A routine weekly auction for premium vehicle numbers in Haryana turned into a national talking point after a bidder secured the registration HR88B8888 for an unprecedented Rs 1.17 crore, making it the costliest vehicle number ever assigned in India. The bidding closed on Wednesday evening on the government’s designated platform for fancy numbers.

How the Auction Reached Crore-Level Bids

The competition for the number began last Friday when applications opened. By Monday morning, 45 people had shown interest. Starting at a base price of Rs 50,000, the bid climbed rapidly and had already touched Rs 88 lakh by midday. By 5 pm, it hit the record-breaking final amount.

Haryana runs this auction cycle every week: registrations open Friday, close Monday, and bidding continues until Wednesday, all through the state’s official online portal.

Why HR88B8888 Became So Desirable

The appeal of the registration comes from its striking pattern. In capital letters, ‘B’ visually resembles the number ‘8’, creating the illusion of an uninterrupted chain of eights. For many buyers, especially those who believe in numerological luck, the digit 8 is associated with prosperity and financial success.

The number components stand for:
• HR – Haryana state code
• 88 – specific RTO code
• B – the series issued
• 8888 – the unique sequence

Only last week, another fancy number from the state, HR22W2222, had fetched Rs 37.91 lakh, which now seems modest in comparison.

A Nationwide Trend of Sky-High Registration Prices

Haryana isn’t the only region witnessing skyrocketing bids. In Chandigarh, buyers have repeatedly paid many times the value of their vehicles just to secure single-digit registrations. Between 2020 and 2025, one scooter worth Rs 55,585 received a plate costing Rs 15.44 lakh, while several other two-wheelers under Rs 1.3 lakh were paired with numbers auctioned for between Rs 1.7 lakh and over Rs 5 lakh.

Luxury car owners have also joined the race. Earlier this year, Kerala entrepreneur Venu Gopalakrishnan purchased the plate KL 07 DG 0007 for Rs 45.99 lakh, drawn by the iconic “007” sequence.

Premium Plates as Status Symbols

With HR88B8888 now setting a new national record, the trend suggests that number plates are increasingly being treated as personal identity markers and symbols of prestige sometimes valued more highly than the vehicles they adorn.