Automotive Updates - 6th April 2015

• Auto component major Bosch has declared a lockout at its Jaipur plant due to the ongoing worker unrest in the facility.The plant, which has a history of labour issues, was shut for a day last month also on account of a day-long strike by the labour union over wage settlement."The company's management has taken a considered decision in declaring a lockout against the labour union and workmen of the company's Jaipur plant indulging in a go-slow action, effective April 5," Bosch Ltd said in a filing to the BSE.(ETauto)

• Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), betting big on the country's rural market, is targeting to increase its penetration in rural areas by over 20 per cent to have presence in 1.5 lakh villages.Maruti 's rural sales had increased by 23 per cent to 4,15,380 units in 2014-15, when it posted its highest ever total sales in a financial year. The car manufacturer had posted total sales of 12,92,415 units in 2014-15 beating previous best in 2010-11. "In FY15 we established presence in 1.25 lakh villages. Target going forward will be to enhance presence in 1.5 lakh villages," MSI Executive Director, Marketing & Sales, RS Kalsi told PTI.(businesstoday)

• French carmaker is all set to launch its first MPV in India,Renault Lodgy in April. The bookings have begun for the car and Renault hopes that it can recreate the same magic as it did with compact SUV Duster. The price of Renault Lodgy could fall in between Rs 8 and 12 lakh and is expected to be released for the Indian market in second week of April 2015.The upfront booking amount of the MPV is Rs 50,000. It will come in 7 as well as 8 seater variants and will take head on with Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, Honda Mobilio, Toyota Innova and Chevrolet Enjoy in the segment. Lodgy is being manufactured by the same Romanian subsidiary Dacia which has made Duster.         (financial express)

• Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd plans to introduce at least two models and is banking on an economic recovery in the current fiscal year to spur demand for its utility vehicles to stave off a challenge from the Indian unit of Honda Motor Co. for the number three position in the Indian passenger vehicle market. Mahindra and Mahindra, the current holder of the third position, has already been twice surpassed by Honda Cars India Ltd in monthly sales during the year ended 31 March, and the Indian company now runs into the risk of losing out to Honda in annual sales too.     Read more at: http://www.livemint.com/Industry/tRk7ff23QNTeeyLT6VeARL/Mahindra-plans-new-models-in-fight-with-Honda-for-No-3-slot.html?utm_source=copy

• Autocar Professional has learnt that technocrat Dr Arun Jaura has been inducted as project director (research & development) on the board of Michelin India. He has stepped down as an independent director from the board of Gabriel India, part of the Anand Group, which had undertaken restructuring of its Board of Directors in September last year. It is  Dr Jaura’s appointment assumes significance considering that the French tyremaker plans to set up an R&D centre in India. The facility is to come up in Gurgaon and will be Michelin's first such unit in a developing country. Michelin India had last opened a truck tyre plant in Chennai with an investment of around Rs 4,000 crore. The plant manufactures truck radials designed and developed for the Indian market. The company is optimistic about growth in India, particularly in view of the government’s focus on building roadways and infrastructure, in turn generating demand for premium passenger car tyres. - See more at: http://www.autocarpro.in/news-international/dr-arun-jaura-joins-michelin-india-director-8121#sthash.ZhMS3UV4.dpuf

• TVS Electronics, manufacturer of dot matrix printers, is mulling partnership with mobile manufacturing companies as part of expanding its business."With a view to broadbase its product business, the company has decided to enter into agreements and appropriate business arrangements with mobile manufacturing companies or whole sale distributors for order fulfillment services whenever such opportunities arise," TVS Electronics said in a BSE filing.The Tamil Nadu-based company said such opportunities would provide "good collateral business" benefits for repair and warranty management services for these products in the medium to long term. (ETauto)

HERO MOTOCORP REPORTS DESPATCH OF 499,113 UNITS OF TWO-WHEELERS IN APRIL 2013

RETAILS OVER 5.5 LAKH UNITS DURING THE MONTH, INDICATING SIGNS OF DEMAND BOOST

BECOMES THE ONLY TWO-WHEELER MANUFACTURER TO OFFER 5-YEAR WARRANTY ON ALL MODELS

LAUNCHES RETAIL FINANCING OF TWO-WHEELERS WITH ‘HERO FINCORP’

New Delhi, May 01, 2013: Hero MotoCorp Ltd (HMCL), the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, today reported sales of 499,113 units of two-wheelers in the month of April 2013. HMCL had sold 5,51,557 units in the corresponding month last year.

Mr. Anil Dua, Senior Vice-President (Marketing & Sales), Hero MotoCorp Ltd said, “we are glad to have opened the new financial year with despatch of close to five lakh two-wheelers in April. However, even this despatch number does not reflect the actual retail momentum during the month. Indeed, we have retailed over 550,000 units in April, which is an early indication of demand picking up for us across markets. The launch of the 5-year warranty on all our models has received an overwhelming response from our customers across the country, and we expect this move to further drive retails. Accordingly, we expect retails sales to stay buoyant even in May. It’s a strategic move on our part, however, to rationalize our despatches.

“Going forward for the overall industry growth, a lot will also depend on the monsoon and overall economic activity,” he added.

In keeping with its glorious tradition of setting new benchmarks, Hero MotoCorp had announced in April the country's first-ever warranty of 5 years on all its two-wheelers (5 years or 70,000 km on motorcycles, whichever is earlier and 5 years or 50,000 km on scooters, whichever is earlier). This 5-year warranty is also an expression of the company’s confidence in the unparalleled quality of its products, backed by strong R&D and excellent manufacturing capabilities.

Hero MotoCorp Ltd also launched its own retail finance arm, Hero FinCorp, in the month of April. The company plans to have a phase-wise expansion of Hero FinCorp services. Having been launched in Delhi, the retail financing services will shortly be extended to the National Capital Region (NCR) and then to the rest of the northern market in the next phase. The initial plan is to make Hero FinCorp services available at about 200 dealerships in various parts of the country by March 2014, and extend it to as many as 450 dealerships by March 2015.

Hero FinCorp, (formerly Hero Honda FinLease), had earlier limited operations and it used to support some of the component suppliers and dealers of the company by financing their working capital expenditure and medium-term financing etc.

Hero MotoCorp also offers easy financing options to its customers at its dealerships all over the country through its partner-financiers – HDFC, IndusInd Bank, Shriram City Union Finance Ltd, and Fullerton.

TVS Motor Company posts 7% sales growth in March 2015

TVS Motor Company posted a sales growth of 7% during the month of March 2015, with total sales increasing from 196,826 units recorded in the month of March 2014 to 211,122 units in the month of March 2015.

Exports

The company's total exports grew by 42% with sales increasing from 29,944 units in the month of March 2014 to 42,637 units in March 2015. Two wheeler exports grew by 41% with sales increasing from 23,340 units in March 2014 to 32,810 units in March 2015.

Two Wheeler

Total two wheeler sales increased by 6% from 188,822 units recorded in March 2014 to 200,238 units in March 2015. Domestic two wheeler sales grew from 165,482 units in March 2014 to 167,428 units in March 2015.

Scooters sales of the company grew by 14% increasing from 47,766 units in March 2014 to 54,666 units in March 2015. Motorcycles sales grew by 13% increasing from 68,158 units in the month of March 2014 to 76,936 units in March 2015.

Three Wheeler

Three wheeler sales of the company registered an increase of 36%, growing from 8,004 units in March 2014 to 10,884 units in March 2015.

Q4 - Sales Performance

In Q4 of the current financial year, sales of TVS Motor Company grew 7% increasing from 5.60 lakh units recorded in Q4 ended March 2014 to 6.02 lakh units in the corresponding quarter this year. Total two wheeler sales grew by 7% increasing from 5.39 lakh units in Q4 of the previous year to 5.75 lakh units in Q4 of the current year. Total three wheeler sales grew by 22% increasing from 0.22 lakh units in Q4 of the previous year to 0.27 lakh units in Q4 of the current year.

Mahindra Two Wheelers sells 13,150 units during March 2015

1st April, 2015: Mahindra Two Wheelers Ltd. (MTWL), part of the USD 16.5 billion Mahindra Group, today announced its sales numbers for March 2015, which stood at 13,150 units. The company’s domestic sales were 11,826 units during the month, while exports were 1324 units.

About Mahindra

The Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise through solutions that power mobility, drive rural prosperity, enhance urban lifestyles and increase business efficiency.

A USD 16.5 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra employs more than 200,000 people in over 100 countries. Mahindra operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, information technology, financial services  and vacation ownership. In addition, Mahindra enjoys a strong presence in the agribusiness, aerospace, components, consulting services, defence, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, steel, commercial vehicles and two wheeler industries.

In 2014, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000, a comprehensive listing of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenue, profit, assets and market value. The Mahindra Group also received the Financial Times ‘Boldness in Business’ Award in the ‘Emerging Markets’ category in 2013.

- See more at: http://www.mahindra.com/News/Press-Releases/1427888383#sthash.nDSTS2PJ.dpuf

Indian Automobile News: Automobile sales - March 2015 India

Indian Automobile News: Automobile sales - March 2015 India: Indian Automotive Sales - March 2015 Two-wheeler maker  Royal Enfield  today reported 42 per cent jump in total sales ...

Mahindra sales down by 12%, Exports saving grace

 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.), India’s leading SUV manufacturer, today announced its auto sales numbers which stood at 45,212 units during March 2015 as against 51,636 units during March 2014.

The Passenger Vehicles segment (which includes UVs and the Verito) sold 21,030 units in March 2015 as against 23,433 units during March 2014. The company’s domestic sales stood at 41,193 units during March 2015 as against 48,490 units during March 2014. In March 2015, the Truck & Bus division of the company sold 1,076 units.

Exports for March 2015 stood at 4,019 units registering a growth of 28%.

Speaking on auto sales performance, Pravin Shah, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “With factors such as expectation of normal monsoon, settling down of petrol and diesel prices and the likely softening of interest rates, we expect the auto industry to perform better, in FY2016. As a lead indicator, we have already seen the impact in segments such as the HCV, which is on a recovery path. At Mahindra, while we have performed reasonably well on all our flagship products, we are particularly happy with our performances in HCV and Exports, which have grown by 22% and 28% respectively, in March 2015. Going forward, we expect to perform better on the back of all these factors coupled with our planned new launches”. 

M&HCV, Passenger Cars and Exports drive growth for Tata Motors in March 2015

Tata Motors saw strong growth in certain key segments, as passenger cars (excluding UV's), M&HCV and Exports grew by 33%, 20% and 5%, respectively, year-on-year; with the total commercial and passenger vehicles sales (including exports) in March 2015 of 52,479 vehicles, a growth of 3% over 51,184 vehicles sold in March 2014. The company's domestic sales of Tata commercial and passenger vehicles for March 2015 were 47,044 nos., a growth of 2% over 45,996 vehicles, sold in March 2014.

Cumulative sales (including exports) for the company for FY 14-15 were 502,281 nos., lower by 11% over 566,695 vehicles, sold last year.

Passenger Vehicles

In March 2015, Tata Motors passenger vehicles recorded sales of 15,039 nos., a growth of 19%, compared to 12,640 nos., sold in March 2014.

The trend of growth in passenger vehicles continued - with the strong Zest and Bolt sales. While the sales of the passenger cars in March 2015 was 12,977 nos., higher by 33%, over March 2014, the UV sales declined by 28% at 2,062 nos., in March 2015.

Cumulative sales of all passenger vehicles in the domestic market for FY 14-15 were 134,080 nos., lower by 3%, over last year.

Commercial Vehicles

The company's sales of commercial vehicles in March 2015 in the domestic market were at 32,005 nos., lower by 4%, over March 2014. LCV sales were at 17,127 nos., a decline of 18% over March 2014, while M&HCV sales continued to show growth at 14,878 nos., higher by 20%, over March 2014.

Cumulative sales of commercial vehicles in the domestic market for FY 14-15 were 318,268 nos., lower by 16% over last year. Cumulative LCV sales was 191,210 nos., a decline of 29% over last year, while M&HCV sales were at 127,058 nos., higher by 15%, over last year.

Exports

The company's sales from exports were 5,435 nos., in March 2015, higher by 5% compared to 5,188 vehicles in March 2014. The cumulative sales from exports for FY14-15 were at 49,933 nos., remained flat, compared to last year.

Hyundai Achieves Highest-Ever Domestic Sales

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), the country’s second largest car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter registered the domestic sales of 39,525 units and exports of 10,215 units with cumulative sales of 49,740 units for the month of March 2015.

Commenting on the March sales Mr. Rakesh Srivastava, Sr. VP- Sales and Marketing, HMIL said, “In a market with weak sentiments, Hyundai achieved its highest-ever single month sales of 39,525 units with highest-ever financial Year sales of 4,20,668 units. The market share of 16.3% was highest-ever with strong performance of successful launch of new models like Elite, i20 Active, Xcent & Verna and lead by strong marketing initiatives to engage rural markets and repeat buyers.”

“The 2015 outlook seems challenging as currently there is low traction in the market with weak delivery on macro-economic parameters and on low customer’s sentiments. We are hopeful that an environment will be created to bring-in investment and create employment that will give the required thrust to grow the industry.”

Honda India registers highest ever monthly car sales of 22,696 units in March 2015

New Delhi, April 1, 2015: Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL), leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, registered its highest ever monthly domestic sales of 22,696 units during March 2015 and registered a growth of over 23% as compared to 18,426 units in March 2014. 

Driven by strong sales momentum for its cars throughout the year, the company posted itshighest ever annual domestic sales of 189,062 units during FY 2014 – 15 recording 41% growth over last financial year. The company had sold 1,34,339 units during FY 2013 – 14.

HCIL exported a total volume of 691 units during March 2015. The company’s annual export volume grew by 45% during FY 2014 – 15 with 8403 units as compared to 5798 units in the FY 2013 – 14.

With a record sales of 9,777 units in a single month, the 4th generation Honda City crossed the fastest  1-lakh cumulative sales mark in just 15 months and registered 101,299 units sales since its launch in January 2014.

Commenting on the company’s sales performance, Mr. Jnaneswar Sen, Sr. Vice President – Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd., said, “The fiscal 2014-2015 has been extremely fruitful for HCIL. We are thankful to our customers for the great response we have achieved for Mobilio launched in July last year and their continued interest for other models. The new Honda City has achieved exceptional success with over 1 lakh sales in record 15 months. We are excited about the upcoming launch of Honda Jazz in the new fiscal and look forward to another year of good growth.” “HCIL also witnessed 36% growth in nation-wide dealer network expansion by focusing on existing markets & newer Tier III cities” he added. The company now has 232 facilities in 152 cities in its network.

Maruti Suzki Reports highest ever annaual sales,sold 1292415 vehicle in 2014-15

Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India Limited sold a total of 111,555 units in March 2015. This includes 103,719 units in domestic market and 7836 units in exports. The Company had sold a total of 113,350 units in March 2014.

The Company’s total sale in 2014-15 was 1,292,415 units. This is the highest annual sale ever by the Company. The previous high was in 2010-11, when the Company had sold 1,271,005 units.

Domestic sale in 2014-15, at 1,170,702 units, was also the highest ever for the Company.

The sales figures for March 2015 are given below: