The Hindu Business Line : Auto exports grow 36 pc in 2004-05

WITH several automobile companies investing aggressively in creating capacities in India, the value of automobile exports from the country has been growing at a high double-digit rate.

According to official data, the value of automobile exports (inclusive of passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and commercial vehicles) went up by 36 per cent in 2004-05 to Rs 8,809.13 crore as compared to Rs 6,474.64 crore in 2003-04.

The bulk of the exports was accounted for by the passenger car segment, which grew 28.2 per cent to Rs 4,820.31 crore over Rs 3,759.6 crore in the previous fiscal. The growth in this category was led by Hyundai Motor India. The company more than doubled exports of its compact car Santro last fiscal to 75,182 units.

The commercial vehicles segment, surprisingly, was the second largest foreign exchange earner for the automobile sector last year. Value exports of commercial vehicles grew 70 per cent to Rs 1,962.73 crore last year from Rs 1,153.69 crore in the previous year. Exports in the category were driven by medium, heavy and light good carriers. The largest exporter of commercial vehicles last year was Tata Motors.

The motorcycle segment, which has seen significant investments in capacity expansion, also saw a sizeable jump in exports (value-wise) last year.

Exports of motorcycles jumped 48 per cent last year to Rs 1,149.97 crore from Rs 777.24 crore in 2003-04. With exports of 123,950 units in 2004-05, Bajaj Auto was by far the largest exporter of bikes. Hero Honda was the second largest exporter at 64,015 units last year.

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