Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi

Mangaluru/Udupi, Nov 7: The districts of Dakshina Kannada (DK) and Udupi witnessed a significant surge in vehicle purchases during the festive season, as many celebrated Diwali with new vehicles. Starting from Dasara, vehicle sales have shown a steady increase, reaching their peak during Diwali. The reduction in GST rates and attractive festive offers have drawn customers to showrooms, and the vehicle market expects the buying trend to continue until the New Year.

In the regions of Mangaluru, Udupi, Puttur, and Bantwal, a majority of the purchased vehicles have already been registered, while several registrations are still in process.

According to data from various dealerships, vehicle sales this financial year have increased by 20 to 30 percent. Some brands have recorded an impressive 80 percent growth compared to last year. Two-wheelers continue to dominate the market among newly purchased vehicles.

In the Mangaluru RTO limits, a total of 38,969 vehicles have been registered so far, with 4,117 vehicles registered in October alone. Udupi district has recorded 26,568 total registrations, of which 4,506 were in October. In the Puttur RTO limits, 9,696 vehicles have been registered to date, with 1,081 registered in October. Meanwhile, Bantwal RTO has seen 5,950 vehicle registrations in total, including 681 in October.

Breaking down the October statistics, Mangaluru recorded registrations for 2,227 petrol vehicles, 205 diesel vehicles, and 70 electric vehicles. In Udupi, 3,141 petrol vehicles, 940 diesel vehicles, and 420 electric vehicles were registered. Puttur registered 5,568 petrol, 686 diesel, and 618 electric vehicles, while Bantwal recorded 3,131 petrol, 558 diesel, and 473 electric vehicle registrations.

At the Udupi regional transport office, October alone saw registrations for 3,143 two-wheelers, 851 cars, and 512 other vehicles — a notable increase compared to previous months, officials said.

Sridhar K Mallad, Mangaluru regional transport officer, and Santosh Shetty, Udupi in-charge regional transport officer noted that festive discounts traditionally boost vehicle sales, but this year’s reduction in GST has further contributed to the rise. Vehicle registration processes are being carried out online, and many pending registrations are expected to be completed by the end of this month, they said.