The number of unsold diesel vehicles has doubled in the past year and reached more than 107,000 units in May, data submitted by India’s auto industry showed.

The auto industry submitted the report to the finance ministry concerning the steep decline in diesel car sales amidst talks of further hiking the price of diesel cars in India, Financial Express reported.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Regarding additional tax on diesel vehicles, India’s petroleum minister Jaipal Reddy, in a letter to the finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, proposed to increase price of small diesel vehicles by INR170,000 (US$3,036) and that of larger ones by INR255,000 in order to even out the subsidy for diesel cars.

The auto industry has noted that the excise duty on large diesel cars, which are over four metres in length and above 1,500cc, is currently 27% and addition of state levies and various taxes brings the compound duty to a staggering 70%.

The company with the most unsold diesel inventory is Tata Motors with over 40,000 units left. While Mahindra and Mahindra has 24,000 unsold units, Maruti Suzuki reported 22,000 unsold units this month.

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact