Maruti sales drop 9% in FY 2001

Maruti sales drop 9% in FY 2001
ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU

MUMBAI, APR 2: Despite high-profile launches, sales of country's leading car maker Maruti Udyog has dropped by nine per cent to 3.36 lakh units from 3.70 lakh units sold in the year-ago period even as industry's Number 2 Hyundai Motor sales have shot up by 14.2 per cent in fiscal 2001.

Hyundai's cumulative sale during April-March 2000-01 has increased by 14.2 per cent to 86,719 units from 75,895 units sold in the same period last fiscal, say company officials.

In a statement, MUL said it has recorded an all time high monthly sales by clocking in 40,487 units (comprising 1,798 units of Gypsy and 749 units of exports) in March 2001 which is around 0.1 per cent more than last year's March figures. The joint sector firm said that it has consolidated its leadership position in the domestic car market by achieving over 60 per cent market share in March 2001, up from 56 per cent in March 2000.

Maruti sold 37,940 passenger cars in March 2001, 28 per cent more than in February 2001 when it sold 29,569 passenger cars. "During the last fiscal, MUL's market share, which was 50 per cent in the first quarter (April-June 2000), has increased to 58 per cent in the second quarter. It climbed to 61 per cent in the following quarter. In the last quarter (January-March 2001), Maruti's market share grew to over 62 per cent," MUL said.

MUL also achieved all time high monthly sales in the `B' segment, clocking12,766 units in March 2001. The tried and tested Zen, the Alto and theWagonR - all registered a strong performance. MUL achieved 42 per cent market share in the B segment in March 2001.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) reported a 18.7 per cent rise in its March sales at 10,008 cars over 8,425 cars sold in the same month of 2000. During March, it sold 8,264 units of the premium small car `Santro' while sales of the mid-size car `Accent' stood at 1,744 units, a company spokesperson said.

Sales turnover of Hyundai Motor, including other costs has also jumped 29 per cent to Rs 3,040 crore during the fiscal. The March sales were also up by 46.5 per cent compared to 6,830 cars sold in February this year.

The company sold 64,876 `Santro' cars and 16,085 `Accent' cars during 2000-01, Hyundai said in a statement here. On the exports front, Hyundai shipped 5,837 completely built units and said sales of completely knocked down kits/components which began in 1999 were also significantly higher during the year.

The company said it has also ensured 100 per cent capacity utilisation for the second consecutive year. "Our consistent focus on the consumer, on technology and on quality has helped us attain these sales levels. We have often been constrained for capacity and are in the process of putting a major productivity exercise that will ensure that our productivity remains the industry benchmark," Hyundai Motor India managing director Y S Kim said.