Hero MotoCorp reports 8% rise in 2-wheeler sales, others wait for revival

Semi-urban centres drive demand for Hero

The country’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp on Tuesday reported a 7.55 per cent increase in sales in August at 584,456 units, compared to the corresponding month last year. Of the four two-wheeler makers that announced their sales numbers on Tuesday, Hero was the only company to post growth. The company had sold 543,406 units in August 2019, Hero MotoCorp said in a statement.

Among others, Suzuki Motorcycle India (SMIL) reported 19.15 per cent decline in total sales at 57,909 units, against 71,629 units in the corresponding period last year, while Royal Enfield sales dropped around 5 per cent to 50,144 units, from 52,904 units. TVS Motor Company also registered a marginal drop with 218,338 two-wheelers sold in the domestic market, against 219,528 units in August 2019.

In the domestic market, Hero sold 568,674 units, up 8.52 per cent from 524,003 units in August 2019. It had sold 514,509 units in July, thus registering a sequential sales growth of 13 per cent in August, it added.

The company said it was witnessing strong retail offtake with semi-urban centres driving the demand.

With August marking another step forward in the market’s recovery, the company cautiously anticipates sales to continue their upward trajectory with favourable factors such as the upcoming festive season, increasing consumer confidence, and continued government policy support, it added.

“Now operating at nearly 100 per cent production capacity with almost all customer touchpoints open, the company remains committed to the health and safety of everyone in its ecosystem, including its customers,” Hero MotoCorp said. 

For SMIL, domestic sales stood at 53,142 units, compared to 62,785 units sold in August 2019 — a decline of 15.35 per cent. The company said it had sold 31,421 units in July this year amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

“This double-digit sequential growth of more than 46 per cent has been made possible with the continuous efforts and hard work of our dealerships,” Suzuki Motorcycle India Managing Director Koichiro Hirao said.