Auto industry grows despite fuel hike

Beating the fuel prices blues, automobile industry continued to show signs of recovery from last year's downturn with...

Beating the fuel prices blues, automobile industry continued to show signs of recovery from last year’s downturn with major companies, led by Hyundai and Maruti along with Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto, reporting jumps in their sales during June.

The country’s second largest car maker Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) today reported a 34 per cent increase in domestic passenger car sales at 21,881 units during June, against 16,335 units in the corresponding month of 2007.

The company’s overall sales (including exports) during June were up 45.3 per cent at 40,182 units, compared to 27,653 units in the same month a year ago.

Market leader Maruti Suzuki India also reported a 2.22 per cent rise in total vehicle sales during June at 61,247 units, compared to 59,917 units in the same month last year. The company’s domestic sales edged up 0.7 per cent to 56,411 units as against 56,000 units in June last year.

The country’s largest two wheeler maker Hero Honda Motors reported a 16 per cent rise in its motorcycle sales in June to 2,95,675 units, compared to 2,55,200 units in the same month last year.

With this, the company said, its cumulative sales for the first quarter of this fiscal went up by 11 per cent to 8,94,244 units, against 8,02,853 during the corresponding quarter last fiscal.

The country’s second largest two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto also reported an eight per cent growth in its motorcycle sales in June at 1,75,903 units, compared to 1,62,730 units in the same month last year.

61,247The number of units sold by Maruti during June

2.22The percentage increase compared to June, 2007

21,881The number of units sold by Hyundai during June

34The percentage increase compared to June, 2007