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French auto major Renault reported a marginal increase in its market share in India, mainly due to sales of its SUV Duster.
The company said sales were stable (down 0.6%) in a market that shrank 5%. The Renault group posted 1.6% market share (up 0.1 points), thanks to Duster (refer table on Duster sales vs total units)
Sumit Sawhney, executive director, Marketing & Sales, Renault India Pvt. Ltd, recently commented that the Duster has been company's flagship product for just over a year, playing a crucial part.
Growth in Duster sales shows the continued desirability of the SUV among Indian customers, despite the shrinking market, he said in a statement earlier.
Renault India is a fully owned subsidiary of Renault SAS, France and currently offers five models in the Indian market – the premium sedan Fluence, the luxury SUV Koleos, the premium compact car Pulse, the SUV Duster and the premium sedan, Scala.
Renault India also exports the Duster to right-hand drive markets. India is set to become a production hub for right-hand drive cars for the company.
Renault and Alliance partner Nissan have invested around Rs 4,500 crore to set up a manufacturing facility at Oragadam, near Chennai.
Meanwhile, the company said that in the global automotive market that increased 4.6%, Renault group’s registrations totaled 614,888 units, up by 3.1% year-on-year. All the regions, except Asia-Pacific, reported sales growth and improved market share.
In the Asia-Pacific Region, group registrations decreased 30.4% in a market that increased by 6.1%. Excluding Iran, the group reported a 6.6% increase in the region.
Sales of Duster vs total sales
| MONTH | DUSTER SALES | TOTAL SALES |
| JAUNARY | 3554 | 4914 |
| FEBRUARY | 5590 | 6723 |
| MARCH | 6313 | 8232 |
| APRIL | 5362 | 6314 |
| MAY | 5146 | 6013 |
| JUNE | 4524 | 6007 |
| JULY | 3089 | 3763 |
| AUGUST | 2967 | 3773 |
| SEPTEMBER | 3973 | 4822 |
Source: Renault India
