Srinagar, Oct 24: Automobile retail sales in Jammu and Kashmir declined 39.30 per cent year-on-year during Navratri 2026, with total sales falling to 6,616 units from 10,900 units in the corresponding festive period last year, according to data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), Jammu and Kashmir.
The decline was driven by a sharp contraction in passenger vehicle, two-wheeler and commercial vehicle sales. Tractors were the only category to register growth during the period.
Passenger vehicle retail sales nearly halved, declining 49.67 per cent to 1,880 units from 3,735 units during Navratri 2025. Commercial vehicle sales fell 48.69 per cent to 254 units from 495 units, while two-wheeler sales declined 35.96 per cent to 3,883 units from 6,063 units.
Three-wheeler sales recorded a relatively modest decline of 7.74 per cent, falling to 465 units from 504 units. Retail sales of wheeled construction equipment decreased 5.88 per cent to 16 units from 17 units.
In contrast, tractor sales increased 37.21 per cent to 118 units from 86 units, making the segment the sole category to record positive year-on-year growth.
Sanjay Aggarwal, Chairperson, FADA Jammu and Kashmir, said the decline needed to be assessed against the unusually strong performance recorded during Navratri last year.
“While the provisional Navratri 2026 retail numbers for Jammu and Kashmir indicate a year-on-year decline of 39.30 per cent, it is important to interpret these figures in the context of the exceptional performance recorded during Navratri 2025,” Aggarwal said.
He attributed last year’s strong sales to the demand impetus associated with GST 2.0, which supported vehicle purchases and created a higher comparison base.
“Therefore, the current decline should not be viewed in isolation as a definitive indicator of the underlying health of the automobile market,” he said.
Aggarwal noted that two-wheelers and passenger vehicles had experienced the steepest declines, while commercial vehicle sales had also moderated considerably. Tractor sales, however, had demonstrated encouraging growth.
He said the divergent performance across categories highlighted the need to assess demand segment by segment rather than treating the automobile market as a single trend.
Aggarwal said sales during the remainder of the festive season and subsequent months would provide a clearer picture of the region’s underlying automobile demand.
The key question, he said, was whether the current decline represented a normalisation following the elevated festive demand of 2025 or a more sustained moderation in consumer purchases.
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