India’s automotive sector recorded an impressive 32% year-on-year surge in retail sales in September 2026, though much of the headline expansion reflects the distorted baseline of late-September GST 2.0 implementations from the previous year.
In this episode of the AP Trends Podcast with Autocar Professional, auto industry expert Arun Malhotra unpacks the latest VAHAN and wholesale dispatches, examining dealer stock readiness, discounting trends, record-setting EV penetrations, and the sweeping long-term ramifications of India's newly finalized CAFE standards.
The discussion also provides an in-depth analysis of India’s newly defined CAFE regulatory framework—evaluating the multi-point super credits awarded to pure EVs, range-extended EVs (REEVs), flex-fuel strong hybrids, and alternative bio-fuels like CBG—and outlines why pure ICE powertrains will face rising compliance costs as real-world testing and tradable carbon credits come into force.
Watch the full conversation here.