Indian auto industry posts biggest fall in sales at 17.98%

[sajiv]

New Delhi: The Indian automobile industry on December 10 reported its worst-ever sales in history with overall domestic sales declining by 17.98 percent in November, as commercial and passenger vehicle sales skidded off the road.

Total vehicle sales in the domestic market stood at 711,281 units in November as against 867,243 units in the same month last year, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

Commercial vehicle sales crashed by 49.52 percent last month to 20,637 units from 40,879 units in the year-ago period, while passenger car sales also dropped by 19.38 percent to 83,059 units from 103,031 units in the same month last year.

Two-wheeler sales slipped by 14.68 percent at 567,502 units from 665,181 units in the same period last year, with motorcycle sales declining 20.24 percent at 431,171 units as against 540,553 units in the corresponding month a year ago.

"This is the worst-ever total performance. All the segments have not fallen together drastically in such a fashion earlier," SIAM Director General Dilip Chenoy said.

The drop in passenger car sales was the worst since November 2000, when the same fell by 21.91 percent, he added.
He also said the fall in commercial vehicle segment was biggest in the recorded history.