While one of our neighboring countries blatantly copies international car models, the other is hilariously outrun by India in terms of car production. In fact, the total number of cars produced in Pakistan does not even match up to the India’s car export figures. In a report based upon the data from Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association, South Asia’s multimedia news agency, Asian News International says that the number of cars produced and exported from India are four times that of total vehicles produced and sold in Pakistan.
In the Financial Year 2014-15, the total number of passenger cars sold in Indian market stood at 23.56 lakh units while, in the same period, merely 1.52 lakh units were sold in Pakistan. India’s exports, in the same period, stood at 5.74 lakh units. According to the report, Pakistan does not have a single indigenous car manufacturer. Moreover, because of the low safety and quality standards, car buyers in the country opt for Japanese cars which provide better safety and are value for money.
AMP Ducati, world’s largest Ducati dealership, located in NCR region, India
While our neighbor trails light-years behind us in terms of vehicle production and sales, the Indian vehicle industry, with several initiatives by the Government of India and the automobile manufacturers, is expected to be a global leader by the year 2020.
The two-wheeler industry is beyond comparison. The four-wheeler segment forms a small part of the Indian vehicle market whereas the two-wheeler segment forms 81 per cent of the country’s automobile market. The Pakistani two-wheeler market, on the other hand, is catered by just three brands which sell about a dozen models — that’s less than the number of vehicles launched in India every year. In terms of numbers, the total two-wheelers produced in Pakistan in the year 2015 stand at 19.12 lakh units while, in the same period, the Indian two-wheeler market saw a total production of 1.61 crore units — that’s about eight times of Pakistan’s production. Even the number of two-wheeler exported from India, at 24.57 lakh units, was over 5 lakh units more than Pakistan’s total two-wheeler production.
One may cite Pakistan’s low per capita income for the lack of sales and thus lesser demand resulting in low production. But Pakistan’s per capita income isn’t far too behind than that of India. Based on the data from 2015, India ranks 122 in the world’s GDP (at purchasing power parity) per capita list by International Monetary Fund while Pakistan stands at 132 with a difference of USD 1,662 per annum.
That tells a lot about how the two countries developed after the partition of 1947. We would like to hear your views about the massive difference in the motoring scene between the two countries. Let us know your views through the comments section.
Images for representation purpose only