Honda Motorcycle & Scooter sales down 4.4 pc in March

Two-wheeler manufacturer Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) today reported a 4.4 per cent decline in total sales at 381,521 units in March. The company had sold 3,99,173 units in the corresponding month last year.

In the domestic market, sales were at 3,65,526  last month as against 3,84,422 units in March last year, down 4.9 per cent.

Exports, however, rose 8.4 per cent to 15,995 units against 14,751 units in March last year, it said.

For the fiscal ended March 31, 2016, the company posted a marginal increase in total two-wheeler sales at 44,83,459 units as against 44,52,005 units in the previous fiscal.

Domestic sales for FY16 also rose marginally at 42,83,345 units as compared to 42,63,746 units in the previous year.

Commenting on the performance, HMSI Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing Yadvinder Singh Guleria said: “From a strategic perspective, 2015-16 was like a base camp for Honda and now we are fully armed for the steep climb in 2016-17.”

On the outlook, HMSI President & CEO Keita Muramatsu said: “2016-17 is going to be Honda’s most definitive year in India...Our priorities will be strengthening the fun connect of Wing mark with Indian youth, make all our models BS-IV compliant at the earliest for added customer convenience while continue to aggressively make inroads into rural India.”