Chip shortage cramps PV sales

New Delhi: Global shortage of semi-conductor has further crippled the domestic auto industry, as apex industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has reported dip in sales figures for the month of September.

Sale of Passenger Vehicles (PV) in India stood at 160,070 units for September this year, a 41 percent decline on a year-on-year basis. According to the latest figures released, total sales of two-wheelers stood at 1,528,472 units in September 2021, in comparison to September 2020 wherein 1,849,546 units were sold.

SIAM has stated that automobile manufacturers, across the sections, have been struggling to produce adequate number of vehicles owing to semiconductor shortage.

Rajesh Menon, director general, SIAM, said: "Owing to the semi-conductor shortage, in September 2021 there was a drop in production of about (-) 37.46 per cent for passenger vehicles and (-) 17.15 per cent for two-wheelers. On the sales front, barring the Covid period, H1 sales of passenger vehicles are still below 2016-17 levels, that of Two-Wheelers are below 2011-12 levels, that of Commercial Vehicles are below 2010-11 levels and that of Three-Wheelers are still below 2000-01 levels." In two-wheeler segment, motorcycle sales declined 22 percent last month to 9,48,161 units as against 12,24,117 for the same month last year. Scooter sales are also down 7 percent at 5,17,239 units from 5,56,205 units in 2020. Vehicle sales across categories last month declined year-on-year by 20 per cent to 17,17,728 units from 21,40,549 units.

In an overall decline across the vehicle categories, SIAM has stated that production of Passenger Vehicles, Three Wheelers, Two Wheelers and Quadricycle in the month of September 2021 was 2,125,304 units, which is a drop of 18.89% compared to September 2020.

Although, in the period of July-September quarter, PV wholesales witnessed a marginal increase by 2 percent to 7,41,300 units as compared with 7,26,232 units in the same period of last year.