Mahindra 9S Tops India's EV Sales Chart in August 2026, Tata Punch EV Second

Mahindra's 9S took the top spot among India's best-selling electric cars in August 2026, with Tata's Punch EV finishing a close second. The ranking comes from Autopunditz, which tracks monthly passenger vehicle sales.

The order matters. Mahindra has spent the past two years pushing into the electric passenger car market, and the 9S now sits ahead of the Tata pack. Tata Motors, which built its EV lead on the Nexon EV and then the Punch EV, still holds the second slot.

Why the Punch EV number stands out

The Punch EV is the smaller, cheaper car. It starts well below the 9S on price. That it runs the Mahindra so close says something about where demand is actually sitting: buyers want a compact electric hatchback-ish SUV that doesn't cost a fortune.

Tata has sold the Punch EV as a city car with enough range for daily commutes. The formula has worked. August 2026 was no exception.

What the rest of the table shows

Autopunditz's monthly sales rankings cover the full electric passenger car market. The headline numbers put Mahindra first and Tata second. The gap between them was narrow enough that a single month's fleet order or a supply hiccup could flip the order in September.

Both companies have been expanding their EV lineups. Mahindra has the XUV400 and the new 9S range. Tata has the Nexon EV, Punch EV, Tiago EV and Tigor EV. The two are the only Indian mass-market makers with a serious electric portfolio right now.

What to watch

Monthly sales charts in India's EV segment are volatile. A few hundred units separate the top two or three names in most months. The August 2026 result is a snapshot, not a trend line.

Still, the fact that Mahindra's 9S outsold the Punch EV in a single month is worth noting. It's the first time the 9S has taken the top spot in the Autopunditz rankings, based on the published table.

Tata hasn't commented publicly on the August numbers. Mahindra hasn't either. Both companies report quarterly sales figures, and the next set is due in October.

The broader Indian EV market continues to grow. Charging infrastructure is still thin outside major cities, and battery costs remain the biggest single factor in pricing. Neither of those problems got solved in August.