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April 2022 data shows nine two-wheelers costing under Rs 1.28 lakh got single-digit fancy numbers, with auction prices ranging from Rs 1.70 lakh to Rs 15.44 lakh
Vehicles priced between Rs 9.56 lakh and Rs 13.22 lakh were fitted with plates auctioned for Rs 12.21 lakh to Rs 24.40 lakh. (AI Generated/News18 Hindi)
The craze for vehicle registration numbers in Chandigarh has reached extraordinary levels, with residents spending hefty sums to secure their preferred digits. Analysis of official auction data reveals that some citizens are paying up to twenty times more for a registration number than the cost of the vehicle itself.
According to a report by The Times of India, records from the Registration and Licensing Authority (RLA) of the Chandigarh Administration between January 2020 and July 2025 highlight this trend. During this period, a dozen ‘fancy’ numbers were auctioned at prices significantly higher than the vehicles they were assigned to.
Data from April 2022 shows a buyer paying an astonishing Rs 15.44 lakh for a registration number for a two-wheeler priced at only Rs 55,000. This suggests that the number plate cost nearly 28 times more than the scooter.
This was not an isolated incident. In June 2024, another two-wheeler worth Rs 59,336 received a plate auctioned for Rs 4.95 lakh.
In August 2023, a vehicle costing Rs 64,024 was paired with a number that fetched Rs 5.75 lakh at auction. Overall, nine two-wheelers priced below Rs 1.28 lakh received single-digit fancy numbers, with auction prices ranging from Rs 1.70 lakh to a record Rs 15.44 lakh.
Similarly, vehicles priced between Rs 9.56 lakh and Rs 13.22 lakh were fitted with plates auctioned for Rs 12.21 lakh to Rs 24.40 lakh.
Chandigarh, India, India
September 08, 2025, 19:16 IST
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