Automobile exports up 65 per cent in 2002-03

However, exports of commercial, utility and multi-purpose vehicles declined during the year. The country’s largest car exporter Maruti Udyog posted a robust 182.7 per cent rise to 31,518 units but Ford India’s exports fell by 10 per cent to 27,355 units.

Exports of Hyundai Motor grew by 65.4 per cent to 8,966 units but Tata Engineering (Telco) registered a 10.5 per cent decline at 1,940 units.

Hindustan Motors saw a rise of 46 per cent to 92 units while General Motors and Honda Siel exported 39 and 67 cars. Notwithstanding the good run in the domestic market, exports of commercial vehicles fell by 9.82 per cent to 10,704 units.

This was due to a 16.2 per cent dip in light commercial vehicle exports at 5,900 units while that of medium and heavy commercial (M&H) vehicles saw a marginal decline of 0.41 per cent to 4,804 units. M&H bus exports of Ashok Leyland (ALL) and Telco posted a rise of 53.2 and 368.3 per cent to 1,226 and 1,522 units respectively.

M&H truck exports of ALL and Telco dived by 13.1 and 61 per cent to 1001 and 975 units.

Exports of light bus of ALL went up by 865.21 per cent to 222 units. Exports of light trucks of Tata engineering and ALL dipped by 38.1 and 38.4 per cent to 2,696 and 101 units. Exports of utility vehicles slipped by 64 per cent to1,106 units as Maruti and Telco suffered a jolt of 35 and 79.2 per cent to 230 and 508 units respectively. Multi-purpose vehicle exports also skidded by 30 per cent to 570 units as M&M and Maruti saw 19 and 31.3 per cent dip to 68 and 502 units respectively.