and logistics sector concluded 2025 with strong performance indicators, as truck rental rates climbed to record levels and vehicle sales across multiple categories reached their highest-ever annual figures, according to the Shriram Mobility Bulletin.
Truck rental rates increased substantially across major transportation corridors during December. The Delhi-Mumbai route recorded a 12% year-on-year increase in round-trip rentals for 18-tonne payload vehicles, while the Delhi-Kolkata corridor saw a 9% annual rise. The Mumbai-Chennai and Kolkata-Guwahati routes also posted double-digit growth, reflecting sustained demand for goods transportation.
The National Capital Region experienced particularly strong demand for BS-VI compliant trucks due to Graded Response Action Plan restrictions that limited the movement of older vehicles. However, foggy conditions and snowfall in upper Himalayan regions created operational challenges toward month-end, disrupting both vehicle and goods movement.
The calendar year 2025 proved exceptional for vehicle sales across India. Passenger car sales increased 10% year-on-year, supported by GST reductions and consecutive repo rate cuts. Two-wheeler sales approached the 20 million mark, representing the highest volume ever recorded in a calendar year. Commercial segments including goods carriers, three-wheeler goods vehicles, maxi cabs, and buses all achieved record annual sales figures.
"The demand for trucks remained high in December thereby pushing up truck rentals across major trunk routes. The GST cuts and lower interest rates has resulted in higher vehicle sales across categories," said Sudarshan Holla, Joint Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Vehicles, at Shriram Finance. He noted that some manufacturers have announced price increases from January due to higher input costs, which may temporarily affect new vehicle sales.
Infrastructure utilization metrics showed robust activity. Highway toll collections via FASTag increased 9.4% month-on-month in December, while transaction volumes grew 9.3%, indicating elevated freight and passenger movement during the year-end period. Fuel consumption maintained steady growth, with petrol sales rising 6.7% year-on-year and diesel consumption up 5% year-on-year.
E-commerce logistics activity accelerated significantly, with intra-state e-way bill generations jumping 31% year-on-year and inter-state transactions growing 24%, signaling strong domestic trade volumes.
The data is compiled by Shriram Finance Limited through its nationwide network of fleet owners and vehicle dealers as part of its monthly Shriram Mobility Bulletin, which tracks trends in India's logistics and automobile sectors.