Auto industry sales decline in October

Post festive season auto industry wholesale has declined in October.

Overall sales of October 2017 declined to (-) 1.79% in comparison to October 2016. Total 2,162, 164 units were sold in October 2017 against 2,201,489 sold in October 2016.

Passenger vehicles (includes cars, utility vehicles, vans) sales were down by (-) 0.30% in Oct 2017. Total 279837 cars were sold in Oct 2017 in comparison to 280677 cars sold in Oct 2016.

Two wheelers sales saw a dip of (-) 2.76% in Oct 2017. Total 1750966 units were sold in Oct 2017 as compared to 1800668 unit sold in Oct 2016..

However commercial vehicles (including heavy, medium and light commercial vehicles) sales saw a growth of 6.44%in Oct 17. Total 69793 commercial vehicles were sold on Oct 2017 as compared to 65569 unit sold on Oct 2016.

Three wheelers sales saw a growth of 12.81%. Total 61568 unit were sold in Oct 2017 as compared to 54575 unit sold in Oct 2016.

Vishnu Mathur, Director General, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) too accepted that there is a downward trend in sales in October.

Speaking to ANI, Mathur said, "In October phase, we saw an overall negative number in the sales. Around 2.5 percent decline was also recorded in the two-wheeler sales. In September, our wholesale growth was good when compared to the last two months. After that the festivals sales was only for a period of one month and wasn't that good as expected."

He said the stock is still lying with the dealers. This is short term inventory correction, which is expected to recover in the month of November and December.

Talking about the proposed odd-even scheme in Delhi, he said the SIAM is a part of the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), which has prepared Graded Response Action Plan that defines the measures to taken based on air quality on the basis of PM 2.5 and PM 10 in the atmosphere.

"When the air quality gets poor, very poor & severe then the Odd-Even scheme is introduced at that stage. We have to try everything to control the pollution. This has been done as an emergency measure," Mathur said.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Thursday urged people to cooperate with the odd-even scheme which would be implemented in the national capital for a five-day period from November 13 to November 17.

The decision has been taken in view of the prevailing air pollution in Delhi and parts of North India.