Several Indian manufacturers have reported a scarcity of imported old cast or Tense in the market as demand rises because of ramp-ups in two-wheeler manufacturing in Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh.
The sales of two-wheelers are also rising as they are seen as a safer option to public transport at a time when several other modes of traveling remain largely unavailable due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In June, Hero MotoCorp dispatched 450,744 units to its dealership, up from 112,682 in May, and plans to increase its production to 650,000-700,000 vehicles per month starting in August. Bajaj Auto’s dealer deliveries in June rose to 255,122 units from 112,798 units in May.
Tense supplies deplete
Gujarat-based manufacturers shared that Tense prices, with 2-3pc attachment cfr India port, rose by $50/mt to settled at $1,050/mt Monday over the past 15 days. Manufacturers stated that Tense imports had reduced during the lockdown period as manufacturers were uncertain about resuming production due to local government restrictions. However, with several plants back in action now, manufacturers are facing a scarcity of Tense- raw material for ADC 12 alloys used to make vehicles.
Manufacturers stated that the prices of Tense having 5-7pc attachment also increased by $50/mt to $950/mt cfr India port on Monday. In Rajasthan, manufacturers confirmed an increase in prices of Tense, while in Kolkata manufacturers reported Tense was sold to a producer at Rs86,000/mt, up from Rs79,000/mt two weeks ago. The prices of Tense have also risen in Mumbai owing to the scarcity of the material’s availability across the region.