New Delhi: Major auto companies, including
Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra and General Motors, on Monday
reported record sales for January, signalling that the worst
is behind for the industry that was battered by the global
economic meltdown.
Market leader Maruti Suzuki said its January sales at
95,649 units marked its highest ever sale for a month till
now, up 33.3 per cent over the same month last year.
M&M too said it clocked its highest ever domestic monthly
auto sales with 67.4 per cent increase in January at 28,988
units against 17,320 units in the same month last year.
For General Motors India as well January sales were the
best in over 13 years of operations in India. GM sold 9,421
units, over two-fold jump against the same month last year.
Hyundai Motor India's domestic sales of 29,601 units in
January is the highest since 1998.
Commenting on the auto industry, M&M President Automotive
Sector Pawan Goenka, who is also the President of Society of
Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), said, "We can say the
worst is behind us provided there are no jolts in future in
the form of hikes in interest rates, excise or commodity
prices."
Maruti Suzuki Executive Officer (Marketing and Sales)
Mayank Pareek said the sales performance were partly "thanks
to the government's stimulus package."
The auto industry was suffering from demand slump since
mid-2008 after the downturn hit the global economy.
Homegrown auto major Tata Motors said its total sales
soared 77.30 per cent in January at 65,478 units. It had sold
36,931 units during the same month last year.
Honda Siel Cars India reported 3.64 per cent increase in
sales in January at 5,983 units against 5,773 units in the
corresponding month last year.
In the two-wheeler segment companies like Hero Honda, TVS
Motor and Suzuki Motorcycle India, witnessed robust sales in
January.
The country's largest two-wheeler maker Hero Honda posted
23.57 per cent jump in its January sales at 3,89,802 units
compared to 3,15,458 units in the year-ago month. It is also
planning to launch three new products by the end of this
fiscal.
Chennai-based TVS Motor Company saw its two-wheeler sales
climb 34 per cent at 1,25,578 units against 93,729 units in
the same month last year.
Suzuki Motorcycle India posted a jump of 93 per cent in
sales last month at 20,441 units over the same month in 2009.
However, India Yamaha saw its sales fall 3.94 per cent in
January to 17,598 units from 18,320 units during the same
month last year.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 01, 2010, 21:06