Lockdowns put auto sales in slow lane in May, Maruti takes 71% hit

With number of cases declining, industry expects recovery in second quarter

The lockdowns and curfews across states have severely hit automobile sales--a key benchmark to assess economic performance. The country’s largest automaker Maruti Suzuki saw its sales decline by 71 per cent in May compared to April.

The second wave of Covid-19 forced Maruti and many of its peers to shut down factories. The move was meant not just to keep their employees safe but also to comply with the government mandate of restricting use of medical-grade oxygen for non-medical purposes. While carmakers don’t use a lot of oxygen in their manufacturing processes, it is used in large quantities by some auto