Sales of light-duty buses struggle under pandemic
By Jim Gibbins - 3rd May 2021
India - Sales of light-duty passenger vehicles (7.5 tons and below) fell by 73.6% in the fiscal year 2020-21 (April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021) to 12,078 from 45,814 units in the previous fiscal year and from 52,170 units two years ago. Exports also fell dramatically by 61.8% to 1,641 units in 2021. Production experienced a decrease in output of 65.8% to 15,475 year-on-year from 45,291, and from over 55,000 in 2018-19.
In the minibus segment with seats more than 13 seats (GVW ≤ 5 tons no. of seats including the driver > 13) sales decreased by 73.81% to 4,281 units in the FY 2020-21 from 16,343 units in FY2019-20. Export fell marginally (-1.99%), but production followed market demand with output decreasing by 60.71% from 13,461 to 5,289.
