Auto industry closes 2011-12 on a positive note

April 10: Overall domestic sales for 2011-12 notched 12.24 percent growth, totaling 17,376,624 vehicles. In March 2012, domestic sales grew 10.11 percent as compared to March 2011.

The passenger vehicles segment grew 4.66 percent during April-March 2012 over April-March 2011. While passenger cars sales were up by 2.19 percent, utility vehicles sales grew by 16.47 percent and vans by 10.01 percent during this period. In March 2012, domestic sales of passenger cars grew by 19.66 percent over March 2011. Also, the sales growth of total passenger vehicles in March 2012 was at 20.59 percent compared to March 2011. And for the first time ever in India, car sales crossed two million in a financial year.

The overall Commercial Vehicles segment registered growth of 18.20 percent during April-March 2012. While Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicles (M&HCVs) registered a growth of 7.94 percent, Light Commercial Vehicles grew at 27.36 percent. In March 2012, CV sales recorded a growth of 14.82 percent over March 2011.

Three-wheeler sales however saw a decline of (-) 2.43 percent in April-March 2012 over the previous fiscal. While Goods Carriers grew by 6.31 percent during April-March 2012, passenger carriers fell by (-) 4.50 percent. In March 2012, total three-wheeler sales dropped by (-) 9.11 percent over March 2011.

Total two-wheeler sales saw growth of 14.16 percent during April-March 2012. Mopeds, motorcycles and scooters grew by 11.39 percent, 12.01 percent and 24.55 percent respectively. In March 2012, sales growth for two-wheelers was 8.27 percent compared to March 2011.

As per the cumulative production data for April 2011-March 2012 released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), there is a production growth of 13.83 percent over the same period last year. In March 2012 as compared to March 2011, production grew at a single-digit rate of 6.83 percent. In 2011-12, the industry produced 20,366,432 vehicles – 76 percent comprising two- wheelers, passenger vehicles 15 percent, three-wheelers four percent and commercial vehicles four percent.

On the export front, the industry exported 2,910,055 automobiles registering a growth of 25.44 percent in 2011-12. While passenger vehicles registered 14.18 percent growth in this period, the CV, three-wheeler and two-wheeler segments recorded growth of 25.15 percent, 34.41 percent and 27.13 percent respectively. Also, for the first time car exports crossed the half-a-million mark in a financial year. In March 2012, overall automobile exports registered a growth of 17.81 percent over March 2011.