Maruti Suzuki sales rise; Tata Motors sees decline

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, India’s largest carmaker, sold a total of 179,228 units in June, up 12.4% year-on-year compared with 159,418 units in the same month last year.

Total sales in the month include domestic sales of 139,918 units, sales to other OEM of 8,277 units and exports of 31,033 units. Maruti's domestic passenger vehicle sales rose 3% year-on-year to 1.37 lakh units in June from 1.33 lakh units in the same month last year. Exports jumped by a whopping 56% to 31,033 units last month.

Maruti Suzuki contributes about 42% of all car exports from India, says Rahul Bharti, executive officer, Corporate Affairs, Maruti Suzuki India.

Tata Motors’ domestic passenger vehicle sales fell 8% year-on-year to 43,524 units in June from 47,235 units in the same month last year. India’s largest electric carmaker’s EV sales decline by 34% to 4,657 units last month from 7,025 units in June 2023. During the June quarter, electric vehicle sales dropped 14% to 16,579 units.

The automaker attributed the decline in sales to prolonged heatwaves with record high temperatures and the recently concluded general elections.

“In Q1 FY25, after a boost in demand in the first half of April, due to festivities in some parts of country, the Passenger Vehicle industry saw a decline in retails (registrations) in the months of May and June, influenced by the general elections and heat waves across the country. Tata Motors wholesales of 138,682 cars and SUVs in Q1 FY25 remained flat compared to Q1 FY24, as we readjusted our wholesales in line with retails to keep channel inventory under control,” says Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd.

On the decline in EV sales, Chandra says the electric vehicle industry was affected by the broader industry trend and the impact of significant preponement fleet sales in Q4 FY24, due to expiry of FAME II subsidy in March 2024. “Consequently, while the personal segment retails have grown slightly, there was a sharp decline witnessed in the fleet segment, which is expected to recover in the coming quarters,” he adds.

“Going forward, we foresee recovery of demand, as enquiries have remained strong despite low retails in the past two months. This strong enquiry pipeline, in addition to onset of festive season from August, augurs well for the industry. Tata Motors is fully geared up to leverage this growth opportunity on the back of strong demand for its SUV portfolio, especially Punch and Nexon, as well as new launches in the coming months,” says Chandra.

Hyundai Motor India, the country’s second largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, saw a 1.22% decline in total sales during the month of June. Total sales for Hyundai came in at 64,803 units as against 65,601 units in the same month last year. The South Korean carmaker’s domestic sales remained flat at 50,103 units while exports declined 5.7% to 14,700 units in June.

“SUVs have contributed strongly, accounting for 66% of our domestic sales. The new Hyundai CRETA has been a key driver for Domestic H1 sales with 91,348 units sold, a growth of 11% over same period last year,” says Tarun Garg, COO, Hyundai Motor India.

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) clocked a 23% jump in passenger vehicle sales. Mahindra sold 40,022 vehicles in the domestic market, a growth of 23% and overall, 40,644 vehicles, including exports.