The automobile industry produced 8.06 lakh units in May but sales declined in strong double-digits with several state governments imposing lockdowns to check the spread of COVID-19's second wave.
Passenger vehicle sales totalled 88,045 units in May while three-wheeler sales were 1,251 units. Two-wheeler sales numbered 3.52 lakh units last month, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said on Friday.
Since both May 2020 and May 2021 were abnormal months because of the COVID-19 situation and lockdowns, a comparison of these two months holds no meaning, it said.
However, a comparison of May 2021 sales with May 2019, which was a normal year, presents a realistic picture. Passenger vehicle sales thus dipped by 61.2 per cent, two-wheeler sales by 79.6 per cent and three-wheelers by 97.6 per cent.
"Most part of May was under lockdown in many states, thus impacting overall sales and production. Many members had shut down their manufacturing plants to divert oxygen from industrial use for medical purposes," said SIAM's Director General Rajesh Menon.
( With inputs from ANI )
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