Bike sales crash in Pune; auto sector sluggish

REGISTRATION of automobiles in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad during the last financial year (2015-16) remained sluggish in tandem with the general subdued mood of the automobile industry in the country.

Sale of motorcycles and autorickshaws, both in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, saw a dip while that of passenger vehicles registered a very slim growth.

Figures available with the Pune and Pimpri-Chincwhad Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) showed that during the last financial year, 1,03,529 and 63,392 motorcycles were registered in the two offices respectively. In 2014-15, the figures were 1,45,744 and 64,303 motorcycles, respectively.

This would be the second such dip in the sale of motorcycles in Pune RTO in the last four years while the Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO saw a similar dip in financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Two-wheelers from the 80 per cent of the automobile population in the country.

Sales of autorickshaws also saw a dip in the region in the last financial year. While Pune RTO registered 3,220 autorickshaws in the last financial year, the Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO registered 563.

For the financial year 2014-15, the figures for autorickshaw registration in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO were 4,708 and 832, respectively. This dip in the number of autorickshaw registrations comes despite the government issuing new permits for the vehicle during the financial year 2015-16.

Passenger cars, which form 14 per cent of the domestic automobile industry, saw a very slight increase in registration during the last financial year. Pune RTO registered 4,06,606 passenger cars during the last financial year as against 4,05,943 such vehicles registered during the year 2014-15. Pimpri Chinchwad RTO had registered 2,05,151 passenger vehicles last year as against 2,03,215 such registrations for the year 2014-15.

Anant Sardeshmukh, director general of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), said the trend was in keeping with the overall subdued consumer demand last year. “The high interest rates and uncertainty in the market due to the drought had a negative impact on the market which was translated in the above trend,” he said.

Sardeshmukh said the current financial year might see a positive swing towards the second half if the monsoon is good.

SOURCE: goo.gl/1eFz30