The two-wheeler sector has been underperforming its peers on the volumes front for over five quarters now. Even in the March quarter, Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp posted a 17-24 per cent YoY decline in volumes, the sharpest in the listed auto universe. The ongoing impact of frequent price hikes, all-time high fuel prices, and muted rural sentiment has led to the lacklustre showing by two-wheeler makers. What has aggravated the situation for two-wheeler companies, which get almost all their sales from the internal combustion engine or ICE-based units, is the traction for electric two-wheelers (EV).
Automotive retail sales saw a 14 per cent rise in March on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, according to data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). For the whole of financial year 2022-23 (FY23), sales grew 21 per cent YoY. For both March and the financial year, all categories, except for tractors, and including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger vehicles (PVs), and commercial vehicles (CVs), posted double-digit growth. However, the total retail sales of 22.1 million for the financial year were still 12 per cent lower than the pre-Covid (FY20) level of 25 million, owing to an 18 per cent dip in the two-wheeler segment.
Leading two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp is going full throttle to launch a Harley-Davidson model with retro styling as it looks to enter a very profitable segment in the premium motorcycle space, according to a senior company official. The alliance between Hero and Harley-Davidson fructified last year after the iconic US two-wheeler maker announced discontinuation of sales and manufacturing operations in India, a decade after it started selling its premium bikes in the country. "There are two legs to the Harley tie up strategy. One of course is that we are the sales distributors for Harley bikes in India.
If you thought electric scooters have caught the fancy of only people in the metros, think again. According to data from electric two-wheeler maker, Ather Energy, 54 per cent of its sales of scooters, starting from Rs 1.2 lakh, come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Based on sales per lakh population, the top five cities for the company are Calicut, followed by Kochi, Kolaphur, Trivandrum and Pune.
Two years after it hitched a ride with Hero MotoCorp (Hero), Harley-Davidson (Harley) and the Pawan Munjal-led firm are gearing up to ride into the middleweight (midweight) motorcycle segment (350-850cc) in the world's largest two-wheeler market.
Mirroring the increase in the earnings of their companies, the chief executives and promoters of India's top listed firms gained handsomely from the boom last financial year. Their remuneration includes salaries, perquisites or perks, and profit-linked commissions.
After lagging behind other segments in the automotive (auto) space over the past few years, two-wheelers are expected to reverse their volume underperformance. After witnessing a 36.3 per cent volume decline over the 2018-19 (FY19) through 2021-22 (FY22) periods, the sector staged a recovery in 2022-23 (FY23), with volumes rising 17 per cent. While volumes are still a quarter lower than the FY19 peak of 21 million units, a double-digit growth trajectory is expected to prolong.
The automobile sector is considered a good indicator of economic health. It has a very long value chain, from primary materials, like metals, glass and plastic, to value-added high-end electronic components, specialised alloys, and software.
Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), India's second-largest two-wheeler maker, on Wednesday revealed its electric vehicle (EV) roadmap, which includes setting up a dedicated EV factory, launching the first two EVs in 2023-24, and establishing 6,000 battery exchange points in the country. HMSI plans to establish a specialised unit for the manufacturing of electric vehicles (EVs), named 'Factory E', at its Narsapura plant located in Karnataka. Factory E will be created by converting an existing production line that currently manufactures internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, said Atsushi Ogata, HMSI managing director and chief executive officer.
This is not the first time Reliance has eyed a stake in the club.
Automotive (auto) and consumer appliance companies are hoping for a bounty from the harvest season after two consecutive dry spells in 2020 and 2021. The season, which also marks the beginning of the regional New Year, kicked in across the country from April 1 - Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra; Ugadi in Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh; Bihu in the Northeast; and Chaitra Navratri in the North. Manufacturers and retailers of cars, two-wheelers, and consumer appliances said they have seen demand pick up year-on-year (YoY) at a brisk pace across categories.
India's incumbent two-wheeler players, led by TVS Motors, are flexing their muscles, having crossed the registration of 10,000 electric two-wheelers for the first time in November this year, according to data from Vahan, the website of the ministry of road transport and highways. The two key incumbent players, TVS Motors and Bajaj Auto, now account for around 15 per cent share of registrations in the month of November. The number will only go up with Hero MotoCorp now joining the bandwagon with its Vida range of electric scooters.
Even as India overtakes Japan in automotive sales in 2022, moving to third place for the first time, oddly enough the country's biggest motor show is going to see some big hitters give it a clear miss. Some prominent automotive brands have cited high event costs, negligible returns on investment, poor event management, and unfavourable location as reasons for their reluctance to participate. Major pure-play electric two-wheelers, too, are riding past this year's edition of the Auto Expo.
Automobile retail sales in India rose 11 per cent in September as better supplies from manufacturers enabled dealers to ramp up customer deliveries amid the ongoing festive period, Federation Of Automobile Dealers Associations said on Tuesday. Last month, total retail sales stood at 14,64,001 units as compared to 13,19,647 units in September 2021. FADA noted that October is expected to witness even better overall sales due to the festive season further gathering steam.
With its new premium Primus and Ampere NXG, it is targeting buyers seeking a faster and more stylish ride
Domestic passenger vehicle (PV) sales saw a significant growth in October due to increased availability of semiconductor chips and rising consumer confidence. The sales figures during the month - which coincided with the first post-Covid festival season - released by the top ten carmakers saw a jump of 30.7 per cent to 322,885 units in October. Auto companies count wholesales - units dispatched to dealers - as sales.
Electric two-wheelers have zipped past the half-a-million registration mark and achieved a market penetration of 4 per cent at the fag end of Calendar 2022, according to data released by VAHAN. According to VAHAN data for the year (until December 27), 560,000 two-wheelers were registered in the country, up a staggering fourfold over 2021, when only 136,000 were registered, and when electric vehicle penetration was a mere 1.05 per cent. The total number of two-wheelers (internal combustion engine, or ICE, and electric) registered so far in 2022 stands at 14.5 million, up only 12.7 per cent over the previous calendar year.
The country's largest two wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp and Harley-Davidson on Tuesday announced a wide ranging partnership for the Indian market, days after the US cult bike manufacturer announced its exit from the country. As part of the deal, Hero MotoCorp will develop and sell a range of premium motorcycles under the Harley-Davidson brand name in the country. Besides, it will take care of service and parts requirements for the Harley bikes.
M&M was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying over 5 per cent, followed by Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel and Hero MotoCorp. NSE Nifty rose 65.30 points, or 0.71 per cent, to finish at 9,270.90.
The entry of SoftBank-backed Ola into the electric scooter (e-scooter) segment is set to power up the overall market and perhaps fast-track the adoption of battery-operated vehicles. But for manufacturers of internal combustion engine (ICE)-powered two-wheelers, such as Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp, and TVS Motor, it will be a double whammy. Not only will they have to contend with the aggressive pricing of Ola's scooter and incur a loss at each unit of the e-scooter sold, the volumes of their regular (ICE) models, too, could feel the squeeze, observed analysts. Ola is expected to price its e-scooter in the range of Rs 85,000-1.1 lakh.
Electric vehicle retail sales in the country witnessed over three-fold jump last fiscal with two-wheeler offtake leading the segment, according to data compiled by automobile dealers' body FADA. Total electric vehicle (EV) retails reached 4,29,217 units in 2021-22, a rise of three-fold from 1,34,821 units in the financial year 2020-21, the industry body said. Total EV sales had stood at 1,68,300 units in the 2019-20 fiscal, it noted.
After auto components major Bosch Ltd, Sundaram-Clayton, Hero MotoCorp now announce temporary production shut down
Tech Mahindra was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 2.51 per cent, followed by Bajaj Auto, RIL, Hero MotoCorp, IndusInd Bank, Mahindra and Mahindra, HDFC and TCS.
For Hero MotoCorp, India's largest two-wheeler company, it's a calculated gambit to revive Harley-Davidson whose ride in India has been anything but easy since it got here.When automotive firms embark on alliances, it's a roll of the dice on how such marriages will play out.
Top gainers in the Sensex pack included Vedanta, M&M, ONGC, Hero MotoCorp and Maruti, rising up to 3.79 per cent.
With more features and frills, the updated Hero Xtreme seems worth a bang for the buck, says Faisal Ali Khan of MotorBeam.com
M&M was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying around 7 per cent, followed by Bajaj Finance, Hero MotoCorp, RIL, Titan and Bajaj Auto. On the other hand, ONGC, Tech Mahindra, PowerGrid, Infosys and Kotak Bank were among the laggards.
HDFC was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, surging over 5 per cent, followed by M&M, L&T, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank and Sun Pharma. On the other hand, IndusInd Bank, Hero MotoCorp, Bharti Airtel and Asian Paints finished in the red.
Hero MotoCorp, Honda Motorcycles, Scooters India, TVS, Honda India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Ford, Nissan, Ashok Leyland are all giving the Auto Expo a miss this time.
Market benchmark BSE Sensex declined over 247 points on Tuesday to close at 40,239 as heavy selling emerged mainly in power, oil & gas and IT stocks amid a strengthening rupee. Yes Bank was the biggest loser in the Sensex pack with 10.05 per cent fall, followed by PowerGrid, IndusInd Bank, NTPC, ITC, TCS, Axis Bank, Hero MotoCorp, M&M and HCL Tech, which lost up to 2.66 per cent. On the other hand, Bajaj Finance, HUL, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Bajaj Auto gained up to 1.06 per cent.
Top losers in the Sensex pack included SBI, Tata Steel, Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto, ONGC and IndusInd bank.
Hero MotoCorp was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying 2.15 per cent, followed by ITC, M&M, Tech Mahindra, Nestle, Axis Bank, NTPC, HDFC and TCS.
SBI was the top laggard in the Sensex pack, dropping over 5 per cent, followed by Sun Pharma, Maruti, Bajaj Finance, Tata Steel, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank. On the other hand, IndusInd Bank, Hero MotoCorp and PowerGrid were among the gainers.
IndusInd Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying around 8 per cent, followed by Kotak Bank, Reliance Industries, HDFC, Axis Bank and SBI. On the other hand, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Steel, Bajaj Auto and ONGC were among the laggards.
Electric scooter registrations of eight companies which represent 95 per cent of the market have seen a sharp fall of over 24 per cent in May. They have registered 32,680 electric scooters against 43,098 in April according to VAHAN data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways available till the evening of 31 May. Auto analysts say the fall is a reflection of the initial pent up demand in the market for such vehicles,which was evinced in huge bookings, being met.
Asian Paints, IndusInd Bank, Nestle India, Maruti, Hero MotoCorp and HUL were also among the gainers, spurting up to 5 per cent. On the other hand, ONGC, L&T and PowerGrid ended in the red. NSE Nifty surged 205.85 points, or 2.29 per cent, to finish at 9,187.30.
Top gainers in the Sensex pack included Hero MotoCorp, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank and L&T, while Tata Steel, IndusInd Bank, ONGC, SBI and Infosys ended significantly lower.
Among Sensex stocks, L&T was the top loser, shedding 2.19 per cent, followed by ONGC, Titan, Sun Pharma, Hero MotoCorp and Infosys.
Automaker Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) on Tuesday said it will increase prices of its entire model range by up to 2 per cent with effect from October 1 in order to partially offset the impact of rise in input costs. The company, which is a joint venture between Japan's Toyota Motor Company and Kirloskar Group, sells a range of vehicles including Innova Crysta and Fortuner in the domestic market. The company will realign the prices of its models, with effect from October 1, 2021, TKM said in a statement.
Top losers in the Sensex pack included ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance, Kotak Bank, HDFC, Infosys and SBI. On the other hand, HUL, Hero MotoCorp, PowerGrid, Maruti and Asian Paints were among the gainers. NSE Nifty slumped 230.35 points or 2.50 per cent to close at 8,967.05.
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