Despite having a dubious distinction in poverty and malnutrition, the State is shining in the auto market. Odisha has registered the fastest growth in the country in terms of vehicle ownership __ car, jeeps, van etc __ over the pat decade. According to a study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the State has clocked a massive 293 per cent decadal growth in car, jeep and van as a mode of transportation per 1,000 households during the period from 2001-11.
It has, however, recorded a modest growth of 79 per cent in scooter ownership during the period, ranking 16th among 20 States of the country, the study “Automobile industry in India: Saturated and potential states”, stated.
While the all-India average growth in car, jeep and van as mode of transport per 1,000 households was about 105 per cent between 2001-11, as many as 11 States were far ahead with Odisha leading the pack, followed by Maharashtra 237 per cent, Kerala 222 pc, Madhya Pradesh 172 pc and Jharkhand 170 pc in the top five.
Rising purchasing power, prospering rural markets, improvement in infrastructure as well as growing auto finance market and distribution network are the key factors that are driving automobile sales. With the car density far lower than others and even the BRICS economies, it provides an opportunity for Indian four-wheeler manufacturers to exploit the the potentially large untapped markets, the industry body has remarked.
Of the 20 major States, West Bengal has witnessed the slowest growth, ranking 19th and 20th in the four-wheeler and scooter ownership, respectively. Kerala is India’s fastest growing State in terms of scooters as the mode of transport in rural and urban centres as it has clocked massive growth of 198 and 1010 per cent respectively between 2001 and 2011, general secretary D S Rawat said while releasing the study.