Indian auto sales up for the fourth month in Dec

India’s auto sales in December rose 13pc to around 1.49mn units compared to December 2019, aided by sustained strong demand. December marked the fourth month of year-on-year growth. The growth is likely to continue into January, opined industry experts.

Major player Maruti Suzuki posted growth of 20pc to 160,226 units in December from the previous year. In November Maruti’s sales rose by only 2pc from 2019 levels. Tata Motor’s passenger vehicle sales increased by 84pc to 23,545 units from the prior year. Hyundai India posted its best-ever December sales at 47,400 units, up 25pc compared to a year ago. The PV industry continued to record robust growth in Q3FY21 due to pent-up demand, the festive season, and the shift towards personal mobility, said Shailesh Chandra, President of Vehicle Business Unit in Tata Motors.

Escorts, a major producer of farm segment vehicles registered a growth of 88pc to 7,733 units in December while Mahindra & Mahindra’s farm segment reported a growth of 25pc to 22,417 units from the prior year.

Mahindra’s auto sector sold 35,187 units in December. Its overall sales were affected as they were hit by disruptions in the supply chain due to the constantly changing global environment, said the company. The company specifically faced a shortage of micro-processors (semiconductors) used in the Electronic Control Unit (ECUs). Demand continues to remain strong even after the festive season into the new year, said M&M.

Escorts says after the lockdown, December proved to be the first month where their supply could meet consumer demand. Many customers had to wait for a long to get their preferred tractor brand. In the coming days, all macroeconomic factors could remain favorable for continued growth, and Escorts does not expect any significant supply-demand gaps. The company, however, hinted that rising inflation continues to be a worry.

Sales by TVS were 272,084 units in December, a 17pc growth from the previous year. Those by Bajaj Auto were up by 11pc to 372,532 units from the prior year but 18pc lower from the previous month. Hero MotoCorp’s sales increased by 5pc to 447,335 units compared to 2019. Around 68,995 units of Royal Enfield vehicles were sold in December, up 37pc from the previous year.

Ashok Leyland reported sales of 12,762 units, up 14pc from the previous year. Eicher Motors’ heavy vehicle segment sold 4,892 units, down 3pc from 2019.

Tata Motors’ heavy vehicle segment reported a drop of 6pc to 5,699 units. Its total commercial vehicle sales dropped 4pc to 32,869 units. Total domestic sales for the company were up 21pc to 53,430 units.