Auto export up 50% at 179,130 units, best ever in May

Auto export from India touched a record 179,130 units last month, the highest ever achieved in the month of May, on the back of two-wheeler makers Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Co posting impressive overseas sales.

According to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), auto export from the country stood at 179,130 vehicles in May compared to 119,749 units in the same month last year, up 49.59 per cent.

"The total overseas sales for all categories in last month were the best ever for the month of May," SIAM Director General Vishnu Mathur told reporters here.

While motorcycle segment was the largest contributor last month with 116,832 units, passenger car export during the month stood at 32,649 units.

The motorcycle segment saw a growth of 49.11 per cent, while passenger cars grew by 10.23 per cent in May as compared to the same month last year.

The country's second largest bike maker Bajaj Auto sold 77,762 units in the overseas markets as against 51,419 units in May 2009, a rise of 51.23 per cent.

Chennai-based TVS Motor Company's export rose by 50.89 per cent at 15,587 units as against 10,330 units in the year-ago period, the industry body said.

SIAM said the motorcycle segment was followed by the passenger cars, which saw exports increasing by 10.23 per cent to 32,649 units from 29,619 units in the same month last year.

"The sales in export markets were very impressive. It is despite the fact that the scrappage incentives offered in some European countries for passenger cars are over," Mathur said.

To boost demand after the downturn, some of the European countries offered tax incentives to consumers under scrappage programme to buy small cars in exchange of their old ones.

The country's largest car exporter Hyundai Motor India's overseas sales, however, fell by 2.33 per cent at 19,657 units as against 20,125 units in the corresponding month of 2009.

The sales in export markets for the domestic leader Maruti Suzuki increased by 33.38 per cent to 12,020 units from 9,012 units in the same month last year, SIAM said.

In three-wheeler segment, export surged by over two-folds at 19,918 units compared to 7,576 units in the year-ago month.

Bajaj Auto's exported 18,202 units of three-wheelers in May this year, a jump of over two-folds compared to 7,107 units in the corresponding month in 2009, SIAM said.