Commercial vehicle makers unlikely to see festive cheer in October sales

Weighed down by an economic slowdown and increase in axle load - 30% additional capacity - major CV companies are expected to report a decline of around 20% in sales volumes in October 2019

The passenger-vehicle and two-wheeler segments of the automobile industry seem to have got some sales boost this festive season, but there might be little respite for the commercial-vehicle (CV) segment. Weighed down by an economic slowdown, increase in axle load (30 per cent additional capacity) among other things, major CV companies are expected to report a decline of around 20 per cent in sales volumes in October 2019.

In September this year, the total automobile industry sales was the lowest for the month in at least 10 years. According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada), the apex body