It is not just the fourwheelers manufacturing that are facing a shortage of automobile components, even two-wheeler makers in the country are facing this problem. This has resulted in buyers having to wait for periods ranging from two months to 11 months.
"The problem of parts shortage is not just with four-wheelers; it is also the case with the two-wheelers. In many models, the waiting periods are two months to five months. Most of the auto manufacturers are citing shortage of auto parts as the reason for the delay," said an official of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA).
For example, buyers are facing waiting periods for products made by Honda Motorcycle and Scooters Ltd (HMSI), some motorcycles models of Bajaj Auto as well as
Hero Honda Motors Ltd (HHML). In the case of some of the HMSI models of bikes and scooters, the waiting period has now stretched to beyond six months.
"In many models of Honda Motorcycle, the buyers have to wait for as long as eight to 11 periods. This is because the supply is very low. We have buyers asking for more, but the long waiting period is deterring them," said a South Delhibased HMSI dealer.
"We have already asked the company to ease the waiting period. Generally, two-wheeler buyers do not wait for such long periods. The company has already assured us but we do not see any immediate remedy," he said, adding that the problem has turned acute after the Japanese crisis as most of the parts are imported from Japan.
However, dealers of Hero Honda have a slightly different view on the issue. They attribute the waiting period to rising demand, too. "The demand for Hero Honda bikes is growing every day. The demand is more than what we can supply. Even when our manufacturing is in full swing we are not able to meet the demand. And that is resulting in the waiting period," said a senior Hero Honda marketing official.
"But we are trying our best to reduce the waiting period by all means. We feel that after the fourth factory (goes live) we will be able to meet the growing demand," he added.
A top official at Hero Honda dealer Khanna Automobiles, based in South Delhi, said, "The waiting period is not for all the models. But for some of the models the waiting period is as long as three to four months. We have started seeing this trend for the last few months only."
"In fact, buyers for some of the models like Hero Honda Hunk and Hero Honda Karizma have to face waiting periods of two to three months," he added. Some industry experts too, attributed the problem of waiting period to the high demand for two-wheelers. The shortage of parts is temporary, they said.
Srivats Ram, president, ACMA, said, "The auto sector, especially two-wheelers has seen very good growth and it is still maintaining the momentum. But we agree that the demand is more than supply. So far as the auto parts shortage is concerned, except for a few parts, I don't see a major shortage." "So far as Japan crisis is concerned, the impact is temporary and companies are already looking at alternative markets," Ram added.
Courtesy: Mail Today
Industry experts say that the problem of auto parts shortage is temporary. 
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