Strong product launch cycle, post-GST demand recovery and rising SUV volumes position Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles for a strong year ahead, says MD & CEO Shailesh Chandra.
13 Jan 2026 | 432 Views | By Darshan Nakhwa and Ketan Thakkar
Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd expects the car industry to deliver double-digit growth in 2026, riding on a sharp rebound in demand following GST 2.0 reforms and new product launches, managing director and chief executive officer Shailesh Chandra said.
After a weak start to 2025, the industry witnessed a ...
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Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd expects the car industry to deliver double-digit growth in 2026, riding on a sharp rebound in demand following GST 2.0 reforms and new product launches, managing director and chief executive officer Shailesh Chandra said.
After a weak start to 2025, the industry witnessed a dramatic turnaround in the latter part of the year, which Chandra believes has reset the demand trajectory. “Last calendar year was a tale of two halves. Not even halves, eight months plus four months. So eight months was negative for the industry,” he said. “But post GST 2.0, the growth rates have been in high double digits, more than 20% plus.”
While acknowledging that growth could moderate from the recent surge, Chandra said sustained momentum remains likely. “We might slow down, of course, but still I believe that double-digit growth is quite possible… Maybe 10%, plus or minus 2%,” he said.
Peak Product Cycle
For Tata Motors PV, 2026 will coincide with what Chandra described as the peak of its product cycle, with multiple recent and upcoming launches expected to scale volumes through the year. “As far as Tata Motors is concerned, it's an intense launch year for us. This is the peak of product cycle. So we clearly see an industry-leading role for us,” he said.
The company is in the process of expanding its SUV portfolio across price points and powertrains, including the recently launched Sierra, updated Punch, and petrol variants of Harrier and Safari, which are expected to add incremental volumes. The broader portfolio refresh is aimed at strengthening Tata Motors’ position across compact, mid-size and premium SUV segments, where demand has remained structurally strong.
Aspirations Beyond Market Rankings
Tata Motors PV currently ranks third in India’s passenger vehicle market, behind Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra & Mahindra. However, Chandra indicated that the last quarter's performance trends suggest the company is already closing the gap.
Tata Motors PV rose to become India’s second-largest passenger vehicle maker in the October-December quarter of FY26, overtaking both Hyundai Motor India and Mahindra & Mahindra, as per government vehicle registration data. Strong demand for the Nexon compact SUV, coupled with early traction for the newly launched Sierra, helped lift volumes during the quarter.
According to Vahan data, Tata Motors sold 1.89 lakh units in Q3 FY26, ahead of Mahindra & Mahindra’s 1.80 lakh units and Hyundai Motor India’s 1.70 lakh units. For the full calendar year 2025, however, Tata Motors finished third in the passenger vehicle segment, with total sales of 5.92 lakh units, behind Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra & Mahindra.
With new model volumes expected to come on stream, Chandra said the company sees no structural barrier to further gains. “With strong product cycle now hitting us where Sierra volumes get added, there's no reason for us not to aspire for being number two,” he said.
That said, Chandra stressed that Tata Motors is not singularly focused on leaderboard positions. “We're not obsessed about it. We are more obsessed about every product in our portfolio being in the top two or top three,” he said, underlining a product-led rather than rank-driven growth strategy.