Desk note · industry · Auto retail / consumers
Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations data cited on 21 October 2026 showed total Navratri retail volumes fell about 6.5% year on year to roughly 11.23 lakh units as the festival ran one fewer day and faced a tough comparison with GST 2.0-driven demand in 2025, while electric vehicles grew about 27% and reached about 10.5% of festive sales.
On 21 October 2026, trade press published Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations commentary on Navratri showroom activity. FADA reported that total vehicle retail sales during the festival window fell about 6.5% year on year to roughly 11.23 lakh units from about 12.01 lakh units in Navratri 2025. The association said the comparison is distorted: last year's festival ran 11 days against 10 this year, and the late-2025 GST 2.0 rollout pulled pent-up demand into an unusually strong window. Within the mix, passenger vehicle retails dropped about 22% to roughly 1.83 lakh units, while two-wheeler retails were down about 7.5%. Electric vehicle retails rose about 27% to roughly 1.17 lakh units, lifting EVs to about 10.5% of festive sales from about 7.7% a year earlier, with growth in both electric cars and two-wheelers.
Dealer data capture what left showrooms during the festival, not factory dispatches alone. A mid-single-digit total decline with a sharp PV drop often reflects calendar noise plus a high base rather than a collapse in aspiration. The EV share crossing one-tenth of festive volume is the structural signal: subsidies, model launches, and charging access are showing up in retail mix even when petrol and diesel nameplates look softer on year-on-year math. Maruti Suzuki executives quoted in the same reports described strong pending orders heading into Dhanteras, which suggests some demand is timing-driven rather than missing.
If you delayed a car or scooter purchase until after Navratri, compare on-road prices and waiting periods across brands; discounts may reappear if PV inventory builds. Fleet buyers and financiers should watch whether the EV share gain persists into Diwali tallies. Investors in auto retail or OEM stocks should read FADA's total retail line alongside SIAM wholesale figures to avoid double-counting a calendar effect. Watch Dhanteras weekend numbers, finance company approval rates, and whether two-wheeler recovery catches up to EV momentum.
Telecom / IPO
On 22 October 2026, exchange data showed Jio Platforms’ ₹30,213 crore issue had drawn about ₹3.73 lakh crore of total bids by late evening on Day 2, with the retail portion oversubscribed and market commentators citing diverted cash from other listed stocks during the book build.
SEBI / market infrastructure
On 22 October 2026, the Securities and Exchange Board of India proposed letting stock exchanges and depositories fund core-market and regulator-mandated initiatives without prior approval for each ticket, while keeping board oversight and financial safeguards and inviting comments until 12 November.
E-commerce / food delivery
On 22 October 2026, reporting said Flipkart is testing an internal food delivery product called Eat-in by Minutes with more than 8,000 employees in Bengaluru, using Ekart logistics as it prepares to compete with Zomato and Swiggy in meal delivery.
Digital trust / compliance
On 22 October 2026, eMudhra Ltd said its board will voluntarily withdraw from the global SSL/TLS certificate segment after a key-security incident on eight intermediate certificates, citing compliance cost and weak economics while stressing that other digital-trust services continue.
For informational purposes only. Not investment advice. Verify with filings and a licensed adviser.