India two-wheeler sales tumble in December 2015

Sales reports from a few of the major two-wheeler companies indicate that the market continued to contract during December 2015.

By Amit Panday

06 Jan 2016

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India two-wheeler sales tumble in December 2015

Sales reports from a few of the major two-wheeler companies indicate that the market continued to contract during December 2015. Sales reports from the big four (Hero MotoCorp, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Company) and the ever-growing Royal Enfield underline a YoY decline of 3.41 percent for the last month.

While HMSI stood as the largest volume loser (39,267 units) for December 2015, Hero’s decline (26,432 two-wheelers) in unit terms overshadowed the growth registered by Bajaj Auto, TVS Motor Co. and Royal Enfield.

Industry experts say that the month of December is usually low on two-wheeler sales due to delayed purchase decisions and the winter season in major parts of the north and central regions of the country.

The largest two-wheeler manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp, reported sales of 499,665 units in December 2015, down by 5.02 percent (December 2014: 526,097). The company that launched two new scooter models – Maestro Edge and Duet – is registering an uptick in its scooter sales. Interestingly, the Hero Duet has also become one of the top 10 best-selling scooters in the market soon after its commercial launch. The model ranked fourth in the top selling scooters in India for November 2015.

While the company is said to be preparing itself for the upcoming Auto Expo in New Delhi in February 2016, it is expected that it might roll out a slew of new scooter and motorcycle models as it did at Auto Expo 2014.

HMSI, which registered consistent growth throughout the year, has reported declining sales for the second month in a row. According to the company, it sold 290,712 units across the domestic territories in December 2015, down by a substantial 11.90 percent YoY (December 2014: 329,979).

Marking its dominance in the domestic scooter segment, HMSI reported sales of 198,332 scooters and 92,380 motorcycles. The company document also highlighted that for December 2015 it held a domestic market share of 25 percent.

Bajaj Auto reported sales of 247,782 units in December 2015 (December 2014: 246,233), a marginal growth of 0.63 percent YoY. The company is known to be working upon new products for the Auto Expo, the capacity crunch at its Chakan plant and its pan-India supply chain for improved reach across the domestic markets.

TVS Motor Company registered domestic sales of 168,160 units (December 2014: 159,918). The company, which is ready with its new products to take on the two-wheeler market in 2016, grew by 5.15 percent YoY for December 2015.

Though low on its base, Royal Enfield finished the calendar year maintaining its healthy double-digit growth rate. The company grew by 42.08 percent YoY in December 2015 when it recorded total domestic sales of 40,037 units. It had sold 28,179 units in December 2014. The company, which hired a number of officials from Triumph Motorcycles in the UK to work on consolidating its position in the global markets, is known to be working on at least two all-new engine platforms. Keeping its focus on the midsized motorcycle segment (250cc-750cc engine displacement), the company is working towards the goal of becoming the largest player in the category globally.

Two-wheeler players such as India Yamaha Motors, Suzuki Motorcycle India and others are expected to report their December 2015 sales numbers later this month.