Entry-level sales ride on two wheels this festive season
Executives at two-wheeler companies and dealers predict the momentum to continue in the coming weeks, making this festive season ending with Bhai Dooj on November 3 to be among the best for the industry. They also project sales for the fiscal year to be close to the pre-pandemic record of 21 million units hit in fiscal 2019, boosted by an expected pickup in rural economy on the back of favourable monsoons and good farm output, as well as an increase in minimum support prices for several key crops. Also, the recent government decision raising the dearness allowance is expected to put more money in the hands of 10 million central government employees and pensioners, and a part of this is likely to be spent on buying discretionary items like two-wheelers.
Sales of two-wheelers rose 15.4% in the 10-day period of Dussehra ending October 12 compared with the festival days of October 15-24 last year, shows vehicle registration data from the government’s Vahan portal, collated by Goldman Sachs. Other segments of the vehicle industry too posted growth, with sales of cars increasing by 6.6%, three-wheelers 12.3%, light goods vehicles 9.1% and heavy goods vehicles 5.8%.
“Sales growth in the two-wheeler segment the last few months was led largely by demand for scooters in urban centres,” said Shailesh Chandra, president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.
“But there is now a significant improvement in demand in rural areas,” said Siam’s Chandra. “Good monsoons, healthy crop yield and government spending on
