Mumbai, October 6, 2026: India’s transportation sector saw firm truck rentals and rising vehicle sales in September, according to the latest Shriram Mobility Bulletin, with festive dispatches and robust core sector activity supporting economic momentum.
Truck rentals remained above year-ago levels on all major trunk routes tracked, with Bengaluru–Mumbai–Bengaluru leading month-on-month growth at 1.3%, followed by Delhi–Mumbai–Delhi at 1.1% and Delhi–Hyderabad–Delhi at 1%. Other routes such as Delhi–Bengaluru–Delhi and Bengaluru–Kolkata–Bengaluru saw marginal increases, while the rest were unchanged.
Year-on-year rental and sales growth
On a year-on-year basis, Delhi–Kolkata–Delhi recorded the highest rental growth at 13%, with Bengaluru–Mumbai–Bengaluru up 11% and Kolkata–Guwahati–Kolkata up 10%. The remaining routes posted increases between 4% and 9%.
Vehicle sales in September reflected sequential growth, led by construction equipment (up 31%), earth-moving equipment (up 17%), and goods carriers (up 13%). Motorcycles and scooters, as well as motor cars, each grew by 4%. In contrast, agricultural tractor sales declined by 15% and commercial tractors by 22%.
Electric vehicle sales surge
Electric vehicle (EV) sales continued to accelerate, with all tracked categories showing strong sequential and annual growth. E-two-wheeler sales rose 13% month-on-month, e-three-wheelers by 8%, and electric cars by 12%. Year-on-year, electric car sales surged 143%, e-three-wheelers 113%, and e-two-wheelers 111%.
Among conventional vehicles, maxi cabs saw the largest year-on-year increase at 75%, followed by three-wheeler goods vehicles at 63%. Goods carriers rose 40%, motorcycles/scooters 33%, motor cars 31%, construction equipment 25%, and earth-moving equipment 19%. Agricultural trailers were the only category to decline year-on-year, down 27%.
Fuel consumption and FASTag collections
Fuel consumption trends were mixed in September. Petrol consumption declined 5% month-on-month, while diesel consumption rose 2%. Compared to the previous year, petrol and diesel consumption increased by 7.2% and 4.9%, respectively.
FASTag collections eased during the month, with volumes down 3.9% and value down 1.2% from August. However, year-on-year, collection volumes were up 1% and value up 11%.
Industry outlook
Commenting on the findings, Sudarshan Holla, Joint Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Vehicles, Shriram Finance, said that firm truck rentals, strong two-wheeler demand, accelerating EV adoption, and healthy sales of heavy-duty trucks and construction equipment all point to resilient economic activity. He noted that the strength in commercial vehicles and construction equipment indicates continued momentum in infrastructure and core sectors, reinforcing a positive outlook for the broader economy. Holla also cautioned that concerns over a potential interest rate increase during the festive season could dampen sentiment.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a press release provided by the concerned organisation and has been edited for style and clarity with the assistance of AI tools. BusinessFortnight does not verify, endorse, or take responsibility for the claims, figures, or statements made in the original release.
