Truck rentals turn firm in select trunk routes in a build up to the upcoming festival season
Availability and movement of trucks were hampered in several parts of north India due to heavy rains and related damages caused to infrastructure
Wait and watch approach by buyers, awaiting GST council rates, impacted vehicle sales. Tractor sales plummeted
With GST rates getting reduced on regular consumption items, the sentiment has turned positive across commercial hubs
The September edition of the Shriram Mobility Bulletin reflects a positive recovery in Truck rentals across India’s logistics and mobility ecosystem with steady freight rates, rising digital toll collections, and sustained momentum in electric vehicle adoption, even as weather disruptions impacted trucking activity in Northern India, especially in the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The festive season is round the corner and with that the movement of goods to different parts of the country to meet consumer demand has resulted in truck rentals showing signs of recovery on key trunk routes. On a month-on-month (MoM) basis the Bengaluru-Mumbai-Bengaluru increased by 1.5%, Delhi-Kolkata-Delhi grew by 1.3%, and Guwahati-Mumbai-Guwahati grew by 1.1%. However, prolonged rains in northern India hampered trucking activity in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Vehicle retail sales in August 2025 reflected a mixed performance across categories. With the monsoons coming to an end, infrastructure development activities are expected to gain momentum which is reflected in the 7% MoM growth in Earth Moving Equipment sales. The movement of goods to meet the upcoming festive demand has resulted in a 2% MoM growth in the sales of Goods Carriers and the Kharif harvest has led to a 4% MoM growth in Agricultural Trailers.
On the other hand, on a MoM basis, car sales dipped by 3%, two-wheeler sales showed only a modest 1% growth, and commercial tractor sales saw a steep decline of 29%. Sales of maxi cabs and e-rickshaw carts also dropped by 14% and 9% respectively, reflecting a generally cautious and subdued mood among buyers. However, with the revision in GST rates, the upcoming festive season, and other positive developments, there’s hope that vehicle sales across all categories will pick up in the coming months.
The electric vehicle (EV) segment sustained its strong momentum in August 2025, driven by rising consumer demand. Electric four-wheelers led the growth with a 14% MoM growth underscoring their growing adoption for urban mobility. E-2 wheelers posted a modest 1% MoM rise, while E-3 wheelers sales dipped by 3% MoM.
FASTag collections remained robust, with volumes rising 3.1% MoM to 381.96 million from 370.60 million and in value terms rose by 5.8% MoM to ₹7,052.91 crores from ₹6,669.12 crores.
Fuel consumption presented a mixed picture. Petrol sales, on a MoM basis rose by 1% to 3.53 MT from 3.48 MT, while diesel sales, on a MoM basis fell 11% MoM to 6.56 MT from 7.35 MT, reflecting weaker fleet movement due to heavy rains.
Y S Chakravarti, CEO and Managing Director, Shriram Finance Ltd
Mr. Y S Chakravarti, CEO and Managing Director, Shriram Finance Ltd. said, “Truck rentals remained steady to firm with manufacturers moving goods to commercial hubs in a build up to the upcoming festival season. Early indications from Kerala suggest that we are heading for a significant jump in Onam (start of Indian festival season) consumption which is a good augury. However, there are issues of stagnation at some export hubs due to import tariffs by USA.”
