Mahindra and Tata compete for dominance in India's EV market

The Indian electric vehicle market is seeing intense competition between major manufacturers. In August 2026, the Mahindra XEV 9S became the country's best-selling EV, dispatching 4,508 units. It narrowly edged out the Tata Punch EV, which saw 4,430 units dispatched, representing a significant growth from 1,476 units in August 2025.

The Mahindra XEV 9S is a three-row SUV offering battery options of 59kWh, 70kWh, and 79kWh, with claimed ranges between 521 km and 679 km. In contrast, the Tata Punch EV is positioned as a more affordable compact SUV, starting at 9.79 lakh rupees, compared to the XEV 9S starting price of 20.65 lakh rupees.

Efficiency remains a key factor in the segment. Real-world testing of the Tata Punch EV, which utilizes LFP batteries, demonstrated high efficiency. The vehicle achieved approximately 7.63 km/kWh in city driving and 7.25 km/kWh on the road, showing minimal performance loss between urban and highway environments.