Automakers Ramp Up Production and Dealer Inventory Across India Ahead of Festive Demand
Leading Indian automakers including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, and Mahindra & Mahindra are scaling up production and building dealer stock to cater to surging customer demand during the peak festive buying season spanning Navratri, Dussehra, Dhanteras, and Diwali. Manufacturers are focused on balancing robust order bookings with accelerated vehicle deliveries across their retail networks.
Car market leader Maruti Suzuki reported 2.2 lakh pending bookings ahead of the festivities, translating to 16 days of stock compared to 12 days at the start of the financial year. Senior Executive Officer Partho Banerjee told PTI that the company has commissioned two new production lines adding 5 lakh units of total manufacturing capacity, which are expected to fully stabilize by the end of the year. To manage wait times, Maruti is calibrating production across models and evaluating special schemes for customers facing delivery delays due to supply constraints.
Ahead of the festive season, Maruti Suzuki's total vehicle dispatches rose 24% in September to 2.36 lakh units, while Mahindra & Mahindra vehicle sales climbed 15% to over 1.14 lakh units.
Maruti Suzuki is actively managing model-wise dispatches to curb waiting times and evaluating special schemes for customers facing delivery delays. Maruti Suzuki is calibrating vehicle production across models to control waiting times and may introduce special schemes for customers experiencing delivery delays due to supply constraints.
Hyundai and Mahindra Expand Operational Readiness
Hyundai Motor India has proactively strengthened its supply chain and logistics, building four to five weeks of inventory across its dealership network. Managing Director and CEO Tarun Garg noted that the operational adjustments aim to optimize product availability and maximize retail conversions during the high-demand window.
Mahindra & Mahindra has expanded its utility vehicle and electric vehicle manufacturing capacity to 68,000 units per month during the first half of the year. Automotive Division CEO Nalinikanth Gollagunta stated that the capacity expansion has improved supply-side responsiveness and reduced waiting periods across the brand's portfolio despite consistently healthy booking volumes.
Mahindra Automotive Division CEO Nalinikanth Gollagunta reported that scaling utility and electric vehicle output to 68,000 monthly units improved supply responsiveness and curtailed customer wait times.
Industry Outlook for Retail Conversions
With consumer sentiment remaining positive, automakers are prioritizing efficient inventory management to ensure vehicles reach showrooms ahead of peak purchasing days. The synchronized production push is designed to convert healthy order books into actual retail sales, underpinning a strong fiscal second half for the passenger vehicle sector.