The abysmally low numbers from the bellwether of the Indian passenger vehicle industry were only to be expected. At just 32,903 units in May 2021, Maruti Suzuki India has announced what it is its second-lowest monthly sales statistic, after May 2020’s 13,702 units.

In May 2021, the passenger vehicle market leader shut production at all its plants May 1 through to May 16 “to divert oxygen from industrial use for medical purposes”.

Given that most key vehicle-buying states in India have been or continue being under different stages of lockdowns, vehicle buying has taken a huge hit. June 2021 numbers may be marginally better than May but normalcy is not likely to come before September-October 2021.