Fourth to second in twelve months: Tata jumps the queue, Hyundai pays the toll
A year ago Tata trailed Hyundai by 0.2 points. In July 2026 it holds the silver medal at 14.8% - and Hyundai has slipped to fourth.
The silver medal has a new owner
Twelve months ago the gap between Hyundai and Tata was 0.2 points. Today it is 3.4 - in the other direction.
July 2025 read: Mahindra second at 13.1%, Hyundai third at 12.9%, Tata fourth at 12.7%. July 2026 reads: Tata second at 14.8% with 62,322 cars, Mahindra 13.4%, Hyundai fourth at 11.3%. Tata's +2.1 pp is the biggest swing among the big four.
| # | Maker | Regs | Market share | YoY shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maruti Suzuki India | 1,62,518 | 38.5% | +0.1 pp |
| 2 | Tata Motors | 62,322 | 14.8% | +2.1 pp |
| 3 | Mahindra & Mahindra | 56,602 | 13.4% | +0.3 pp |
| 4 | Hyundai Motor India | 47,857 | 11.3% | -1.5 pp |
| 5 | Toyota Kirloskar Motor | 29,574 | 7.0% | -0.8 pp |
| 6 | Kia India | 25,557 | 6.0% | +0.2 pp |
| 7 | Skoda Auto Volkswagen India | 8,154 | 1.9% | -0.5 pp |
| 8 | JSW MG Motor India | 7,030 | 1.7% | -0.2 pp |
| 9 | Honda Cars India | 5,822 | 1.4% | +0.0 pp |
| 10 | Force Motors | 3,521 | 0.8% | +0.1 pp |
| 11 | Renault India | 3,505 | 0.8% | +0.1 pp |
| 12 | Nissan Motor India | 2,698 | 0.6% | +0.2 pp |
Tata's secret weapon runs on a battery
1 in 5 Tata cars registered in July was electric. For Hyundai: 1 in 85.
13,629 of Tata's July cars were pure electric - 42.0% of India's EV market. Mahindra took 23.8%, MG 17.5%; Hyundai just 1.7% and Maruti 4.9%. With the plug at 7.3% of registrations and doubling yearly, Tata's silver is fortified.
Hyundai's new problem: growing +8.7% is the new shrinking
Hyundai sold more cars than last July - +8.7% YoY - yet its share thinned from 12.9% to 11.3%, the worst swing of any major maker. Toyota grew +9.9% and still shed -0.9 pp; Skoda-VW shrank -2.1% YoY, the only decline in the top table.
Two rungs in a year: how Tata scaled the ladder
The share line: 12.7% last July, 14.0% by September, a 15.2% peak in March, 14.8% now. Tata added 18,963 registrations, growing +43.7% YoY - nearly double the market's +23.2% pace.
Twelve months that flipped the podium
- Jul 2025Photo finishHyundai 12.9%, Tata 12.7% - a 0.2 pp gap.
- Sep 2025The lines crossTata jumps to 14.0%; Hyundai slips to 11.9%.
- Mar 2026Tata's peak15.2% - and Hyundai dips below 11% for the first time.
- Jul 2026The new orderTata 14.8%, Mahindra 13.4%, Hyundai 11.3%.
The small get quick: Nissan, Renault and Force smell blood
Nissan grew +72.9% YoY, Renault +51.4%, Force +44.8% - small volumes, twice the market's pace. Kia (+27.4%, 6.1% share) is closing on Toyota's 7.0%. And debutant VinFast's 1,482 cars outsold Mercedes-Benz.
Ten states, one landlord
Maruti registered 1,62,518 cars - +23.4% YoY, share steady at 38.5% - and topped all ten big states, up to a 50.1% in-state share in Kerala. The 2026 share war is for the 61.5% Maruti doesn't hold.
| State | Market leader | Leader regs | In-state share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maharashtra | Maruti Suzuki India | 18,758 | 34.5% |
| Uttar Pradesh | Maruti Suzuki India | 17,840 | 43.8% |
| Tamil Nadu | Maruti Suzuki India | 12,489 | 34.5% |
| Gujarat | Maruti Suzuki India | 13,455 | 37.5% |
| Karnataka | Maruti Suzuki India | 9,726 | 32.0% |
| Haryana | Maruti Suzuki India | 12,445 | 43.6% |
| Rajasthan | Maruti Suzuki India | 9,410 | 40.8% |
| Kerala | Maruti Suzuki India | 11,275 | 50.1% |
| Delhi | Maruti Suzuki India | 6,258 | 35.2% |
| Punjab | Maruti Suzuki India | 5,097 | 32.9% |
The road ahead
October is the next test: a Maruti-tilted Diwali lifted the market to 5,60,931 registrations last year. If Tata holds above 14.5% through it, the silver is a settlement, not a streak - and with 83.3% of the EV market in challenger hands, July looks less like an upset than a preview.