Transportation Sector Gains Festive Season Tailwinds Amid Strong Freight Demand and Rising Vehicle Sales: Shriram Mobility Bulletin

Mumbai, September 6, 2026: Truck rentals held firm across key trunk routes in August, supported by festive demand, while continued weather-related disruptions impacted vehicular movement in some sectors. Rentals remained higher across all trunk routes on a year-on-year basis.
On a month-on-month basis, Mumbai–Kolkata–Mumbai and Bengaluru–Mumbai–Bengaluru led the gains, rising by 2% each, followed by Kolkata–Guwahati–Kolkata at 1.9% and Delhi–Kolkata–Delhi at 1.7%. Rentals on the other tracked routes recorded modest increases, while Delhi–Mumbai–Delhi and Delhi–Chennai–Delhi remained unchanged.
On a year-on-year basis, rentals remained higher across all the key routes tracked. Delhi–Kolkata–Delhi recorded growth of 15%, followed by Bengaluru–Mumbai–Bengaluru and Kolkata–Guwahati–Kolkata at 11% each. Rentals on the remaining routes were higher by 3% to 8%.
Vehicle sales trends reflected broad-based sequential moderation in August. Commercial tractors and agricultural trailers fell by 35% each month-on-month, while agricultural tractor sales declined by 27%. Maxi cab, bus and e-rickshaw sales dropped by 20%, 18% and 17%, respectively, and goods carrier sales were lower by 10%. Motor cars and motorcycles/scooters each slipped by 6%.
On a year-on-year basis, most categories continued to record growth. Three-wheeler goods vehicles led with an increase of 43%, followed by maxi cabs at 29% and earth-moving equipment at 27%. Motorcycles/scooters grew by 20%, goods carriers by 18% and motor cars by 16%.
In Kerala, two-wheeler sales rose by 17.90% month-on-month and 19.09% year-on-year, while four-wheeler sales declined by 3.73% month-on-month, though remaining higher by 9.30% year-on-year.
Electric vehicle sales continued to remain firm on a year-on-year basis, even as categories moderated sequentially. E-two-wheeler sales declined by 10% month-on-month, while e-three-wheeler sales were lower by 3% and electric car sales by 13%. On a year-on-year basis, e-three-wheelers grew by 98%, e-two-wheelers by 90% and electric cars by 87%, underscoring sustained expansion of the electric mobility ecosystem.
Commenting on the trends, Sudarshan Holla, Joint Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer, Commercial Vehicles, Shriram Finance, said, "The onset of the festive season, led by Onam celebrations in Kerala, has boosted sentiment across the transportation sector. Freight activity remained robust, with truck rentals holding firm on major trunk routes. Consumer demand also strengthened, as evidenced by a notable surge in two-wheeler sales during the festive period. At the same time, transporters are engaging with government authorities to seek relief from the upcoming restriction on BS-IV trucks entering the NCR, scheduled to take effect from November 1."
Fuel consumption trends were mixed in August. Petrol consumption increased by 1% month-on-month, while diesel consumption declined by 13%. On a year-on-year basis, petrol and diesel consumption were higher by 7.9% and 6.4%, respectively.
FASTag collections edged higher in August, with volumes up 1.0% and value up 0.6% month-on-month. On a year-on-year basis, collection volumes were lower by 5%, while collection value was higher by 8%.