Honda has recorded a three per cent increase in sales in November. Honda closed the month with 3.51 lakh units in sales as opposed to 3.40 lakh units it had managed in the corresponding period in 2015.
While the domestic sales declined from 3.26 lakh units in November 2015 to 3.25 lakh units in the last month, the export numbers turned out to be the saving grace for Honda. With a significant drop in footfalls owing to demonetisation, Honda decided to shift its focus to exports during the last month. Honda commenced the export of the Dio and the Navi to Sri Lanka from its Gujarat factory. The company shipped out 26,053 two-wheelers in November as compared to the 14,391 units it had exported in November 2015, a jump of 81 per cent.
Honda claims that two-wheeler sales dropped by 50 percent in the first week of announcement of demonetisation. While December generally is a lean month for the two-wheeler industry, Honda is hoping for a recovery before the end of the year. The company has been devising schemes to promote online payment and cashless transactions for purchase of two-wheelers.
