New Delhi, May 6 -- Data released on Tuesday by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations in India shows that automobile retail sales rose 13% from a year earlier to over 2.6 million units in April, the best-ever performance for this month.

The growth was broad-based, with five of the six main segments posting record numbers; all barring construction equipment, that is. Rural demand led the way, outpacing urban regions.

Two-wheelers revving up is heartening, given that they represent the bulk of India's market with April volumes of over 1.9 million, 7.8% of them electric. Passenger vehicles recorded sales of over 407,000 units, 5.8% of them electric and 8.3% hybrid.

In terms of corporate market share, no major shift seems immin...