With the number of vehicles in Pune steadily increasing, the demand for preferred or “choice” registration numbers is also growing. Punekars are willingly paying amounts much higher than the government-set fees to get their favorite numbers. Between January and November 2025, 48,303 vehicle owners chose “choice numbers,” collectively paying over ₹71 crore. This generated record revenue for the Pune RTO.
According to data released by the Pune RTO, the department earned ₹71.53 crore (₹715,340,951) only from the sale of choice numbers during this time.
₹71 Crore Revenue for Pune RTO
This is a increase of over ₹18.65 crore compared to the same period last year, even though there was a small decline in the number of vehicles choosing these numbers. Furthermore, the highest bid during this period was for the 4 wheeler number “7,” according to official data from the Pune RTO. While the base fee for the number is ₹70,000, one vehicle owner paid an astounding ₹777,777 to secure it, marking the highest bid recorded so far by the Pune RTO.
Choice numbers, 7 and 9 are in high demand
Swapnil Bhosale, deputy regional transport officer in Pune, highlighted that the demand for specific numbers remains very high. “From January to November this year, the Pune RTO has earned more than ₹71 crore through the sale of choice numbers alone. Numbers like 7 and 9 are the most demanded in Pune. Even when the total vehicle registrations change, the desire for premium numbers continues to drive revenues up,” Bhosale said.
“What’s significant is that even with fewer vehicles than last year, the revenue from choice numbers has increased greatly. This clearly shows that people are willing to pay more for exclusive numbers, making it an important source of non-tax revenue for the transport department,” he said.
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