Tata Engineering reported a total domestic sale of 17,488 vehicles, an increase of 26.3 per cent over 13,843 vehicles sold in August 2001. Sales in the first five months of the fiscal year at 73,999 showed an increase of 25.8 per cent over 58,835 sold in the corresponding period last year.

Commercial vehicles
Sales of commercial vehicles at 8,006 continued to be robust, showing an increase of 20.8 per cent over 6,627 sold in August last year. Sales in the first five months of the current year were 36,656 vehicles, representing a growth of 35.2 per cent over the same period last year. Both medium and heavy commercial vehicles sales (24,918) and light commercial vehicles sales (11,738) grew by approximately 35 per cent.

The company launched the EX series of light commercial vehicles and medium and heavy commercial vehicles across the country in the month of August and these have received an excellent response from customers.

Passenger vehicles
The company’s sales grew by 31 per cent to 9,482 in August 2002, over August 2001, with cumulative sales for the fiscal ending with 37,343 – a growth of 18 per cent against an estimated industry growth rate of one per cent. The company’s overall market share for the year is estimated at 13.6 per cent against 11.7 per cent for the same period last year.

Indica’s sales in the compact segment grew by 44 per cent over August 2001, to 7,437. Cumulative sales this fiscal have grown by 26 per cent to 27,870 against an estimated segment growth rate of 11 per cent. Indica’s market share in the compact segment stood at an estimated 22.3 per cent at the end of August 2002, against 19.7 per cent in the same period last fiscal. In the utility vehicles segment, the company’s sales improved by 17.5 per cent over July 2002, but remained flat over August 2001, with a sale of 2,045 in August 2002. Cumulative sales at 9,473 for the fiscal enabled the company to maintain its market share of 23.4 per cent — at the same levels as April-August 2001 – against a segment decline of two per cent. Safari sales continued to grow by nine per cent in August 2002 and are growing by 37 per cent this fiscal.