Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. is on track to deliver a record-setting 50,000 cars on Dhanteras, according to a company official, underscoring the resurgence in demand for cars following GST reforms.
“We have already done 38,500 deliveries today and expect to reach 41,000,” Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer (marketing & sales) at India’s largest carmaker, said in a statement on Saturday. “Last year, we did 41,500 deliveries. This year, we expect to cross the 50,000 mark, which is almost 10,000 more than last year.”
To be sure, Dhanteras this year is spread over two days—the auspicious period started at 12:18 pm on Saturday and will last up to 1:51 pm on Sunday.
“We are expecting another 10,000 deliveries tomorrow, plus or minus. So, 51,000 in total will be the highest ever on Dhanteras,” Banerjee said.
The record-setting sales on the Dhanteras day underscores the resurgence in demand for cars of all shapes and sizes after GST reforms.
The government reduced the GST rate on hundreds of items—from soaps to small cars and even SUVs—from 22 September 2025, the first day of Navratri that marked the beginning of the festive season in India. That reduced the GST rate on small cars to 18% from 28% earlier. SUVs will now be taxed at a flat 40% as the new GST structure does away with compensation cess.
“The traction is very good. Every day, 14,000 bookings are coming,” Banerjee said in the statement. “Since the day we announced the reduced prices (due to GST revision), we have received 4.5 lakh bookings. Of this, one lakh is for small cars.”
Maruti Suzuki’s dealerships are open for longer, and factories are working overtime, to cater to this bumper demand.
During the ongoing festive period, Maruti Suzuki has clocked retail sales of 3.25 lakh units, which is 50% higher than last year, Banerjee said. Such is the demand that “we are running short of vehicles across models”, he said. “Still, a few more days are left.”