Hero MotoCorp has become the first two wheeler maker in the world to register sales over the 7.5 lakh mark in a single month. Hero sold a total of 7,69,138 units in September 2018, amounting to 25,637 units each day. This was against 7,20,729 units sold in the same month of the previous year.
This is the fifth time that the company has crossed the 7 lakh sales mark in a month over the past five years with three of these being in financial year 2018-19. Year to date sales between April to September 2018 stands at 42 lakh units. No separate details of domestic sales and exports were revealed by the company.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India sales declined by 9% for the month of September 2018. In total Honda sold 5,55,730 two wheelers, of which 5,20,390 were sold in India and 35,340 were exported. They had sold 6,01,998 two wheelers in Sep 2017. YTD sales have grown from 33,29,045 to 35,23,512. This is a growth of 6%.
Bajaj Auto Limited also registered highest ever monthly sales in September 2017 with a growth rate of 17%. The company’s domestic sales increased by 10% while exports increased by 29% in the past month. Bajaj Auto sold 4,30,939 units in September 2018 as compared to 3,69,678 units sold in September 2017.
Domestic sales which increased 10% stood at 2,73,029 units in the past month as compared to 2,47,418 units sold in the same month of the previous year. Exports surged 29% from 1,22,260 units exported in September 2017 to 1,57,910 exported in the last month. Domestic sales and exports were also at their highest in the past month.
TVS Motor sales grew 17% in September 2018 from 3,50,854 units in September 2017 to 4,10,696 units in September 2018. Two wheeler domestic sales increased 18% to 3,61,136 units in the past month as compared to 3,07,160 units in the same month of the previous year. Scooter sales grew by 17% from 1,21,601 units in September 2017 to 1,42,562 units in September 2018 while motorcycle sales surged 16% from 1,43,923 units in September 2017 to 1,66,489 units in September 2018.
Total exports of the company increased 20% to 61,192 units in September as against 50,971 units exported in the same month of the previous year. Two wheeler exports increased 13% to 49,560 units in the past month as compared to 43,694 units exported in September 2017.
Royal Enfield registered growth of 2% where domestic sales and exports during September 2018 were concerned. Overall sales stood at 71,662 units as compared to 70,431 units sold during the same period of the previous year. Domestic sales remained largely unchanged at 70,065 units in September 2018 as compared to 69,393 units sold in domestic markets in September 2017.
Exports however, surged 54% to 1,597 units as compared to 1,038 units shipped in September 2017. Year to date sales of the company increased 13% at 4,35,463 units during April to September 2018 as compared to 3,86,863 units sold during the same period of the previous year.
In September 2018, Royal Enfield launched the Continental GT 650 and Interceptor 650 in global markets with domestic launch scheduled for mid-November. Prices are slated in the INR 2.75-3 lakh price bracket.
Suzuki Motorcycle India noted strong demand and reported double digit growth in September 2018. The company sold a total of 72,134 units in September 2018, a 25.52% increase as compared to 57,468 units sold in September 2017. It was the Gixxer and Access bikes along with new products such as the Intruder and Burgman Street 125 that noted increased demand.
Taking year to date sales of Suzuki Motorcycle India into account, domestic sales during the April to September 2018 period increased 4.27% to 63,140 units as compared to 50,808 units sold during the same period in the previous year. Total sales during the six month period stood at 3,71,109 units with the company targeting sales above the 7 lakh unit mark by the end of this financial year. October will see Suzuki V-Strom 650 adventure bike being launched which could boost sales in this segment.
