Bajaj, LML sales down, bike segment upbeat

New Delhi, July 23: Leading scooter manufacturers like market leader Bajaj, LML and Maharashtra Scooters continued their downward movement...

New Delhi, July 23: Leading scooter manufacturers like market leader Bajaj, LML and Maharashtra Scooters continued their downward movement in sales while bike makers dominated the scene during the first quarter of 2000-01.

Against the two-wheeler industry8217;s sales growth of 12 per cent at 9.36 lakh units, scooter sales dipped by 12.4 per cent to 2.59 lakh units during April-June of 2000-01 over the sales in the same period of the previous fiscal.

Worst hit was LML Ltd which saw its sales falling by a sharp 30.8 per cent to 51,280 units during the first three months of the current fiscal compared to 74,124 units in the comparable period of 1999-2000, according to the data compiled by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers SIAM.

Market leader Bajaj Auto also followed LML as it witnessed a 16 per cent drop in sales at 1.09 lakh scooters compared to 1.30 lakh units in the same period of the previous year.

Kinetic Motor and TVS Suzuki were the only companies which remained unaffected by the current recessionary trend being witnessed by the scooter segment.

However, the motorcycle segment posted an impressive 31.2 per cent growth during the reference period as sales surged ahead to about five lakh units from 3.80 lakh units in April-June of 1999-2000.

Scooter sales of Pune-based Kinetic Motor Company grew by 29.6 per cent to 31,016 units during April-June of 2000-01 from 23,936 units in the same period of the previous year.

Story continues below this ad

TVS Suzuki also performed on the same lines as its sales went up by 14.2 per cent to 34,191 units in the first three months of the current fiscal against 28,829 units in April-June 1999-2000.

In the motorcycle segment, Hero Honda Motors Ltd continued its leadership by posting a sales growth of 48.2 per cent at nearly 2.4 lakh units compared to 1.61 lakh bikes sold in the corresponding period a year ago.

Motorcycle sales of Bajaj Auto also jumped up by an impressive 54 per cent to 1.23 lakh units during the period.

However, Escorts Yamaha was the only company in the motorcycle segment which recorded a negative growth during the quarter. Its sales fell by 27.8 per cent to 41,563 units in April-July of 2000-01 from 57,552 units in the same period of the previous year.

Story continues below this ad

Moped sales also went up to 1.77 lakh units from 1.58 lakh units, a growth of 11.7 per cent. Maximum growth in this segment was recorded by Bajaj Auto as it sold 19,564 units during the first quarter against 11013 units in the same quarter of 1999-2000.