Indian Cars VAHAN Registrations in March 2026: Maruti Suzuki leads the market with 28.2% Y-o-Y

India’s passenger vehicle market closed March 2026 on a strong note, with most major automakers posting healthy year-on-year growth and several brands also improving over February. Maruti Suzuki continued to dominate the market, while Tata and Mahindra strengthened their positions with impressive gains, underscoring the sustained demand for SUVs and a broader recovery in retail momentum.

The latest VAHAN-based snapshot for March 2026 shows a market that remains highly competitive, with market shares shifting subtly across established players and smaller brands making selective progress. From Maruti Suzuki’s commanding lead to standout growth from Renault, Citroen, and VinFast, the month reflected a mix of volume leadership, brand resilience, and changing consumer preferences across India’s car market.

Indian VAHAN Registration March 2026 Breakdown

March 2026 was a solid month for India’s car market, with total registrations reaching 4,30,746 units, up 22.8% year-on-year from 3,50,742 units in March 2025. The market also rose 9.4% month-on-month versus 3,93,847 units in February 2026, signaling a strong finish to the fiscal year. Let’s take a look at the top VAHAN registrations by OEMs in the Indian automotive market in March 2026.

1. Maruti Suzuki

Maruti Suzuki stayed comfortably at the top with 1,72,996 units in March 2026, compared with 1,34,929 units in March 2025, translating into 28.2% growth. The brand also improved 10.4% over February 2026, when it had registered 1,56,728 units.

Its market share climbed to 40.2% from 38.5% a year earlier, a gain of 1.7 percentage points. That is a clear reminder that Maruti Suzuki continues to be the benchmark in India’s mass-market passenger vehicle space, even as competition grows stronger in SUVs and premium compact segments.

2. Tata Motors

Tata secured second place with 64,292 units, rising 32.0% from 48,724 units in March 2025. On a month-on-month basis, the company also moved up 13.6% from 56,578 units in February 2026, showing strong traction heading into the new financial year.

Its market share improved to 14.9% from 13.9% last year, a solid 1.0 percentage-point gain. Tata’s rise continues to reflect the strength of its SUV-led portfolio and the brand’s ability to stay relevant across both mainstream and aspirational buyers.

3. Mahindra & Mahindra

Mahindra followed closely with 61,045 units, up 23.5% year-on-year from 49,445 units. The brand also posted 8.8% growth over February, when it had sold 56,090 units. The brand share edged up to 14.2% from 14.1%, keeping it firmly in the fight for second place in India’s passenger vehicle market. Mahindra’s momentum remains closely tied to its SUV portfolio, which continues to resonate strongly with buyers looking for larger, feature-rich vehicles.

4. Hyundai

Hyundai finished fourth with 48,667 units, a 10.6% increase over 44,008 units in March 2025. The brand also improved 4.6% month-on-month from 46,511 units in February.

However, its market share slipped slightly to 11.3% from 12.5%, a decline of 1.2 percentage points. Hyundai remained one of the most consistent large-volume players, but the pressure from Tata and Mahindra in the SUV-heavy market is clearly visible.

5. Kia

Kia secured fifth place with 27,999 units, up 22.6% from 22,835 units a year earlier. The brand also grew 8.6% over February’s 25,784 units. Its market share held steady at 6.5%, matching March 2025 exactly. That kind of stability, combined with healthy volume growth, suggests Kia continues to benefit from a well-balanced product mix and a strong presence in the compact and midsize SUV space.

6. Toyota

Toyota reported 27,489 units in March 2026, up 7.9% year-on-year from 25,485 units. But the brand was down 1.8% versus February’s 28,004 units. Its market share softened to 6.4% from 7.3%, a decline of 0.9 percentage points. Toyota remains one of the most important brands in the Indian market, especially given its strong reputation for reliability and steady demand across multiple segments.

7. Skoda Volkswagen

The Skoda and Volkswagen groups posted 8,726 units in March, lower than 9,483 units in March 2025, marking an 8.0% decline. Compared with February’s 7,964 units, the group still improved 9.6% month-on-month.

Its market share dropped to 2.0% from 2.7%, a fall of 0.7 percentage points. The numbers show that while the group has found some short-term improvement, it still faces a difficult battle on a broader scale in India.

8. MG Motor

MG delivered 6,234 units, up 12.0% from 5,567 units in March 2025. The brand also recorded a strong 29.0% month-on-month jump from 4,832 units in February. Its market share eased marginally to 1.4% from 1.6%, down by 0.1 percentage point. MG’s growth pace remains encouraging, especially as it continues to attract attention in the EV and lifestyle SUV segments.

9. Honda

Honda sold 5,514 units in March 2026, up 7.2% year-on-year from 5,145 units. It also rose 12.3% over February’s 4,909 units, though market share slipped slightly to 1.3% from 1.5%.

10. Renault

Renault was one of the stronger performers in relative terms, delivering 3,588 units, up 35.3% from 2,652 units in March 2025 and 9.0% over February. Its market share improved to 0.8% from 0.8%, which may look flat at first glance, but the underlying volume growth is worth noting.

11. Nissan

Nissan posted 2,540 units, a sharp 40.6% rise from 1,806 units a year ago and 49.1% above February’s 1,704 units. Its market share is held at 0.6%, up from 0.5% last year.

12. Citroen

Citroen delivered one of the strongest year-on-year percentages in the table, reaching 758 units versus 336 units last March, a jump of 125.6%. However, volumes dropped 7.7% month-on-month from 821 units in February. Even so, the brand’s market share doubled to 0.2% from 0.1%, which is a meaningful improvement from a small base.

13. VinFast

VinFast continued to build from a fresh base, registering 688 units in March after reporting zero units in March 2025. The brand also saw a sharp 66.2% rise over February’s 414 units.

14. Jeep

Jeep, meanwhile, ended the month with 210 units, down 35.8% year-on-year from 327 units and 2.3% lower than February’s 215 units. Its market share remained effectively unchanged at 0.0%, reflecting a very small footprint in the current landscape.

Market Outlook

March 2026 clearly belonged to the high-volume players, but the month also showed that growth was not limited to the top three. Maruti Suzuki widened its lead, Tata and Mahindra continued to push hard, and several smaller brands posted meaningful gains that kept the market lively and competitive.

Conclusion

March 2026 once again highlighted the strength and depth of India’s passenger vehicle market, with established leaders holding their ground and newer challengers steadily making their presence felt. As competition intensifies across segments, the coming months should bring even more interesting shifts in brand rankings, market share, and buyer preference.