Vehicle sales in Madhya Pradesh are expected to grow by more than 10% during the festive period from Navratri to Diwali, with rural and semi-urban buyers likely to drive demand for two-wheelers and passenger vehicles, automobile dealers said.
The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations estimates that rural and semi-urban markets account for about 50% of two-wheeler sales and 40% of passenger vehicle sales in Madhya Pradesh. Their performance is therefore expected to be central to the state’s festive vehicle market.
Pranav Shah, FADA’s national two-wheeler chairman, said the festive period remained one of the strongest buying seasons for two-wheelers. Speaking on the sidelines of an automobile event in Bhopal, Shah said rural and semi-urban demand would play a major role and that improved sentiment in these markets could support double-digit growth.
Ashish Pande, FADA’s Madhya Pradesh chairperson, said the state was expecting more than 10% growth in both passenger vehicles and two-wheelers during the Navratri-to-Deepawali period compared with the same period last year.
The forecast follows a stronger performance in two-wheelers in August. Madhya Pradesh recorded 84,535 two-wheeler retail sales in August 2026, compared with 74,693 in August last year, representing a 13.18% increase. Passenger vehicle sales remained broadly flat, rising to 13,626 units from 13,580 during the same period.
Dealers said motorcycles continued to be an important mobility option in smaller towns and villages. They also reported that passenger vehicle demand from rural and semi-urban markets was expanding. In Indore, dealer Aditya Kasliwal said market sentiment appeared positive ahead of the festive season and that dealerships had maintained inventory levels to handle higher showroom enquiries and deliveries.
The sales data also points to a shift in fuel preferences. Electric vehicles accounted for 13.51% of two-wheeler retail sales in August, up from 9.78% a year earlier. In passenger vehicles, the share of CNG and LPG vehicles rose to 33.92% from 26.04%. Hybrids and electric vehicles also recorded increased interest, according to dealers.
The expected festive increase is also being supported by the wedding season, which dealers expect to sustain showroom traffic through Diwali. The extent to which rural and semi-urban demand converts into completed deliveries will determine whether the state’s passenger vehicle and two-wheeler markets achieve the projected double-digit growth.
