The ongoing economic slowdown, especially in rural India and attempts to clear old inventories before BS-VI auto emission compliant scooters and motorcycles are brought into the market saw a significant fall in sales of two-wheelers in November.
India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp reported a 15.31 per cent year-on-year decline in total sales to 5,16,775 units in November, while TVS Motor Company sold 266,582 units in November 2019 as against 319,965 units in corresponding period last year.
In the domestic market, Hero’s sales were down by 15.82 per cent to 5,05,994 units in November, while TVS’s domestic sales slumped 26.52 per cent to 1,91,222 units.
TVS Motor said November’s weak sales were partly because of adjustment of BS-IV units to BS-VI and shifting of Diwali season to an earlier month. Hero MotorCorp added that record festive retail sales in October partly led to lower despatches of two wheelers in November.
Hero MotoCorp also said it had scaled up the production of its BS-VI vehicles, while stopping production of more than 50 variants of its BS-IV range of products in an effort to migrate completely to the new emission era. Hero has already commenced retail sales of BS-VI compliant motorcycle, Splendor iSmart with fuel injection technology.
India’s second largest two-wheeler maker Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India reported total sales of 3,96,366 units in November 2019 as against 4,18,362 units sold in November 2018. The company’s domestic sales declined by around five per cent to 3,73,250 units.
Similarly, Pune-based Bajaj Auto reported a decline of 11.5 per cent in its November domestic sales to 2,07,775 units as against 2,34,818 units in the year-ago month. A jump of 17 per cent in export, however, helped the company to report a marginal dip of 0.9 per cent in total sales at 403,223 units during the month.
Niche motorcyles maker Royal Enfield too reported sales of 60,411 units during the month as against 65,744 units in the corresponding month previous year.
Meanwhile, the only two-wheeler maker that reported positive growth in the month of November was Suzuki Motorcycle India.
The Japanese player registered monthly sales of 69,755 units in November 2019, up 23.39 per cent when compared to 56,531 units sold in the same month in 2018. The number includes both domestic as well as export numbers.
HMSI sales dropped by around 5 per cent
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) reported total sales of 3,96,366 units in November 2019 as against 4,18,362 units sold in November 2018. Its domestic sales declined by around 5 per cent to 3,73,250
Bajaj Auto reported a decline of 11.5 per cent
Bajaj Auto reported a drop of 11.5 per cent in its November domestic sales to 2,07,775 units as against 2,34,818 units in the year-ago month. A jump of 17 per cent in export, however, helped the company to report a marginal dip of 0.9 per cent