New Delhi, oct 7
Automobile retail sales in the country witnessed a 5 per cent year-on-year drop last month amid a decline in two-wheeler and tractor dispatches during the period.As per automobile dealers’ body FADA, total retail sales last month stood at 12,96,257 units, down 5.27 per cent, from 13,68,307 units in September 2020.While two-wheeler and tractor dispatches declined, other segments like passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and three-wheelers saw an increase in retail sales last month, as compared to the same period a year ago.According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), which collected vehicle registration data from 1,357 out of the 1,562 regional transport offices (RTOs), two-wheeler sales stood at 9,14,621 units last month, down 11.54 per cent from 10,33,895 units in September 2020.Similarly, tractor retail sales declined by 23.85 per cent to 52,896 units last month, as against 69,462 units in the year-ago period. PV sales on the other hand stood at 2,33,308 units in September, up 16.32 per cent from 2,00,576 units in the same month last year.
Similarly, commercial vehicle retails increased by 46.64 per cent to 58,820 units, as compared to 40,112 units in September 2020.Three-wheeler sales increased by 50.9 per cent to 36,612 units last month, as against 24,262 units in the year-ago period. “The two-wheeler category continues to play spoilsport as the entry level segment is yet to witness healthy growth. This segment’s performance is now becoming critical for the overall segment to come back on the path of recovery as dealer inventory has risen to 30-35 days in anticipation of a good festive season,” FADA president Vinkesh Gulati said in a statement.Semiconductor shortage has also started impacting the over 150 cc segment, he added.
On the PV segment, Gulati noted: “As we enter the core of this year’s festive season, the full blown semiconductor crisis continues to create hindrance in PV sales as vehicle inventory at dealers dip to record lows of 15-20 days during the current fiscal. With high demand in this segment, long waiting periods continue to frustrate and keep enthusiast buyers in a fix.”
