Automakers skid in June, M&M, Bajaj buck trend

Moneycontrol Bureau

The automobile sector witnessed a bumpy ride in sales numbers for the month of June. While some companies showed marginal change, others were beaten down to the ground.
India's largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki sales saw a steepest fall in last two-and-a-half years on the back of workers' strike in Manesar and maintenance shut down in Gurgaon plant. All of this resulted in Maruti registering its steepest fall in sales in two-and-half years, reports CNBC-TV18's Swati Khandelwal Jain.
In June, the total sales plummeted 9% year-on-year (YoY) at 80,298 units versus 88,091 units in last year. The exports dropped 32% at 10,278 units and domestic sales numbers went down 3% YoY. Maruti Suzuki June sales fall 8.8% to 80,298 units
The top passenger car-maker saw a sharp 23% dip in total sales month-on-month (MoM). During this period, the exports slipped 2.5% and the domestic sales fell 25% at 70,020 versus 93,519 units.
On the other hand, the Chennai-based two wheeler company TVS Motors reported 14% increase (YoY) in total sales at 1,82,456 units in June 2011, as against 1,59,688 units in the same month last year.
The total two-wheeler sales in June was also up 14% at 1, 78,633 units. While motorcycle sales grew slowly 5% to 69,859 units as against 66,452 units in the same month last year, the scooter sales rose sharply 20% at 44,281 units as against 36,742 units YoY. The two-wheeler exports went up 48% at 26,359 versus 17,782 units.
Meanwhile, India