Dhanteras is one of the most auspicious occasions to make a new purchase. It’s the days that usually sees car sales soaring higher compared to any other day of the year, especially in the North, and Dhanteras this year has been no different. According to a Economic Times report, sales of passenger vehicles went up by nearly a tenth in in the two days of Dhanteras. Having said that, the industry is still reeling with the supply chain crisis given the semiconductor chip shortage issue and automakers in total still have around 8.5 lakh orders pending.
Now experts do suggest that the situation has quite improved quite compared to last year when the auto industry was crippled by the semiconductor shortage. Maruti Suzuki that is estimated to deliver around 21,000 units in the two-days of Dhanteras saw its sales going up by around 9 per cent compared to last year’s Dhanteras. In fact, PV sales are expected to register a healthy double-digit growth across segments this year. Even two-wheeler sales are expected to record an uptick of over 15 per cent.
Though the industry is on a recovery run trying to strengthen its supply chain, delivering adequately during the upcoming festive period continued to be a challenge for the auto industry this time around. Earlier, Manish Raj Singhania, President- Federation Of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) had said that automakers need to prioritise the models and variants that are more in demand and such long waiting periods are not healthy for the industry. He had also mentioned that overall sales will go up and retail numbers will be higher as manufacturers are producing more and whatever they are producing is being sold. Yes! Dealerships are low on inventory, but have been maintaining a smooth flow of stock.
