Honda Motorcycle & Scooter Ltd (HMSI) has emerged as a biggest gainer in first six months of this fiscal as it increased by almost 6 per cent during the period. In contrast, its erstwhile partner, now known as Hero MotoCorp, has witnessed several blows between April and September 2012. In the first half of fiscal 2013, the market share of domestic player slipped to 42.7 per cent from 45.3 per cent in the corresponding period of last fiscal.
A thing to note here is that the Hero MotoCorp has been recording a steady monthly sales fall from the starting of this fiscal. In April 2012, the two-wheeler maker reported a market share of 46.2 per cent, which has been now tumbled to 36.8 per cent in September 2012. Industry experts believe that the company has witnessed a slowdown in its sales because of reduced demand from rural sections, which accounts to be its mainstay. Considering the success of HMSI, analysts said that the auto maker is banking on the strong demand for scooters, which almost dedicated to half of the two-wheelers deliveries.
The report issued in the first half of fiscal 2013 have clearly indicated that the HMSI has changed the trend of sales in two-wheeler segment as the deliveries of motorcycles reduced by 0.79 per cent, amounting to 4.97 million units, whereas the demand for scooters increased by 20.46 per cent, standing at 1.42 million units.
Expressing his views on the same, the Vice President, Sales and Marketing, HMSI, Y S Guleria, said, “We are the fastest growing two-wheeler company in the country currently. We have grown by 64% in motorcycles and 39% in automatic scooters in the first six months. Honda's product quality and benchmark features, continue to drive consumers to our brand.”
On the other hand, Hero MotoCorp recorded its steepest fall in the month of September 2012 as the sales figures fell by 4 per cent from 40.8 per cent in August. On this fall, the company’s spokesperson said “Splendor continues to be the largest-selling motorcycle brand in the world, with some 12.33 lakh of them being bought in the April to September period. We believe that market growth will revive in the forthcoming festive season. We will ensure sufficient stocks are available across our dealerships to leverage this opportunity.”
