Two-wheeler sales take off as festive season begins

Almost every two-wheeler showroom in the Ahmedabad is decked with huge billboards these days, advertising special rates, free gifts and attractive exchange offers.

No wonder then that vehicle companies sell two and a half times more vehicles in the month preceding Diwali compared with the average sales in any other month.

Says Ashesh Dhar, General Manager, Sales (West), TVS Motor Company: "On an average, TVS sells around 7,000-7,500 vehicles every month in Gujarat. But this is an auspicious month and most people prefer to purchase vehicles in the month preceding Diwali. The company will easily sell more than 20,000 units in the state in the period from October 14 to November 15."

TVS has a countrywide share of 21 per cent in motorcycles and in Gujarat, the share is over 10 per cent. There are 33 distributors across the state and 70 authorised outlets. Apart from scooterrett Scooty and entry level motorcycle Max 100, the company has a range to offer in all segments, including Centra, variants of the Victor and variants of the Fiero.

Bajaj Auto too has also come out with a slue of offers. The company aims to encash the festive season with the newly launched Discover. The company expects to sell around 10,000 units of the CT 100 every month in the state.

With over 2,000 units of the Pulsar being sold, Bajaj expects huge sales in the month prior to Diwali. If market trends were an indication, the company aims to sell over 25,000 vehicles in the festive season alone.

While Hero Honda officials could not be reached for comment, its executive segment vehicles - Splendor and Passion - have the highest marketshare in Gujarat.

The company has been offering a CDMA mobile handset as a festive season gift to its customers. The executive bike segment in the state is pegged at around 18,000 to 20,000 vehicles per month, of which Hero Honda has a majority share.

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Diwali bonanza

• Called the TVS Celebration, customers get a 3-gram gold coin free on purchase of TVS motocycle
• Having launched the Discover just before Diwali,Bajaj Auto has announced several luceratibe offers, including exchange
• Yamaha dealers offer customers surprise gifts on purchase of motorcycles
• Customers buying Hero Honda motorcycle before Diwali will get a CDMA mobile phone free