The construction equipment (wheeled) retail sales recorded a sharp recovery in July 2026, rising 46 per cent year-on-year to 5,501 units from 3,766 units in July 2025. Industry trackers attribute the growth to lower base last year, implementation of BSV emission norms and a pick up in infrastructure activity.The last time the sector reported a growth was in June 2025.The growth was broad-based among the leading manufacturers, with the top five OEMs all registering double-digit growth, according to data from the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), the apex national body of the automobile retail industry.strong growthJCB India retained its dominant position and Action Construction Equipment in second place. The strongest growth among the top five came from Escorts Kubota, whose construction equipment sales more than doubled in July. Ajax Engineering and Bull Machines were fourth and fifth respectively, according to the data.The 46 per cent y-o-y growth in wheeled construction equipment retail sales in July should be viewed in the context of favourable base, Poonam Upadhyay, Director, Crisil Ratings.An early and extended monsoon last year curtailed construction activity, while delayed and uneven rainfall this year enabled projects to continue across several regions. As a result, annual growth appears strong even though month-on-month gains were more measured. The key monitorable now is whether project execution remains strong enough to support demand through the rest of the quarter, she said.Escorts Kubota Ltd, in its July business update, said that construction equipment industry-maintained growth momentum in July 2026, supported by a lower base in the corresponding period last year. This is following the implementation of BSV emission norms, along with sustained infrastructure activity and continued government capex, robust project pipeline and increasing export opportunities continue to support the industry’s near-term outlook, the company said. However, ongoing geopolitical developments remain an area of watch that could impact ground sentiment, commodity costs, and overall business conditions, it added.Published on August 11, 2026