The Indian auto sector experienced a sharp decline on March 13, 2026, with the S&P BSE AUTO Index trading at 54,522.68, down 2.11% as of around 11:02 AM IST. This underperformance occurred amid broader market weakness, where the S&P BSE SENSEX stood at 75,278.19 (down 0.99%) and the NIFTY 50 at 23,358.25 (down 1.19%).
Key Stock Performance (as of 11:02-11:04 AM IST)
Major auto stocks showed widespread declines on BSE and NSE:
- Ashok Leyland: 169.85 (-4.71%) / 169.99 (-4.75%)
- Bajaj Auto: 8,904.65 (-2.84%) / 8,902.00 (-2.84%)
- Eicher Motors: 6,808.20 (-2.39%) / 6,810.50 (-2.37%)
- Hero MotoCorp: 5,211.00 (-3.42%) / 5,206.50 (-3.49%)
- Maruti Suzuki: 12,750.00 (-2.04%) / 12,742.00 (-2.07%)
- Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M): 3,010.60 (-0.73%) / 3,007.50 (-0.78%)
- TVS Motor: 3,375.30 (-1.34%) / 3,375.60 (-1.37%)
- Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles: 313.45 (-3.39%) / 312.95 (-3.57%)
Exceptions included Hyundai Motor India Ltd., up 0.71% on BSE and 0.52% on NSE. Smaller players like Ola Electric Mobility Ltd. (-1.22%/-1.14%) and Olectra Greentech (-2.31%/-2.33%) also traded lower.
The sector has declined 13.9% over the last 30 days but gained 17.3% over the past year.
Reasons for the Decline
The drop in auto stocks aligns with ongoing concerns from recent sessions, primarily driven by geopolitical tensions in West Asia (including conflicts involving Iran, Israel, and related parties). These have led to:
- Surging crude oil prices, increasing input costs and potential inflationary pressures for an oil-importing economy like India.
- Fears of natural gas and energy supply disruptions, which could affect manufacturing processes in the auto industry (natural gas is key for production).
- Broader supply-chain risks and cost inflation, as noted by analysts like JPMorgan, creating dual pressures of higher costs and possible production issues.
These factors have contributed to selling pressure in cyclical sectors like autos, which are sensitive to economic sentiment, commodity prices, and demand outlook. The auto index has lagged broader benchmarks in recent trading, extending losses from prior days.
This reflects market data and reports available as of mid-morning on March 13, 2026. Stock prices and indices are subject to change throughout the trading session.
Also read: Energy sector stocks down today, March 13: MRPL falls 5.34%, INOX Green Energy drops 4%, Petronet LNG down 2.83%