- Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) recorded a year-on-year decline of 47 percent in total sales (domestic and export) to 83,792 units in March
- Domestic sales have fallen by 47.6 percent to 76,976 units in March 2020, compared to 147,613 units in the same month last year, he added.
Hit by the COVID-19 lockdown, the country’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) recorded a year-on-year decline of 47 percent in total sales (domestic and export) to 83,792 units in March.
In March of last year, the firm had sold 158,076 units, MSI said in a regulatory filing.
“Sales in March 2020 are not comparable to sales in March 2019 due to the suspension of operations with effect from March 22, 2020, in line with national policy,” the carmaker said.
Domestic sales have fallen by 47.6 percent to 76,976 units in March 2020, compared to 147,613 units in the same month last year, he added.
Mini segment sales consisting of Alto and S-Presso stood at 15,988 units, down 5 percent from 16,826 units in March 2019.
Meanwhile, compact segment sales, including models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno, and Dzire, had a massive hit, witnessing a 50.9 percent decline at 40,519 units, compared to 82,532 cars in March last year. The carmaker sold 1,863 units of Ciaz’s mid-size sedan, compared with 3,672 units dispatched a year ago the same month.
Utility vehicle sales, including Vitara Brezza, S-Cross, and Ertiga, fell 53.4 percent at 11,904 units compared to 25,563 in the month of August, MSI said.
Exports in March eroded by 55 percent at 4,712 units compared to 10,463 units in last year’s corresponding month, the company said.
Light commercial vehicles on the domestic market experienced a 71.5 percent blow to 736 units in March 2020 compared to 2,582 units in March 2019.
For several months, the automotive industry has undergone a slump with almost all manufacturers reporting declining demand due to a depressed market mood in the midst of an economic downturn.
Auto dealers are now facing a halt in customer walk-ins, with growing cases of coronavirus identified in India and subsequent countrywide lockdown.
The Indian automobile industry was suffering in 2019 and the start of 2020 has not been great where the companies are suffering due to the corona outbreak. Let’s hope these things end soon.
