Tata Motors posts record sales

Tata Motors reported total sales of 3,14,256 vehicles (including exports) for the fiscal year 2003-04, a growth of 42.9 per cent over 2,19,865 vehicles sold in the corresponding period last year. This is the highest ever sales achieved by the company in a fiscal year. Total sales for the month of March 2004 were 34,714 nos., an increase of 26 per cent over 27,547 nos. sold in March '03.

Commercial vehicles
The company sold 17,803 vehicles in March '04, an increase of 51.2 per cent over 11,772 vehicles sold in March last year. Both medium and heavy commercial vehicles (M&HCVs) and light commercial vehicles (LCVs) showed healthy growth recording sales of 12,279 and 5,524 vehicles respectively.

It reported cumulative sales of 1,52,282 vehicles in the domestic market during the fiscal, representing an increase of 43.7 per cent over 1,05,960 vehicles sold in last fiscal. The company sold 10,810 M&HCV trucks in March 2004, a gain of 62.8 per cent over 6,637 nos. sold in March 2003. Cumulative sales of M&HCV trucks stood at 89,705, an increase of 39.8 per cent. LCV sales in March 2004 were 5,524 an increase of 51.6 per cent over March sales last year. The company sold 49,026 LCVs in the fiscal, representing a growth of 50.8 per cent over 32,510 vehicles sold last year.

Passenger vehicles
Tata Motors registered its highest sales ever in the domestic market in March 2004 with sales of 15,065 passenger vehicles. Cumulative sales at 1,40,023 grew by 34.4 per cent and are the highest ever for the business in its fifth financial year. All four models recorded significant gain in their segments enabling the company to retain its position as the second largest auto-maker in India in terms of sales in the domestic market.

Indica and Indigo registered a sale of 11,110 in March. Cumulative sales of the Indica and the Indigo stood at 1,08,169 for the fiscal — a growth of 36.3 per cent. Indigo continues to remain the market leader in its segment in the period since its launch in December 2002. Cumulative sales of the Indica crossed the 3,17,000-sale mark since launch.

In the utility vehicle segment, Tata motors had its best year in six years and the third best ever with a sale of 31,854 Sumos and Safaris grew at 28.2 per cent. March sales at 3,955 were the highest for any month in the last six years. Sumo emerged as the best seller in the utility vehicles segment in each of the three months of the January-March quarter and retained its position as the second largest selling model in the segment for the fiscal. Safari registered its second best yearly sales since its launch in 1998 and is currently the largest selling SUV in the Rs.7 lakh plus price band.

Exports
Export sales for the month of March '04 were 1,846 nos., an increase of 31.1 per cent over 1,408 vehicles exported in March last year. Cumulative export sales for the year 2003-04 were 21,951 vehicles, an increase of 126.2 per cent over 9,704 vehicles sold last year.