Tata Motors sees mixed April; M&M tractor sales up 35%

The third-largest manufacturer of passenger vehicles in the country, Tata Motors, today reported a dip of 9.65 per cent in sales of passenger vehicles for April 2009 to 13,410 units compared with 14,843 units sold for the same month last year.

Sales of the compact Indica rose by 16.2 per cent to 8,633 units on the back of the demand for Indica Vista, for which there’s a waiting period of two weeks. However, sales for the mid-size sedan, the Indigo, dipped 31.7 per cent to 2,569 units. In the utility vehicle segment comprising the Sumo and the Safari, sales dipped 40 per cent.

In the company’s commercial vehicles portfolio, on the back of good demand for its light commercial vehicles (LCV) models like the Tata Ace and Winger, sales rose 52 per cent.

Auto major, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), has reported a 35 per cent jump in tractor sales for April 2009 at 11,640 units. “Total sales (domestic plus exports) for the month were 11,640 units as compared to 8,645 units for the same period last year, an increase of 35 per cent,” the company said in a press release.

M&M’s Farm Equipment Sector (FES) sold 11,282 units in India, which saw sales shoot up by 39 per cent compared to 8,125 units a year ago, it said.

Exports, however, declined in April against the year-ago period.

"Exports during the same month were 358 units as against 520 units for the same period last year," the company said.