



Auto Inc stares at stress in Bharat as signs of slowdown emerge
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Two of India’s largest tractor makers and at least one motorcycle company expect sales of tractors and entry-level motorcycles to slow this year, signalling imminent stress for the auto industry in the rural areas that may spread to other sectors if the monsoon is poor, company executives and analysts said.Mumbai-based Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd estimates 5% growth in its tractor sales volumes in FY27 compared with a 20% increase to 446,948 units in the previous fiscal year. Faridabad-based Escorts Kubota Ltd expects a 2-3% decline in tractor sales this fiscal after a 30% growth to 114,468 units in FY26.Tractor sales in India grew 19% to 1.05 million in FY26, according to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada).The commentary from the companies suggests that consumption demand can slow in rural India this year due to the impending impact of a below-average monsoon, which can spread to other sectors, including fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).The overall guidance for FY27 is 2-3% up or down, Neeraj Mehra, chief officer of the tractor business division at Escorts Kubota, said on an earnings call on 7 May.“We will see growth this year in this quarter.
And then this growth will, to a certain extent, taper down. And H2 (second half) would be a substantial negative growth because the base is very, very high.
Also, the impact of the monsoons wherein the forecast has been a subnormal monsoon this year. So, the impact will also come in H2,” Mehra said.Privately held tractor makers Tafe Ltd and International Tractors Ltd do not put out any growth guidance.The India Meteorological Department has predicted a below-average monsoon in the country this year, which is expected to
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