The craze for special or “fancy” vehicle registration numbers in Haryana reached a new peak this week as the number HR-88-B-8888 attracted a bid of Rs 1.17 crore.
The bidder, identified only as Sudhir Kumar, paid the mandatory Rs 10,000 to enter the auction and has until next week to deposit the full amount, HT has learnt. The number will be confirmed as sold only after the payment is completed. Some reports suggested this may be the highest bid for a fancy number in India, though this could not be independently verified.
Weekly Online Auctions Draw Strong Interest
Haryana conducts weekly online auctions for premium registration numbers, with bidding closing at 5 PM every Wednesday on the portal fancy.parivahan.gov.in.
This week, HR-88-B-8888 drew the most attention, receiving 45 applications. The base price for the number was set at Rs 50,000.
The HR-88 code indicates that the number belongs to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Kundli, located in Sonipat district.
Growing National Obsession with Premium Plates
The appetite for fancy registration numbers has expanded across the country in recent years.
In April 2025, a Kerala businessman purchased KL-07-DG-0007 for Rs 45.99 lakh for his Lamborghini, a car priced at around Rs 4 crore. The number ‘0007’ is popular due to numerological beliefs and its association with James Bond.
In Chandigarh, the number ‘0001’ from the CH01-DA series fetched Rs 36.43 lakh in an August e-auction held by the Union Territory’s Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA), against a reserve price of Rs 50,000.
Why Buyers Pay Big
Bidders pursue these numbers for varied reasons, numerology, personal dates, or simply the appeal of exclusivity, driving prices to unprecedented levels in multiple states.