White is the most popular car colour in India, accounting for 48 percent of the market in 2025, according to the BASF Color Report 2025. However, the report notes that Indian buyers are also showing greater interest in more expressive colours, with shades like black, blue and green gaining attention.
The data reflects a market where safe, neutral colours still dominate, but personalisation is slowly increasing across segments and body styles.
- Grey is second at 17 percent
- Black and silver are tied at 10 percent each
- Blue (7 percent) leads among chromatic colours, red stands at 5 percent
- Green, beige and orange are niche at 1 percent each
Preferred colour choices in cars: neutrals rule
White leads by a big margin.
The BASF report shows that India remains a strongly colour-neutral market. Along with white (48 percent), grey (17 percent), silver (10 percent) and black (10 percent), achromatic colours together make up the vast majority of new-car colours on the road.
White is a popular choice in India as it’s seen as easier to maintain in hot and dusty conditions and is a safer choice for resale. It also highlights a car’s body lines well in daylight and tends to mask dust, minor swirl marks and light scratches better than darker shades, making it a safe pick across segments.
Even though many carmakers now offer ‘Dark Edition’ or black-themed variants, black accounts for just 10 percent of the colour share, tied with silver and behind grey.
In terms of achromatic colours, the report records that white is up 2 percent and black up 1 percent, while grey is down by 1 percent.
Blue leads among chromatic colours
Green and beige stay niche, but visible.
Among chromatic shades, blue remains the top pick in India, with a 7 percent share; red follows at 5 percent. The report also notes that green is seeing interest in India, particularly on SUVs, though its overall share remains small at 1 percent. Beige and orange are also at 1 percent each.
SUV and EV colour preferences
SUV buyers warming up to green; EVs lean towards blue and silver.
BASF notes that green is especially popular for SUVs in India, linking it to an outdoorsy, lifestyle-led appeal. For EVs, the report highlights that blue and silver stand out as preferred shades, suggesting buyers associate these colours with a more modern, tech-forward image.
It also points out that dual-tone combinations and matte finishes are gaining traction, especially among urban customers looking for more distinctive styling.
