Domestic Car Sales Fall 11% In November, Production Down 8%: Industry Body SIAM

The country's auto sector is struggling against a slowdown amid low demand and thousands of job cuts

Total domestic sales across categories in the country's auto sector dropped 12.05 per cent to 1,792,415 vehicles, including passenger as well as commercial vehicles.
Among passenger vehicles, sales of utility vehicles however jumped 32.70 per cent. A total of 92,739 passenger utility vehicles were sold in November 2019, as against 69,884 in November 2018. Sales of vans, however, plunged 34.32 per cent to 10,728 vehicles.
Sales of commercial vehicles - light, medium and heavy carriers of passengers and goods - declined 14.98 per cent to 61,907 units.
Two-wheeler sales dropped 14.27 per cent to 1,410,939 units.
Overall production in the domestic market decreased 1.41 per cent. That included passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and two- and three-wheelers.
Production of passenger vehicles - passenger cars, vans and utility vehicles - rose 4.06 per cent. The rise in production of passenger vehicles signalled a potential recovery of the sector hurt by a crippling slowdown in demand.
Production of passenger cars, however, decreased 7.58 per cent.
SIAM Director General Rajesh Menon said passenger and commercial vehicle segments remain an area of concern.
"If the income tax reliefs are announced in the Union Budget for 2020-21, it will be of great help. We have also called for a reduction in GST to help manufacturers," he added.
Total exports across segments, however, rose 17.60 per cent. In the passenger cars category, exports grew 13.60 per cent to 39,390 units.