India’s consumer economy witnessed its highest Navratri sales in over a decade, boosted by the next-generation Goods and Service Tax reforms that reduced tax rates and made products more affordable, government sources said.
These measures not only lowered prices but also unlocked consumer aspirations, enabling families to upgrade vehicles, invest in home appliances, and spend more freely on lifestyle goods, turning festive cheer into “record-breaking” consumption, the sources said.
Navratri festival commenced on September 22, coinciding with GST cuts on hundreds of items, and ended on October 2.
Car maker Maruti Suzuki’s Navratri sales doubled from last year, the best-ever in at least a decade. The company reported 3,50,000 bookings with nearly 2,50,000 pending bookings. By end of this Navratri period, it was confident of touching the 2,00,000 mark in deliveries. The company retailed 85,000 vehicles last Navratri.
Automobile sector leads the record-breaking sales spree
Maruti Suzuki delivered as much as 1,65,000 vehicles in the first eight days of Navratri. On Day 1 of Navratri, Maruti delivered a record 30,000 cars, its best single-day performance in 35 years. Mahindra & Mahindra, which sells popular SUVs such as the XUV700 and Scorpio N, saw retails jump 60% on-year. At Hyundai, the surge in demand for models like Creta and Venue pushed SUVs’ share of total sales to over 72%.
Showroom footfalls of two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp doubled this Navratri with high traction in the commuter segment. Tata motors retailed more than 50,000 vehicles during the festive period, with demand from Altroz, Punch, Nexon and Tiago models.Bajaj Auto also reported strong sales during Navratri.
Electronics and retail mirror auto sector’s high growth
Similarly, in the consumer electronics space, LG, Haier, and Godrej Appliances reported high double-digit sales growth this Navratri compared to last year, the sources said. Haier’s sales soared 85%, nearly selling out its Diwali stock of 85-inch and 100-inch TVs priced above Rs 2.5 lakh. The company also sold 300–350 units of 65-inch TVs daily during the period. Sales at India’s largest retailer Reliance Retail grew by 20-25% over last year’s Navratri with categories like large-screen TVs, smartphones, and fashion driving the sales momentum. Electronics retail chain Vijay Sales too saw a more than 20% sales growth.
LG Electronics India also noted “exponential growth” in sales this Navratri season. Brands and retailers reported sales growth ranging from 25% to 100%, marking a major boost for India’s consumption-driven economy, the sources added.
The first half of the festive season, spanning Onam, Durga Puja, and Dussehra accounts for 40–45% of total festive sales making it the largest consumption period in the country.