India's passenger vehicle exports grew 46% in April-Dec

New Delhi: India's passenger vehicle (PV) exports increased 46 per cent in the initial nine months of current fiscal year data according to SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) latest data. Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), India's largest carmaker, leads the stats with 1.8 lakh units, PTI reports.

The total PV exports from April to December this fiscal year were 4,24,037, while the figure was 2,91,170 during the same months in 2020. Passenger car exports grew 45 per cent with 2,75,728 units, and utility car exports grew 47 per cent with 1,46,688 during the period. Exports of vans reached almost double with 1,621 units during the period while it was 877 units during the year before. Maruti Suzuki India led in vans, and Hyundai Motor India and Kia followed.

MSI shipped 1,67,94 PVs during the period, which is around thrice the number, 59,821 units, the same period the previous fiscal year. It shipped out 1,958 Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) during the period. Its top export markets were Latin America, ASEAN, Africa, the Middle East and neighbouring countries, while top export models were Baleno, Dzire, Swift, S-Presso and Brezza.

MSI Executive Director (Corporate Affairs) Rahul Bharti told PTI that two years ago, the company decided to focus on broadening business in exports. MSI was inspired by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry's strategy to deepen localization and multiply exports as part of Make in India Vision, he said.

Bharti further said that in the calendar year 2021, MSI exported 2,05,450 units which are the highest ever in a calendar year. He claimed that the stats show customers confidence in their cars' quality, technology, reliability, performance, and cost-effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor India shipped 1,00,059 units during the April-December period of 2021-22, a growth of 35 per cent from a fiscal year ago. Kia sent 34,341 units, while it was 28,538 units a year before. Volkswagen India recorded 29,796 units in the period.

In the third quarter of this fiscal year, October-December, total PV exports were 1,39,363 against 1,36,016 in 2020-21. But total overseas PV exports came down in December with 54,846 units whereas it was 57,050 units in December 2020