Honda, TVS, Royal Enfield increase market share in April-December 2022

SIAM (Society Of Indian Automobile Manufacturers) has released numbers for the period of April-December 2022. The first nine months of the financial year saw sales of 79,39,498 motorcycles (up 17 percent), 39,85,312 scooters (up 32 percent), and 3,32,684 mopeds (down 9 percent). However, these numbers are well below those of April-December 2019 (total sales: 1.39 crore units – scooters: 44,63,954, motorcycles: 89,55,215, mopeds: 4,95,805) as well as April-December 2018 (total sales: 1.65 crore units – scooters: 53,24,125, motorcycles: 1.05 crore, mopeds: 661,923). Let’s examine how each of the major players in the market performed. 

Hero MotoCorp: 39,21,309 units

Hero MotoCorp, the country’s two-wheeler market leader, reported sales of 3.92 million units, up 11 percent on year-ago numbers. Of this, 36,39,140 units or 93 percent comprised motorcycles (up 10 percent) and scooters at 2,82,169 units (7 percent) made up the rest.

Compared to a year ago, Hero MotoCorp’s combined bike and scooter market share has reduced to 32 percent from 34.75 percent.

HMSI: 33,22,746 units

Nearly 6,00,000 units behind the market leader is Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI). But compared to Hero, Honda has recorded a higher growth rate, which has translated into a market share increase of two percent – from 25.13 percent a year ago to 27.10 percent.

In the April-December 2022 period, HMSI sold 7,64,367 units more than it did in the year-ago period. 

HMSI sold a total of 14,28,996 bikes, up 31 percent, which gives it a market share of 18 percent versus 16 percent a year ago. However, HMSI’s strength comes from its sheer dominance in the scooter market driven by its Activa range, which recently saw the addition of the Activa H-Smart. The company has recorded sales of nearly 1.9 million scooters in the past nine months, growing 29 percent YoY and has a scooter market share of 47.51 down one percent from 48.65 percent a year ago. Put that down to a sluggish market as well as competition from the No. 3 player, TVS.   

TVS Motor Co: 33,22,746 units 

TVS Motor Co has increased its overall two-wheeler industry market share to 15.65 percent from 14.82 percent in April-December 2021, up by nearly one percent, with sales of 1.91 million units. Its growth rate would have been higher if demand for mopeds had not seen a 9 percent decline. TVS is the sole IC engine moped OEM in India.

The company has registered strong 52 percent YoY increase in sales of its scooters to 9,35,934 units, which has helped it expand its scooter market share by three percentage points to 23.48 percent from 20.41 percent. And it has also seen its bike sales grow 23 percent YoY to 6,50,665 units, which gives it an 8.19 percent share of India’s motorcycle market.

Bajaj Auto: 13,90,698 units

At No.4 is Bajaj Auto with 13,90,698 units, which marks 7 percent YoY growth. Like Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj too has been impacted by the slackened demand for entry-level motorcycles and its single-digit growth means that its overall market share has dipped to 11.34 percent from 12.78 percent a year ago.

Royal Enfield: 5,42,818 units

Along with TVS, Royal Enfield is the other Chennai-based OEM, which is having a strong run in the market. With total sales of 5,42,818 units, the manufacturer has clocked strong 50 percent YoY growth, increasing its overall market share to 4.42 percent from 3.54 percent. Seen in the context of bikes exclusively, RE’s share is now 6.83 percent compared to 5.31 percent a year ago.

In the 250cc-350cc segment, sales have jumped 53.47 percent to 4,99,992 units from 3,25,789 units a year ago. Sales in the 350cc-500cc category are up 17.74 percent to 29,135 units and demand for the 650 twins rose 32 percent to 13,691 units.

Suzuki Motorcycle India: 5,39,027 units 

Suzuki Motorcycle India is making good progress with its scooters, which have helped increase its overall market share marginally. Trailing 3,791 units behind Royal Enfield in the pecking order, Suzuki sold a total of 5,39,027 units (up 23 percent), comprising 5,22,972 scooters (up 24 percent) and 16,055 bikes (down 7 percent).