Two-wheeler retail sales in India rose 19.69 percent year on year to 17,14,610 units in August 2026, according to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). The segment recorded its highest-ever August sales, although volumes declined 5.70 percent from July, when dealers retailed 18,18,289 two-wheelers. August 2025 sales stood at 14,32,537 units.
- Retail sales reach 17.15 lakh units, highest for an August
- Share of EVs in two-wheeler sales crosses 10 percent in a non-festive month
- Honda leads the market as dealers turn optimistic ahead of the festive season
FADA attributed the strong year-on-year growth to healthy rural demand and improved affordability following the GST 2.0 rollout. The month-on-month decline was attributed to the seasonal monsoon slowdown, rainfall in some regions and the inauspicious Shravan/Aadi period.
Rural two-wheeler retail grew 20.25 percent year on year in August, slightly ahead of the 19.07 percent growth recorded in urban markets. Compared with July, however, two-wheeler sales fell 6.85 percent in rural areas and 4.38 percent in urban centres.
EVs accounted for 10.68 percent of total two-wheeler retail sales in August, up from 7.66 percent a year ago. The share of electric models was 11.24 percent in July. FADA noted that August was the first non-festive month in which EVs comprised over 10 percent of two-wheeler sales.
As for fuel type, petrol continued to dominate the two-wheeler market with an 89.23 percent share, while CNG and LPG models together accounted for 0.08 percent.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India remained the largest two-wheeler OEM in August with a 26.09 percent market share, retailing 4,47,342 units. Hero MotoCorp was second with 4,13,996 units and a 24.15 percent share, while TVS Motor Company sold 3,53,746 units and had a 20.63 percent share.
Bajaj Auto retailed 1,57,149 two-wheelers, giving it a 9.17 percent share, followed by Suzuki Motorcycle India with 1,04,217 units and a 6.08 percent share. Royal Enfield recorded 94,448 units and a 5.51 percent share.
Among the electric-focused manufacturers listed separately by FADA, Ather Energy sold 28,757 units and had a 1.68 percent share, while Ola Electric registered 13,852 units and a 0.81 percent share. Greaves Electric Mobility, River Mobility and BGauss recorded 8,613, 5,141 and 4,845 units, respectively.
With the festive season approaching, FADA expects two-wheeler demand to strengthen in September. Rural cash flows and late-season rainfall remain key factors that could influence sales, while the continued shift towards alternative powertrains is expected to support the market.
Dealer sentiment for September remains positive, with 67.09 percent of dealers expecting growth, 27.35 percent expecting a flat market and 5.56 percent anticipating de-growth. For the September-November period, 81.62 percent of dealers expect the market to grow.
With inputs from Eshisha Java
Autocar India News Desk
Dhruv Dhaka
Dipan Sur
Uday Singh
