Barring Maruti, all vehicle makers post robust September sales

Indian vehicle makers, barring Maruti Suzuki India, have reported robust sales in September, despite weak economic conditions, on new launches and they expect the momentum to continue as the festival season kicks in.

For firms like Hero MotoCorp and Mahindra & Mahindra, the September sales were the highest in a month, Maruti Suzuki's sales were impacted by labour unrest at its Haryana facility.

Hero MotoCorp Ltd (formerly Hero Honda Motors Ltd) reported its highest-ever sales in a month, with the two wheeler-maker selling 5.49 lakh (549,625) vehicles in September 2011.

This a growth of about 26.75 per cent over the same month last year when the firm had sold 4.4 lakh (433,641) units, the company said in a statement.

For the second quarter of the current financial year (July-September, FY'12), Hero MotoCorp sold 15.44 lakh (15,44,315) two-wheelers, a 20.1-per cent rise over the same priod a year ago. The New Delhi-based firm sold 12,85,944 units during the same quarter of FY'11, it said.

"Sales have been regularly in excess of half a million two-wheelers per month since the formation of our new company, setting the pace for our continued leadership. We expect this momentum to continue into the festive season, and our plans are in place to meet the market demand," Anil Dua, senior vice president (marketing and sales), Hero MotoCorp said.