Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed in a social media post that two-wheeler sales in the country have fallen by 17 per cent and car sales by 8.6 per cent in the past one year - a claim which does not hold any merit if we look at reliable industry data.
The auto industry in the country actually achieved a new milestone in the financial year ending March 2025, with passenger vehicle sales rising to a record 43 lakh units, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
This marked a 2 per cent increase from the previous year. A major contributor to this growth was the rising popularity of utility vehicles, which accounted for 65 per cent of total passenger vehicle sales. This was up from around 60 per cent in the previous financial year.
According to SIAM, two-wheeler sales actually saw a strong recovery, growing by 9.1 per cent to reach 1.96 crore units in FY25.
Three-wheeler sales also performed well, touching their highest-ever level at 7.4 lakh units. This marks a 6.7 per cent rise and even beats the earlier peak recorded in FY19.
"The growth in the two-wheeler segment was led by scooters, thanks to improved connectivity in rural and semi-urban areas and the availability of newer models with advanced features," according to SIAM data.
The sales were driven by healthy demand, infrastructure investments, supportive government policies, and a continued focus on sustainable mobility.
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