Auto makers are leaving no stone unturned to make the most of the Gudi Padwa festival this year, going as far as making home deliveries of vehicles in small numbers.
The festival usually heralds large number of sales for the industry, especially in terms of deliveries marked on the day, but with Maharashtra under ‘effective lockdown’ due to rising COVID-19 cases sources told CNBC-TV18 that dealers have taken the ‘home delivery’ route.
Notably, Gudi Padwa is a primarily celebrated in Maharashtra and current COVID-19 restrictions call for showrooms to be shut for physical delivery of vehicles. Sources told CNBC-TV18 that car manufacturers are delivering pre-registered cars at your doorstep ahead of Gudi Padwa to overcome this hurdle.Sources tell us that auto manufacturers have begun door-step deliveries of vehicles in Maharashtra.
Deliveries of pre-registered vehicles taking place in small numbers ahead of #GudiPadwa on Tuesday pic.twitter.com/VNu1nV8EXl — CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) April 8, 2021
Sources have told CNBC-TV18 that Road Transport Offices (RTOs) are also functioning very slowly, which will likely lead to a pile-up in registrations.
To this effect, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) have requested the Maharashtra government to allow dealerships to function at least partially. They have also requested that RTOs be opened and are expected to hear back from the government soon.
Sources also said that while the low opening stock at original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is a relief for dealers, deliveries scheduled for Gudi Padwa will “definitely be impacted,” if showrooms remain shut.