Bajaj Auto Posts Best Ever Quarterly Net Profit In FY 2018

Bajaj Auto Limited has reported the company's highest quarterly profit growth in a year, in the fourth quarter of the financial year 2017-18. Consolidated net profit of the Indian motorcycle manufacturer grew 36 per cent in the fourth quarter to Rs. 1,175 crore. Net profit was Rs. 862 crore in the January to March 2017 period. Total revenue from operations in the quarter ended March 2018 stood at Rs. 6,773 crore, compared to Rs. 5,212 crore a year ago. The company posted a total turnover of Rs. 7,140 crore, the highest ever in any quarter.

Bajaj sold a total of 10,45,378 vehicles, including motorcycles and commercial vehicles, a growth of 33 per cent over the same period a year ago when the company had sold 7,87,627 vehicles. Bajaj sold 8,56,389 motorcycles in the fourth quarter, a growth of 22 per cent a year ago when it had sold 7,01,017 motorcycles. Commercial vehicle sales witnessed a whopping 118 per cent growth in the fourth quarter, selling 1,88,989 vehicles, compared to just 86,610 vehicles a year ago.

Continued interest in sports segment in some overseas markets led to high exports

Overseas sales also witnessed robust growth with Bajaj exporting 3,58,802 motorcycles in the fourth quarter, a growth of 25 per cent over the same period a year ago when 2,87,478 motorcycles were exported. According to Bajaj, more than a third of the company's growth in volumes is contributed by new markets, and motorcycle exports grew on the back of strong recovery in Nigeria, with focus on the sports segment in Latin America, particularly in Argentina, and on the back of new product launches in Philippines and Malaysia.

Exports of commercial vehicles also saw a sharp rise in the period, a growth of 83 per cent to 66,760 vehicles exported in the fourth quarter. In fact, number of Bajaj commercial vehicles sold during the fourth quarter and the entire financial year 2018 (6,37,457 units of CVs) was the highest ever, a growth of 43 per cent in FY 2018.

Bajaj Auto sold over 46,000 KTM bikes in 2017-18

During the financial year 2018, Bajaj sold a total of 40,06,791 units, up 9 per cent from 36,65,950 units in 2016-17. Motorcycle sales in 2017-18 were 33,69,334 units, up 5 per cent from 32,19,932 units in 2016-17. In the entry-level motorcycles segment, Bajaj sold 9,51,000 units of CT, Platina and the new Discover 110, while the Pulsar, along with Avenger sold nearly 7,23,000 units. Bajaj owns 48 per cent of Austrian motorcycle brand KTM, and in the domestic market, over 46,000 KTM motorcycles were sold in 2017-18.