May Auto Sales Live: Maruti Suzuki Slumps 86%, Escorts Sells 3.4% Fewer Tractors
After zero sales in April, Indian automakers opted for selling cars online as the coronavirus-led lockdown kept most dealerships shut for the second month in a row.
The automakers made a cautious return to production in May after the stay-at-home restrictions were eased to spur economic activity. Exports continued but they form a small part of annual auto sales in India. And while online car sales may simply be a lockdown-spurred fad, it hasn’t deterred automakers from trying.
Here’s a look at which automaker sold how much in the month of May:
Escorts Sales Declines 3.4% To 6,594 Units In May
Farm equipment maker Escorts Ltd. has reported a 3.4% decline in total tractor sales at 6,594 units in May. The company had sold a total of 6,827 units in the same month last year, it said in a regulatory filing.
Domestic tractor sales declined marginally at 6,454 units as against 6,488 units in May last year, the company added. Exports during the month stood at 140 units as against 339 units last year, down 58.7%, it said.
MG Motor India Sells 710 Cars In May
MG Motor India Pvt. Ltd. sold 710 units of its Hector SUV in May, amid supply chain constraints induced by the coronavirus lockdown.
The company has resumed production at its Halol manufacturing plant in Gujarat at 30% capacity utilisation, MG Motor India said in a statement. About 65% of showrooms and service stations across the country are also operational with reduced manpower.
Commenting on business resumption and sales performance, MG Motor India Director (Sales) Rakesh Sidana said, "Supply chain disruption coupled with strict credit financing along with non-operation of some dealerships due to the lockdown have impacted our sales in May."
Sidana said that the company hopes to restore normalcy from July onwards. "All of our vehicles' stocks across channels and dealership inventory are BS-VI units," he added.
The company said as part of its 'Phase 2' expansion plan, the carmaker is introducing the ZS EV in six new cities, including Pune, Surat, Cochin, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and Chennai, from June 2020. Besides, it is also expanding the presence of the electric vehicle across 11 markets in India.
Maruti Suzuki's Car Sales Slumps 86% In May
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. reported a 86.23% decline in total sales at 18,539 units in May. The company had sold 1,34,641 units in May last year, the country’s biggest carmaker said in a statement.
Domestic car sales declined 88.93% year-on-year to 13,888 units in May. The company exported 4,651 units last month, down 48.82% from the year-ago period.
Maruti Suzuki said it resumed operations from May 12 at its Manesar facility and May 18 at its Gurugram facility, strictly in accordance with the government’s regulations and guidelines after lockdown restrictions were eased.
Production also resumed at Suzuki Motor Gujarat from May 25, it said. The company’s showrooms started opening in a graded manner across different cities.