Indian automakers like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Renault, Honda, MG and Nissan reported a de-growth in monthly sales in March 2022. However, car manufacturers like Tata Motors, Mahindra, Toyota, Skoda and Volkswagen recorded an increase in sales.
According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), the total number of cars dispatched to dealers in India stood at 3,21,590 units in March 2022, 0.33 per cent more than in the same period last year. Indian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) had dispatched 3,20,543 cars in March 2021, it added.
Maruti Suzuki's domestic sales dropped 8.44 per cent on a year-on-year basis to 1,33,861 units in March 2022 compared to 1,46,203 units in March 2021. The company, in the mini category, reported sales of 15,491 units last month as compared to 24,653 units in March last year.
Tata Motors, which has been gradually rising in the passenger vehicle space and has also emerged as the market leader in the EV segment, witnessed a growth of 42.62 per cent on a year-on-year basis to 42.293 units last month compared to 29,654 units in March 2021. The company also saw its EV sales rise to 3,357 units during March 2022 as against 705 units in March 2021.
Mahindra managed to dispatch 27,603 vehicles during March 2022 as against 16,700 units in the same period last year. Kia, on the other hand, dispatched 22,622 units in March this year as compared to 19,100 in March 2021. The South Korean automaker also stated that the company has commenced production in three shifts at its Anantapur facility amid the is well aware of the long waiting periods.
MG Motor India, due to the new COVID-19 variant and the ongoing global semiconductor chip shortage, witnessed major supply chain constraints. However, it still managed to deliver 4,721 units in March 2022 as against 5,528 in March 2021.
Toyota Kirloskar recorded its highest ever domestic sales since July 2017 and managed to dispatch 17,131 units in March 2022 compared to 14,997 units in the same period last year.
In March 2022, Skoda Auto also registered its highest-ever sales volume in its two-decade-long history in India this year. The company dispatched 5,649 units last month as against 1,159 in March 2021. Skoda’s previous record was 4,923 cars in June 2012.
Volkswagen delivered a growth of 81.33 per cent and dispatched 3,672 vehicles in March this year. It had sold 2,025 cars in March 2021.
Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan dispatched 3,007 cars last month as against 4,012 in March last year. Honda, on the other hand, managed to deliver 6,589 vehicles in March 2022 against 7,103 in March 2021.