Vehicle plate mania: Fancy numbers fetch Rs 1,269 crore in 5 years

The craze for fancy vehicle registration numbers in the city has transformed into one of the country’s most extraordinary government-run revenue engines, with UT minting Rs1,269.43 crore from VIP number auctions between 2020 and 2025 (till October 31).

The booming registration number auctions, driven by aggressive digital bidding and a culture of visible prestige, has made number plates in the city almost as coveted as the luxury cars they adorn.

The rising demand for fancy numbers parallels Chandigarh’s surge in premium wheels and a vehicular population that has already outstripped its human population. The last five years have brought an influx of supercars and luxury SUVs — from the Rs 4.99-crore McLaren 750S Spider and Rs 4.66-crore Rolls-Royce Cullinan to the Rs 4.12-crore Lamborghini Huracan, a string of Bentaygas and Flying Spurs, Porsche GT3 RS models and multiple Mercedes-AMG editions. These vehicles routinely spark fierce bidding wars for fancy registration plates.

Fancy-number sales have grown year after year: 3,308 numbers were auctioned in 2020, rising to 6,167 in 2021; 9,055 in 2022; 9,599 in 2023; and 8,752 in 2024. This year, 4,088 numbers have been auctioned till October 30, signalling yet another high-participation cycle. The annual revenue mirrored this climb — from Rs 106.16 crore in 2020 to Rs 319.05 crore in 2024, with Rs 145.11 crore collected in 2025 already by October.

The most expensive number yet, CH01DA0001, was sold for Rs 36.43 lakh this year. Also among the highest bids are CH01CZ0001 (Rs 31 lakh in 2025), CH01CV0001 (Rs 23.70 lakh in 2024) and CH01CH0001 (Rs 22.02 lakh in 2022). These elite plates commonly land on top-end SUVs and high-value sedans that dominate Chandigarh’s premium vehicle segment.

Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said the trend reflected both growing affluence and as well as institutional trust: “The demand for high-value numbers shows rising prosperity and evolving lifestyle choices in Chandigarh. What matters equally is that every auction and every registration is carried out in a fully transparent, technology-driven system that ensures fairness and public confidence.”

Registering and Licensing Authority in-charge Pradhuman Singh told The Tribune that the city’s auction ecosystem had become a benchmark. “The fancy-number platform has seen unprecedented participation because the digital bidding system leaves no scope for discretion. People trust the process, and that trust is driving the scale of revenue we see today.”

While prestige continues to drive the VIP-number mania, Chandigarh’s shift in mobility habits is equally notable. The city has added over 2.4 lakh new vehicles since 2020, including thousands of electric and hybrid vehicles alongside an expanding luxury fleet. As Chandigarh navigates this high-powered cultural shift, one thing is clear: on the city’s roads, exclusivity no longer stops at the brand of the — it extends boldly to the number plate itself.

OF PRESTIGE & IDENTITY

Prestige economics: Fancy numbers have become cultural currency — visible, exclusive and instantly recognisable.

Revenue powerhouse: Chandigarh’s auctions generate Rs 300+ crore annually, placing them among India’s highest-yielding public revenue mechanisms.

Luxury & identity: The surge in supercars and top-tier SUVs directly fuels aggression in number bidding; buyers want plates that match the statement their vehicles make.

Digital trust: Automation and online auctions have produced high transparency, widening participation and pushing bid values higher.

Future mobility shift: Even as luxury dominates bidding, Chandigarh is simultaneously adding EVs and hybrids at a significant pace — a sign of changing mobility consciousness in an aspirational city.