Auto Sales In September 2024 Live: Hero MotoCorp Surges Nearly 20%, Maruti Suzuki Dips 4%

India's top automakers are reporting their monthly sales data for the month of September, even as inventory builds ahead of a crucial festive season. Here's a look at who sold how much in the month gone by.

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. has clocked double-digit growth in sales ahead of the festive season.

Total sales of the Indian unit of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. rose 11% year-on-year to 5,83,633 units in September 2024, according to a media statement on Tuesday.

• Domestic sales up 9% YoY at 5,36,391 units

• Exports up 34% YoY at 47,242 units

In the first six months of Fiscal 2025, HMSI clocked domestic sales of 28,81,419 units and exports of 2,76,958 units.

Hero MotoCorp Ltd. has increased dispatches to dealerships by nearly a fifth in anticipation of higher rural demand during the upcoming festive season.

Total sales of India's largest two-wheeler maker rose 18.75% year-on-year o 6,37,050 units in September 2024, as against 5,36,499 units in the year-ago period, according to an exchange filing on Tuesday.

What's noteworthy was the jump in motorcycle sales—up 21% year-on-year to 5,97,529 units—even as scooter sales declined 6.4%.

• ⁠Total sales up 18.75% YoY at 637,050 units

• Motorcycle sales up 20.9% YoY at 597,529 units

• ⁠Scooter sales down 6.4% YoY at 39,521 units

• Exports up 21.75% YoY at 20,344 units

"A positive sentiment is prevalent in the industry as it approaches the festive season on the back of a good monsoon," the company said in the exchange filing. "Hero is geared up with a host of customer offers, in line with previous festive periods, across its wide and attractive portfolio."

The Splendor maker said it has a strong pipeline of bookings amid higher footfalls at dealerships ahead of the festive season. It expects healthy growth during the 32-day festive season starting Oct. 3.

Maruti Suzuki’s car sales declined nearly 4% year-on-year in September 2024 as India’s largest carmaker balanced production against inventory ahead of the crucial festive season.

SEPTEMBER AUTO SALES - MARUTI SUZUKI

• Domestic PV sales [RD] 3.9% at 144,962 units

• Total India PV sales [RD] 1.15% at 156,999

• Exports [GU] 23.1% at 27,728 units

• Total sales [GU] 1.86% at 184,727 units

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Kia India Pvt. Ltd., the local unit of the South Korean automaker, has clocked sales of 23,523 units in September, a jump of 17% year-on-year.

Key Highlights (YoY):

• Total sales up 17% at 23,523 units.

• Sonet is Kia India’s best-selling model with 10,335 units.

• Seltos and Carens clock 6,959 and 6,217 units, respectively.

Tata Motors Ltd. said on Tuesday that it registered sales of 69,694 units in September, a decline of 15% compared to the year-ago period.

Key Highlights (YoY):

• Total domestic sales down 15% to 69,694 units.

• Total electric vehicle sales down 23% to 4,680 units.

• Total passenger vehicle sales down 9% to 41,313 units.

• Total commercial vehicle sales down 23% to 30,032 units.

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Atul Auto Ltd. has grown its monthly sales by more than a quarter on the back of higher dispatches of electric three-wheelers.

Total sales of the Gujarat-based automaker rose 26.26% year-on-year to 3,361 units in September 2024, as against 2,662 units in the year-ago period, according to an exchange filing on Tuesday.

While domestic three-wheeler sales, excluding EVs, rose 9.97% year-on-year to 2,084 units, exports almost tripled to 299 units.

What stood out, however, was sales of electric three-wheelers.

Across two product categories, EV unit sales rose 38.72% year-on-year to 978 units in September 2024, as against 705 units in the year-ago period.

TVS Motor Co. Ltd. has clocked its highest ever monthly volumes on the back of surging electric two-wheeler sales.

Total two-wheeler sales of the Chennai-based automaker rose 20% year-on-year to 4,71,792 units in September 2024, as against 3,86,955 units in the year-ago period, according to an exchange filing on Tuesday. While domestic sales were up 23% year-on-year at 3,69,138 units, exports rose 19% to 102,654 units over the same time period.

What stood out, however, was the surge in EV sales.

The company shipped 28,901 electric vehicles to dealerships last month, as against 20,356 units in the year-ago period—a growth of 42%.

TVS Motor Sales In September 2024: Key Highlights

• Total sales up 20% YoY at 4,82,495 units

• Total exports up 11% YoY at 1,11,007 units

• Total 2W sales up 22% YoY at 4,71,792 units

• Domestic 2W sales up 23% YoY at 3,69,138 units

• 2W exports up 19% YoY at 1,02,654 units

Within the two-wheeler space, motorycle sales rose 19% year-on-year to 2,29,268 units in September 2024. Scooter sales were up 20% at 1,86,751 units.

But the three-wheeler business disappointed. TVS Motor shipped 10,703 auto-rickshaws in September 2024 as against 15,598 units in the year-ago period.

Quarterly Performance

In the three months ended 30 September 2024, TVS Motor recorded total two-wheeler sales of 11.90 lakh units as against 10.31 lakh units in the year-ago period. That translated to a growth rate of 15% year-on-year.

Three-wheeler sales stood at 38,000 units while total exports rose 11% year-on-year to 3.09 lakh units.

SML Isuzu Ltd., a maker of utility vehicles—lifestyle or otherwise, is seeing a surge in volume as Indians warm up to the "pickup" way of life.

Total sales of the Japanese automaker rose 21% year-on-year to 1,055 units in September 2024, as against 872 units in the year-ago period, according to an exchange filing on Tuesday.

• Cargo-vehicle sales up 19.4% YoY at 407 units

• Passenger-vehicle sales up 22.0% YoY at 648 units

In the first six months of Fiscal 2025, SML Isuzu sales are up 6.9% year-on-year at 7,627 units, as against 7,133 in the year-ago period.

VE Commercial Vehicles has clocked growth on the back of exports that nearly doubled. Domestic sales were largely muted on account of cyclicality.

Total sales of the unit of Eicher Motors Ltd. rose 5.7% year-on-year to 7,609 units in September 2024, as against 7,198 units in the year-ago period, according to an exchange filing on Tuesday.

• Domestic sales up 2.0% YoY at 6,847 units

• Exports up 90% YoY at 475 units

In the first six months of Fiscal 2025, VECV has clocked 3.5% growth—the company has sold 40,476 units in April-September 2024 as against 39,122 units in the year-ago period.

Ashok Leyland Ltd. saw a decline in sales last month, even as the wider commercial-vehicle industry awaited a turn in cyclicality.

Total sales of the truck-and-bus maker fell 10% year-on-year to 17,233 units in September 2024, as against 19202 units in September 2023.

• Domestic sales down 12% YoY at 16,041 units

• Exports up 18.13% YoY at 1,192 units

Toyota Kirloskar Motor India Pvt. Ltd. has clocked 14% year-on-year growth in September 2024 on higher offtake across its line-up of cars and SUVs.

Total sales of the Indian unit of Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. stood at 26,847 units last month as against 23,590 units in the year-ago period—a growth of 14% year-on-year, according to a media statement on Tuesday. The company shipped 23,802 units to local dealerships while a further 3,045 units were exported.

"Our SUV (sports utility vehicle), MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), and small car segments have experienced significant growth nationwide, contributing over 90% to our sales in September," Sabari Manohar, vice president - sales, service and used cars, Toyota India, said in the statement.

In the six months through September, Toyota India recorded its best half-yearly performance—wholesales grew 31% 1,62,623 units as against 1,23,939 units in the year-ago period.

"The key to meeting this rising demand has been our strategic operational improvements, such as the introduction of a third shift," Manohar said. "This has significantly optimised our supply chain, particularly for high-demand models where waiting periods have been reduced."

Tractor sales of Escorts Kubota Ltd. grew last month, bolstering hopes of even higher sales in the upcoming festive season.

As many as 12,380 Escorts tractors were dispatched to dealerships in September 2024, as against 12,081 units in the year-ago period—a growth of 2.5% year-on-year, according to an exchange filing on Tuesday.

• Domestic sales up 5.7% year-on-year at 11,334 units

• Exports down 47.1% year-on-year at 395 units

"With timely, widespread and above average monsoon leading to replenished water reservoirs and favourable terms of trade, we anticipate good sales growth during second half of current fiscal," Escorts Kubota said in the exchange filing.

In the first half of Fiscal 2025, Escorts Kubota sales declined 3.6% year-on-year to 54,177 units, as against 55,587 units in the year-ago period. An exports slump—down 24.7% year-on-year—ate into the volumes.

Total sales of Bajaj Auto Ltd. surged yet again as premiumisation and electric mobility continued to drive domestic volumes.

The Pune-based automaker dispatched 2,59,333 units to dealerships in September 2024, as against 2,02,510 units in the year-ago period—a growth of 28% year-on-year, according to an exchange filing on Tuesday.

Exports, which used to outpace domestic sales not very long ago, grew 13% year-on-year to 1,41,156 units. Overall, total two-wheeler sales rose 22% annually to 4,00,489 units.

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. grew its SUV sales by nearly a fourth in September 2024, even as the tractor business remained muted.

• Total SUV sales up 24% YoY at 51,062 units.

• Total exports up 25% YoY At 3,027 units.

• Domestic tractor sales up 3% at 43,201 units.

• Total tractor sales up 2% at 44,256 units.

• Total three-wheeler sales up 27% at 10,044 units.

• Total commercial vehicle sales at 23,706 units.