PVs sales down 10.07%; 33.52% dip in 2-wheeler units as lockdowns hit auto industry: SIAM

Passenger vehicle wholesale stood at 261,633 units in April 2021 compared to 2,90,939 sales recorded in March, a 10.07 per cent decline in auto sales, the SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) data shows. The auto industry has been majorly impacted due to the second wave of Covid-19, which has forced auto companies to shut plants across India. A spate of lockdowns in various states across the country have impaired dealers from conducting business.

In the three-wheeler category, 13,728 units were sold in April 2021 compared to 31,930 units sold in March, thereby showing a 57.01 per cent decline. Two-wheeler sales declined 33.52 per cent at 995,097 units in April 2021 vs 9,95,097 units sold in March. Production of PVs, three-wheelers, two-wheelers and quadricycles in April totalled 18,75,698 units, which is 20.83 per cent lower than 23,69,237 units sold in March.

Also read: Covid-19 second wave: Auto registration slumps 32% in April; FY21 sales at 8-year low

"Supply chain related production challenges continue with the lockdown restrictions in many parts of the country. The demand has been impacted by the second wave of COVID-19, both in terms of low consumer sentiments and closure of dealerships due to lockdown restrictions," Rajesh Menon, Director General, SIAM, said.

He said vehicle manufacturing has been restricted and OEMs have come forward for augmenting oxygen supply for medical use. "Industry is putting all efforts to increase the availability of oxygen by providing oxygen generating plants, concentrators, cylinders, mobile oxygen vans, setting up vehicle tracking systems in oxygen-carrying vehicles to reduce their turn-around-time, etc," he added.

Some members have also tied up with PSA plant manufacturers to de-bottleneck their operations and scale up the production of oxygen plants. As per the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA), registration of automobiles slumped by nearly 32 per cent in April 2021 as compared to two years ago in April 2019. The sales tally is not comparable from April 2020 when the country was in a complete lockdown and no vehicle could be registered.

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