It was in the month of March 2020, that India went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although everyone thought that it would last only a month or two at most, it is safe to say that everyone was wrong. Just like every other industry, the automobile industry started taking a hit in March. The sales figures for March 2020 show that a mere 1,40,143 cars were sold. But this was just the beginning. What followed next was something unprecedented. No car was sold in April 2020. May 2020 saw 36,576 cars being sold.
Also read: Maruti Suzuki Brezza overtakes Venue and Sonet in October 2020 sales!
It must be noted here, that it was not just the automobile industry. The entire country was engulfed by the pandemic. So, there was clearly a bigger task at hand.
Well, the lockdown eased up, life started getting back to its normal pace, despite the spread of the virus. Slowly but surely, the automobile industry started getting back on its feet. June 2020 saw an appreciable growth in the sales at 1,16,928 units being sold. This was a much-needed relief to the automobile sector. This made sure that some signs of life are still there.
Getting back there – Growing Sales!
July 2020 confirmed this further, where 1,97,610 cars were sold. Now, it was clear that the automobile industry is back on the road to recovery. Many experts had predicted that the recovery will be there. But no one expected such a fast recovery. In the month of August 2020, 2,34,142 units clearly suggested that the effect of the pandemic on the automobile industry was almost over. With a lot of expectations from the festive season, experts of the industry understood that this could be the defining moment in the recovery phase of the Indian automobile industry.
Also read: Tata Nexon sees 111% growth in a year!
| Month (2020) | Number of cars sold |
| March | 1,40,143 |
| April | 0 |
| May | 36,576 |
| June | 1,16,928 |
| July | 1,97,610 |
| August | 2,34,142 |
| September | 2,92,883 |
| October | 3,33,600 |
| November | 2,86,282 |
| November 2019 | 2,62,861 |
Well, the festive season did not disappoint. The sales for the months of Sept and October 2020 were 2,92,883 and 3,33,600 respectively. This marked the official exit of the automobile industry out of the recession and reassured that the growth trajectory is likely to continue. The end of the year promises to be better than most would have expected.
What also helped are new launches from the car manufacturers. Although a lot of the launches were actually virtual in nature, it did not affect the customers too much. With the convenience of a virtual showroom on the website of almost every car company in the country, people were able to make up their minds about the vehicles that they wanted.
Also read: Maruti Suzuki drops 5.4% market share according to the November sales figures!
In November 2020, the industry saw 2,86,282 units being sold in comparison to 2,62,861 units sold in November 2019. This marks an 11% year-on-year growth for the industry.
How does the future look like?
With new and exciting launches recently and some really tempting offers till the end of this month, December also looks promising in carrying this growth trajectory forward. It is safe to say that the Indian automobile industry is out of the woods. It has survived the pandemic and come out stronger than before. That is exactly what will happen with humanity. We will fight strong and come back victorious and stronger than before!
Also read: VW records 52% decline in sales in November!
