Passenger vehicles sales increase in February
Sales of domestic passenger vehicles, a measure of consumer demand in the economy, grew for the second month in a row in February, but the pace slowed from the previous month, as the automobile industry recovers from the impact of demonetisation.
Sales grew 9.01% in February to 255,359 units, according to data provided by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam). In January, passenger vehicle sales had grown 14.4%.
Siam said the industry was on a path of steady recovery after the November 8 ban on highvalue banknotes that hurt sales.
“Impact of demonetisation is steadily waning and we expect the impact to gradually fade away in the next 1-2 months,” Siam’s director-general Vishnu Mathur told reporters.
An expert said the impact of demonetisation is still being felt in certain pockets of rural India where cash flow is yet to return to normal.
“...people are trying to hold back their purchases. The situation is likely to fade away in the next two to three months”, Abdul Majeed, partner and national auto practice leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said.
Automobile sales across segments declined 5.48% in November, the first drop in 11 months, as the note ban depressed demand for commercial vehicles and two-wheelers. Sales declined 18.66% in the following month, the most since December 2000.
“The last week of December was very good. So, by January, the dealers had finished their accumulated stocks. So, the month of January was basically a month of replenishing the dealer-based stocks and that’s why you saw 10% growth,” Mathur explained.
Domestic car sales increased 4.9% to 172,623 units in February, from 164, 559 in February 2016.
Vehicle sales across all categories, including passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, three-wheelers and two-wheelers grew by 0.94% in February, diminishing the chances of double-digit growth in the current financial year.
Siam said the passenger vehicle industry will end the year with close to 10% growth.
“If you assume and expect that same kind of production growth will continue in March, we will see a full-year growth of 9.5% in passenger vehicles,” Mathur said.
In the 11 months to February 2017, the passenger vehicles industry grew 9.16% to 2.76 million units.
Commercial vehicles sales went up by 7.34% to 66,939 units in February, as buyers stepped up purchases ahead of the implementation of tougher emission norms that will make the vehicles more expensive.
“Pre-buying due to BS IV (Bharat Stage IV) norms that are effective from April 1, 2017 is helping in the growth of commercial vehicle segment,” Majeed of PwC said.
“With the implementation of GST (Goods and Services Tax) in the next fiscal, the outlook for automotives looks better,” he added.
The government plans to implement GST from July 1.
People are trying to hold back purchases. The situation is likely to fade away in the next two to three months... With the implementation of GST in 201718, the outlook for automotives looks better ABDUL MAJEED, partner and national auto practice leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers