Scooter and motorcycle sales dipped sharply across all states due to the COVID-19 pandemic effect, with the exception of Chandigarh
Though automakers commenced business in early May, following lockdown orders issued on 25th March, sales of both scooters and motorcycles continued to remain subdued. The ill effects of the coronavirus pandemic spread its tentacles across every segment in the auto sector, with lower sales reported not only in the two wheeler segment but across the four wheeler passenger and commercial vehicle segments as well.
Sales of scooters and motorcycles across all states fell as much as 88.80 percent to 1,59,039 units, a dip of 12,60,803 units when compared to sales of 14,19,842 units sold in May 2019. Two wheeler sales showed a de-growth across every state in India except for Chandigarh where sales increased 120.85 percent.
Tamil Nadu topped in two wheeler sales with 30,092 units sold during the past month, a dip of 77.03 percent when compared to 1,31,027 units sold in May 2019. Federation of Automobile Dealers Association stated that vehicle registration in Tamil Nadu was down 80 percent in May 2020 to 32,791 units from 1,60,612 units registered in May 2019.
Karnataka came in second spot with a 72.67 dip in sales to 29,392 units, down 78,135 units as compared to 1,07,527 units sold in May 2019. It was followed by Odisha with a 76,49 percent decline in two wheeler sales to 13,288 units, down from 56,524 units sold in May 2019 while sales in Uttar Pradesh dipped as much as 95.04 percent to just 11,829 units sold in the past month as against 2,38,591 units sold in May 2019.
A similar trend continued in Kerala with two wheeler sales down 79.48 percent to 11,545 units while sales in Bihar and Rajasthan dipped 91.73 percent and 90.42 percent respectively. Assam also noted a 79.01 percent decline in two wheeler sales to 7,848 units in May 2020 down from 37,384 units sold in May 2019. Sales across Chhattisgarh fell 82.79 percent to 7,633 units while a dip of 81.28 percent was seen in two wheeler sales in Delhi and 88.82 percent in the state of Punjab in the past month.
State-wise Two Wheeler Sales May 2020
| No | State / UT 2W Sales | May-20 | May-19 | Diff | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tamil Nadu | 30,092 | 1,31,027 | -1,00,935 | -77.03 |
| 2 | Karnataka | 29,392 | 1,07,527 | -78,135 | -72.67 |
| 3 | Odisha | 13,288 | 56,524 | -43,236 | -76.49 |
| 4 | Uttar Pradesh | 11,829 | 2,38,591 | -2,26,762 | -95.04 |
| 5 | Kerala | 11,545 | 56,267 | -44,722 | -79.48 |
| 6 | Bihar | 9,601 | 1,16,042 | -1,06,441 | -91.73 |
| 7 | Rajasthan | 9,542 | 99,608 | -90,066 | -90.42 |
| 8 | Assam | 7,848 | 37,384 | -29,536 | -79.01 |
| 9 | Chhatisgarh | 7,633 | 44,352 | -36,719 | -82.79 |
| 10 | Delhi | 7,113 | 38,006 | -30,893 | -81.28 |
| 11 | Punjab | 4,875 | 43,620 | -38,745 | -88.82 |
| 12 | Maharashtra | 3,045 | 1,51,203 | -1,48,158 | -97.99 |
| 13 | Gujarat | 2,793 | 93,966 | -91,173 | -97.03 |
| 14 | Haryana | 1,847 | 39,708 | -37,861 | -95.35 |
| 15 | Goa | 1,678 | 3,729 | -2,051 | -55.00 |
| 16 | Puducherry | 1,399 | 4,438 | -3,039 | -68.48 |
| 17 | Tripura | 1,138 | 3,837 | -2,699 | -70.34 |
| 18 | Mizoram | 985 | 2,130 | -1,145 | -53.76 |
| 19 | West Bengal | 844 | 66,906 | -66,062 | -98.74 |
| 20 | Uttarakhand | 733 | 17,261 | -16,528 | -95.75 |
| 21 | Jharkhand | 594 | 45,604 | -45,010 | -98.70 |
| 22 | Chandigarh | 466 | 211 | 255 | 120.85 |
| 23 | Himachal P | 344 | 5,289 | -4,945 | -93.50 |
| 24 | Arunachal P | 174 | 1,790 | -1,616 | -90.28 |
| 25 | Nagaland | 110 | 551 | -441 | -80.04 |
| 27 | Sikkim | 67 | 274 | -207 | -75.55 |
| 28 | Meghalaya | 49 | 1,687 | -1,638 | -97.10 |
| 29 | D & N and D & N | 15 | 838 | -823 | -98.21 |
| 30 | Ladakh | 0 | 27 | -27 | -100.00 |
| 31 | J & K | 0 | 9,640 | -9,640 | -100.00 |
| 32 | Manipur | 0 | 1,805 | -1,805 | -100.00 |
| – | Total | 1,59,039 | 14,19,842 | -12,60,803 | -88.80 |
Maharashtra and Gujarat were among the few states that experienced the maximum sales decline in May 2020. Sales in Maharashtra fell 97.99 percent to 3,045 units, down 1,48,158 units as compared to 1,51,203 units sold in May 2019. Sales in Gujarat dipped 97.03 percent to 2,793 units in May 2020, as against 93,966 unit sales in the same month of the previous year.
This de-growth continued to states and union territories such as Haryana, Goa, Pondicherry and Tripura. Mizoram noted 53.34 percent decline in sales to 985 units. Two wheeler sales in West Bengal and Uttarakhand dipped the maximum down 98.74 percent and 95.75 percent respectively along with a 98.70 percent de-growth reported in Jharkhand.
Sales across Chandigarh in May 2020 ended on a positive note. In fact, this was the only state where sales were higher in May 2020 as compared to that of May 2019. Total sales increased 120.85 percent to 466 units in the past month when compared to 211 units sold in May 2019. However, the other North Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim along with Meghalaya all reported de-growth in two wheeler sales. The Indian states of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur failed to note any two wheeler sales in the past month.
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen most two wheeler makers shift focus to online sales and digital payments along with home deliveries which could bring about a more positive effect in scooter and motorcycle sales in the coming months.
