NEW DELHI: Automobile sales may be struggling in the domestic market, but 'made in India' brand continues to shine abroad with exports witnessing a decent 21% growth in the 11 months of the current financil year, with high demand for motorcycles, cars and commercial vehicles.
Though the domestic auto market shrunk 5.3% in the April 2007-February 2008 period at 87.64 lakh units, the export market grew 21.03% at 11.20 lakh units against 9.25 lakh units in the same period last year.
Motorcycle sales, which fell around 13% in the domestic market in this period, have beaten this trend abroad.
Exports of motorcycles have grown 41.5% in the April-February at 7.04 lakh units against 4.97 lakh units in the same period last fiscal, according to figures provided by auto industry body Siam.
Bajaj Auto, faced with a massive downturn in the home market, has seen its bike exports going up 62% at 4.4 lakh units against 2.71 lakh units in the 11 months during last financial year.
The company has been pursuing an aggressive growth strategy abroad and a strong player markets like in Latin America, Asean countries and Africa.
TVS Motors also saw its exports rising around 40% at 1.03 lakh units (74181 units in April-February last fiscal).
However, Hero Honda — the country's biggest motorcycle seller — saw a drop in its exports with numbers going down by 12% at 76,013 units against 86,403 units last fiscal.
On the passenger car side, Hyundai and Maruti fuelled the growth. Here, thoughoverall export numbers increased 6.7% in April-February period, they are still behind sales in the domestic market, that grew faster at 11.7% — fuelled by launch of new models and good discounts.
Hyundai, which has made India the manufacturing base for its small cars like i10 and Santro, saw export numbers going up 19% at 1.26 lakh units against 1.06 lakh units in the same period last fiscal. For Maruti, the growth was 50% at 46,212 units against 30,764 units in the 11 months of 2006-07. Analysts said car exports would go up further as both Maruti and Hyundai plan to increase the quantum of small car manufacturing in India to service foreign markets. Tata Motors, however, saw its export numbers falling 23% at 11,215 units against 14,585 units.
Apart from cars and motorcycles, commercial vehicles (CV) also saw demand going up overseas. Total CV exports in the April-February grew 18.5% (51,643 units), much higher than the poor 2.8% growth in the domestic market, Siam said.
Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland led the charge in the medium- and heavy-commercial vehicle category where numbers grew 16.1% (19,105 units), against a 3.8% decline at home. In LCVs, the exports numbers grew 20% at 32,538 units against 27,106 units in the same period last fiscal.
But, three-wheelers have not been able to stay positive abroad withsales mirrored the downtrend in the domestic market and fell 2.5% at 1.30 lakh units against 1.34 lakh units in the same period last fiscal.
