HR88B8888: Haryana’s VIP registration number – HR88B8888 – is up for auction again after the previous auction closed at Rs 1.17 crore last Wednesday. This comes after the winning bidder, who was among the 45 participants, reportedly failed to deposit the money within the deadline, leading to the cancellation of the bid. The viral HR88B8888 was touted as India’s costliest number plate.
Sudhir Kumar, Director of transportation firm Romulus Solutions Pvt Ltd had placed the record bid of Rs 1.17 crore for HR88B8888 number plate after a two-day online auction. He was expected to deposit the full amount by 12 pm on December 1, within five days of winning. However, he reportedly missed the cut-off due to a technical glitch.
‘Elders say not a wise decision’: Winning bidder
On Sunday, Kumar, per an NDTV report, said he attempted twice to make the payment on Saturday night, but the transaction failed because of a technical glitch. He also said that his family is not in favour of him spending such a hefty amount on just a number plate.
“Discussions are currently underway with the family. The elders in the family say that it is not a wise decision to spend such a large amount on a number plate, while my opinion is in favour of it,” NDTV quoted Sudhir as saying.
He stressed, “We will make a final decision by Monday.”
Earlier, he told news agency PTI that he had not set a specific number in his mind and that the number just kept on going up as the bidding intensified. He also said that he had not yet decided on a vehicle for the plate.
“I was not expecting that this bid would generate such hype,” he told PTI, before adding, “We are in the transport business. We also have a software company, and we are into developing a transport-related mobile app for commercial transportation, and this business is in its early phase.”
The Times of India reported that he had paid only Rs 11,000 upfront – Rs 10,000 as security deposit and Rs 1,000 as registration fee.
HR88B8888: What does it mean?
HR88B8888 is a VIP registration number with several components put together. HR in it denotes the state of Haryana, while 88 identifies the specific Regional Transport Office (RTO) or district where the vehicle is registered. In this case, it is reportedly referring to Sonipat’s Kundli district. The letter B represents the series code within that RTO.
The last four digits, 8888, make the plate particularly distinctive.
The plate – HR88B8888 – is visually appealing, as anyone who sees it for the first time may think that HR is followed by a continuous run of eights, as the capital letter B resembles the number 8.
What does the auction website say?
At the moment, the number plate doesn’t appear on the “Bidding Updates” page of the official auction website. On the website, 1,241 premium registration numbers are up for bidding in the non-transport category, with around 220 applicants seeking their preferred choices.
Earlier, the registration number – HR88B8888 – had the words “Assignment Pending” under the allotment status on the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways website.
Haryana conducts online auctions for VIP and special series vehicle registration numbers through its official portal, fancy.parivahan.gov.in. The bidding window opens on Friday at 5 pm and closes on Monday at 9 am, after which the results are announced the following Wednesday at 5 pm. Participants can place bids for their preferred registration numbers, and the highest bidder is awarded the plate once the full payment is completed within five days.
