Automobile industry posts growth of 19.96pc

New Delhi, Jul 11: The automobile industry registered a growth of 19.96 per cent in the first quarter of the financial year 2006-07 over the same period last year, a report said today.

The report by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said, the domestic sales of passenger car and Utility Vehicles (UVs) grew by 23.72 per cent and 7.81 per cent repectively during April-June 2006 compared with same months last year.

The cumulative growth of overall passenger vehicles during the quarter stood at 20.40 per cent.

The overall two-wheeler market in the country during the period grew by 18.50 per cent, with motorcycles reporting a rise of 22.76 per cent.

Mopeds also posted a growth of about 2 per cent over April-June 2005.

However, the sales of scooters dipped by about 1 per cent.

The three-wheelers sales were up at 25.45 per cent. Goods carriers grew by 23.04 per cent and passenger carrier grew at 27.15 per cent during the first quarter of the current fiscal, as against the same period a year ago.

The overall commercial vehicles segment grew at 47.18 per cent.

The growth in medium and heavy commercial vehicle's during the period was 52.27 per cent and light commercial vehicles was 39.84 per cent.

The country's overall automobile exports registered 27.32 per cent growth rate in the first quarter of FY07 over the same period last year. The passenger vehicles exports grew at 28.66 per cent.

Two-wheelers exports increased by 22 per cent and commercial vehicles by 37.65 per cent.

UNI