The Indian automobile industry is showing signs of revival with two-wheelers sales registering a growth of 18.39% at 1,265,704 units in September 2013 as compared to 1,069,069 in the year ago period. However, three-wheelers reported a negative growth of 5.48% at 46,839 as against 49,556 in September 2012.
Domestic passenger car sales rising to 1,56,018 units in September 2013, the highest level this fiscal, as against 1,54,884 car sales registered in the corresponding period of 2012, a growth of 0.73%.
Total passenger vehicles for the month under review stood at 2,16,031 units against 2,26,155 in the year ago period, a negative growth of 4.48%.
Total commercial vehicles sales stood at 51,680 in September this fiscal against 70,746 in the same month a year ago, a de-growth of 26.95%.
Overall auto sales registered an 8.57% growth in September 2013 at 1,816,316 units when compared to the same month last year at 1,673,006 units produced.
Despite showing one of the best growth numbers in the fiscal (FY14) with 0.7% growth in September, the segment declined 4.67% for the April-September 2013 period. “We will be lucky if we start coming close to the zero growth level in passenger car sales,” Vikram Kirloskar, SIAM President said. He added that unless there is good economic growth, buyers will remain cautious.
Domestic sales continued to remain muted as it grew 1.18% in the April-September 2013 period but exports seemed to fare better with a 4.54% increase over the same period last year.
Two wheeler market grew 3.51% during Apr-Sept-13 over the same period last year while scooters and motorcycles segments grew 16.59% and 0.88% respectively. Sales continue to remain sluggish but car makers such as Maruti posting total sales growth of 11.7% (Sept-13) lifted the spirits of the sector ahead of the festive season in India.
SIAM said the decline of 4.67 per cent in car sales in the first half of this fiscal was the worst since 2002-03, when sales dropped by 6.96 per cent in the same period.
Market leader Maruti Suzuki India posted a 14.52 per cent growth in domestic sales at 78,975 units last month as against 68,957 units in the same period last year.
Hyundai Motor India posted a marginal decline at 30,580 units compared with 30,795 units last year. Tata Motors’ domestic sales dropped 42.99 per cent to 9,766 units from 17,133 units.
Mahindra & Mahindra posted a 19.09 per cent dip in utility vehicle sales at 18,019 units as against 22,272 units. Honda Cars India sales were up 85.64 per cent to 10,220 units.
TVS Motor said that its scooter segment recorded a 14.3 per cent year-on-year growth during April-June, following new launches, and has registered a growth of over 20 per cent in July-September.