Bajaj Auto pips TVS Motors, regains no.3 spot after 2 years

Powered by new model launches in recent months, Bajaj's all-motorcycle line-up beat TVS Motors in April sales

After a two-year gap, Pune-based two- and three-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto has regained its third rank, in terms of number of units sold, displacing Chennai-based TVS Motor.

Powered by new model launches such as Avenger and V15 (promoted by INS Vikrant), Bajaj Auto clocked two-wheeler sales of 200,433 units in domestic sales against 197,692 units sold by TVS Motor — which sells motorcycles, scooters and mopeds — in April 2016, according to the sales figures disclosed by the two companies.

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May 2014 was the last time when Bajaj Auto had held its lead at 176,277 units against TVS Motor’s 174,219 units before finally being over taken by TVS in June 2014.

Bajaj Auto, the makers of performance bikes under the Pulsar brand, had to increase production after two successive launch hits. Models such as the Avenger (three variants) and V15 have provided incremental sales of nearly 50,000 units a month, pushing Bajaj’s domestic sales to beyond 200,000 units for the first time in six months.

Bajaj’s two other products — CT100 and CT100B — both are in the bread-and-butter economy segment, have also done well.

Together, they contributed nearly a third of Bajaj’s domestic two-wheeler sales last year. At 200,433 units in April 2016, Bajaj Auto’s domestic sales were 25 per cent higher than last April’s 160,554 units.

Bajaj Auto is not present in the fast-growing scooter segment, whereas each of its competitors except Royal Enfield has scooter products.  Meanwhile, TVS Motor recorded a 22 per cent growth in total two-wheeler volumes in the domestic market at 197,692 units against 162,516 units sold in the same month last year. The company’s scooter sales recorded an increase of 28 per cent on the back of strong demand for the highly-promoted Jupiter 110cc automatic scooter.

Bajaj Auto might be able to maintain this lead given its continued efforts at raising production. The company is doubling production at its Chakan plant to 200,000 units a year to meet demand.

However, the demand for scooter and the new motorcycle Victor could provide TVS the edge over Bajaj in the coming months.