Bajaj Auto September sales rise 5 per cent to 5.38 lakh units

MUMBAI: Bajaj Auto put the pedal to the metal on exports in September, even as its domestic two-wheeler business hit the brakes. The automaker sold 5,38,443 vehicles during the month, up 5 per cent from 5,10,504 units in September 2025, with overseas markets doing much of the heavy lifting.

Two-wheelers remained the biggest contributor to the company’s monthly volumes, with total sales including domestic sales and exports rising 5 per cent to 4,51,494 units. But beneath that headline growth was a sharp split between the home market and international business.

Domestic two-wheeler sales declined 12 per cent to 2,39,771 units in September. Exports, meanwhile, surged 34 per cent to 2,11,723 units, meaning overseas shipments accounted for nearly half of Bajaj Auto’s two-wheeler sales during the month.

The export momentum was not limited to motorcycles and scooters. Commercial vehicle sales increased 9 per cent year on year to 86,949 units in September, compared with 79,651 units a year earlier.

Domestic commercial vehicle sales rose 5 per cent to 54,685 units, while exports grew 17 per cent to 32,264 units. The numbers again point to a broader pattern in which international markets are providing a stronger growth engine than domestic volumes.

Across two-wheelers and commercial vehicles, Bajaj Auto’s domestic sales fell 9 per cent to 2,94,456 units in September. Exports moved in the opposite direction, jumping 32 per cent to 2,43,987 units.

The six-month picture is considerably stronger. Between April and September 2026, Bajaj Auto’s total sales climbed 24 per cent to 29,87,135 units, compared with 24,05,357 units during the corresponding period last year.

Two-wheeler sales during the first half rose 24 per cent to 25,06,513 units. Domestic two-wheeler sales increased 6 per cent to 11,93,963 units, while exports surged 47 per cent to 13,12,550 units.

That means exports have become a particularly significant part of Bajaj Auto’s two-wheeler growth story during the first half. The near-50 per cent jump in international two-wheeler sales contrasts with the much more measured 6 per cent rise in domestic volumes.

Commercial vehicles also maintained the first-half momentum. Sales rose 24 per cent to 4,80,622 units between April and September, with domestic CV sales increasing 13 per cent to 2,82,471 units and exports jumping 44 per cent to 1,98,151 units.

Across the company’s overall domestic business, sales for the six-month period rose 7 per cent to 14,76,434 units. Exports, however, grew 47 per cent to 15,10,701 units, taking international sales slightly above the domestic total for the period.

The September numbers therefore offer a more complicated picture than the 5 per cent headline growth suggests. Bajaj Auto’s overall volumes continued to rise, but the composition of that growth has increasingly tilted towards exports, while domestic two-wheeler demand remained under pressure.

The wider auto market also recorded gains during the month. Mahindra & Mahindra reported total auto sales of 1,14,874 vehicles in September 2026, including exports, marking 15 per cent YoY growth, while its domestic utility vehicle sales rose 14 per cent to 64,092 units.

Hyundai Motor India also posted its highest-ever monthly sales at 77,916 units, up 10.8 per cent YoY. Domestic sales increased 10.9 per cent to 57,166 units, while exports grew 10.4 per cent to 20,750 units.

For Bajaj Auto, however, the defining feature of September was the export lane. With two-wheeler exports up 34 per cent and commercial vehicle exports rising 17 per cent during the month, overseas demand provided the momentum needed to offset the 12 per cent fall in domestic two-wheeler sales.

The first-half numbers make the contrast even clearer: total sales are up 24 per cent, but exports have risen 47 per cent. As the company moves through the second half of FY27, the balance between domestic demand and international markets will remain central to how that growth story develops.