Festive discounts drive up auto sales

Passenger car sales up 21.6%, two-wheelers 27.08% in Nov

The bumper festival season sales in November 2004 drove the Indian automobile industry northwards, with passenger car and two wheeler sales reporting impressive growths over the corresponding month last year.

Passenger car sales rose 21.16 per cent to 70,465 units in November 204, against 58,156 units sold in the same month last year.

It may be recalled that Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) received bookings for over 25,000 vehicles with the steep Diwali discount it offered on its entire range of Santro cars. Passenger car market leader Maruti Udyog also received booking for over 27,000 units of Zen and WagonR with its special Diwali offerings.

According to the monthly flash report from Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) released today, car sales in the first eight months of this financial year (April-November 2004) were up 22.19 per cent to 5,30,094 units against 4,33,828 units sold in the same period.

Led by market leader Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto, volume segment motorcycles witnessed an even higher growth, notching up sales of 4,79,212 units in November, a 27.08 per cent growth over 3,77,094 units sold in the same month last year.

Motorcycle sales in the eight months of the fiscal were up 15.39 per cent to 3,207,515 units against 2,779,806 units sold in April-November 2003.

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India led the relatively low growth in the scooter & scooterette segment, pushing up sales by eight per cent in November at 83,668 units against 77,469 units sold in the same month last year.

Overall, two-wheeler sales in November, including mopeds, saw a healthy 22.90 per cent rise at 5,90,017 units against 4,80,053 units sold in the same month last year.

The growth was comparatively less in the first eight months of the fiscal, with sales up 13.49 per cent to 4,060,907 units against 3,578,299 units sold in April-November 2003.

In the commercial vehicle segment, Tata Motors led the pack, contributing to the 21.15 per cent rise in overall sales which touched 26,544 units against 21,910 units sold in November last year.

Domestic commercial vehicle sales of Tata Motors rose 24.9 per cent in November at 15,774 units against 12,626 units in the same month a year ago.

On the other hand, sales of the country's second largest bus and truck maker Ashok Leyland witnessed a modest five per cent year-on-year growth at 4,349 units.

Overall, commercial vehicle sales in the first eight months of this financial year saw a handsome 26.39 per cent growth to 1,93,818 units against 1,53,348 units sold in April-November 2003..

Three-wheeler sales in November, however, skidded 4.47 per cent to 23,383 units against 24,479 units sold in the same month last year, pushed down by lower sales of passenger carriers. Passenger carrier sales in the month dipped 19.47 per cent to 12,141 units against 15,078 units sold in November last year.

Overall, three-wheeler sales in the April-November 2004 period stood at 1,94,301 units, a growth of 11.15 per cent over 1,74,807 units sold in the first eight months of last fiscal.

On the export front, there was a 21.14 per cent growth in November at 47,444 units against 39,163 units shipped in the same month last year, according to the SIAM report.

In the first eight months of the fiscal, vehicle shipments abroad grew by 36.48 per cent to 4,01,015 units against 2,93,817 units in April-November 2003.