Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The automobile market in Bhopal is set for nearly 20 percent growth this Dhanteras, buoyed by festive demand, attractive discounts and recent GST rate cuts.
Dealers said Friday saw a surge in sales as many customers advanced their purchases, considering Saturday inauspicious for vehicle buying. Most car and two-wheeler buyers rushed to showrooms a day early, resulting in heavy footfall across dealerships.
Ashish Dhruve, who bought his car on Friday, said, “Saturday is not considered auspicious, so I decided to purchase a day before Dhanteras.” Sudhir Yadav from Betul shared a similar sentiment, saying he took delivery of his black car on Friday though the booking was for Dhanteras.
Manoj Singh, a dealership manager, said, “Friday witnessed heavy rush as people avoided Saturday. Even those with Dhanteras bookings collected vehicles a day earlier.”
According to Ashish Pandey, state president of Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA), “This year, Dhanteras buying in the automobile segment will effectively span three days—Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As Saturday is considered inauspicious, most vehicles are being purchased on Friday, and the remaining on Sunday. We expect around 20 percent sales growth this Dhanteras.”
He said bookings in Bhopal have touched around 4,250 passenger vehicles and 10,000 two-wheelers, driven by strong consumer sentiment and improved affordability.