Domestic car sales have grown for the seventh month in a row in May, with a jump of 7.73 percent as the auto industry is in the path to recovery. Domestic passenger car sales in May 2015 stood at 1,60,067 units against 1,48,577 units in the year-ago month, as per the data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

“Currently, we are in a slow recovery mode, with some segments showing growth and some declining. Even those segments like cars, which have shown growth, haven’t reached peak levels,” SIAM Director General Vishnu Mathur said. “For LCVs, barring an increase in September 2014, the segment has been witnessing decline for the past 25 months,” Mathur said. “Even in scooters, we are also witnessing moderation of growth from high double digits to low single digit and this is definitely a worrying sign,” Mathur said.

Motorcycle sales have slid by 3.04 percent to 9,53,322 units, from 9,83,210 units in May 2014, while those of LCVs were down by 7.19 percent at 28,226 units against 30,414 units a year ago.

Market leader Maruti Suzuki India has seen its sales grow by 14.29 percent to 85,190 units in the current year against 74,536 units in the previous year. Hyundai Motor India posted a growth of 3.8 percent at 37,328 units when compared with 35,955 units in May 2014. Honda Cars India, had a decline of 8.78 percent at 12,134 units against 13,303 units in the previous year. Tata Motors, sales increased by 32.37 percent to 9,176 units against 6,932 units in the same month previous year, while those of Mahindra & Mahindra came down by 4.77 percent at 16,980 units compared with 17,831 units in 2014.

Scooter sales in May 2015 grew by 2.61 per cent at 3,64,073 units as against 3,54,808 units in the same month 2014.

Motorcycle market leader Hero MotoCorp saw its sales decline by 3.04 percent to 5,09,427 units as against 5,25,449 units in May 2014. Bajaj Auto saw its bike sales drop by 3.18 percent to 1,70,668 units when compared with 1,76,277 units in the corresponding month of last year. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) registered a decline of 9.53 percent to 1,38,150 units as against 1,52,714 units in May 2014.

Two-wheeler sales in May declined 1.25 percent to 13,80,950 units mainly due to a dip in motorcycle sales and also moderation in sales of scooters, said SIAM. the sales of three-wheelers were declined by 9.71 percent in the month of May 2015 at 36,500 units from 40,425 units sold in May of 2014.

By Premji