Royal Enfield recently announced that it was the first manufacturer out there to successfully clear all BS4 inventory across dealerships. Alongside, the bikemaker also transitioned its entire model range to comply with the new BS6 norms. However, a slowdown in sales, consumers holding their purchase due to the new emission norms and now a virus which has stalled the World, all contributed to a dip in numbers for Royal Enfield.
Royal Enfield posted sales of 35,814 motorcycles in the month of March 2020, against the sales of 60,831 motorcycles in March 2019. Domestic sales stood at 32,630 units for March 2020, against 58,434 units for the same month last year. The same data for exports was clocked at 3184 and 2397 units, respectively. Year-to-Date sales numbers stood at 6,56,651 units in the domestic market, for 2019’20, compared to 8,05,273 units in 2018’19. For the same period, exports stood at 39,296 units and 20,825 units, respectively. Total units for 2019’20 were clocked at 6,95,947, compared to 8,26,098 units in 2018’19.
Starting March 21, 2020, all Royal Enfield stores across India have started retailing only BS-VI motorcycles, thereby becoming one of the first automotive brands in India to fully transition to the new emission norm, ahead of time. Commenting on the brand’s performance, Mr Vinod Dasari, CEO at Royal Enfield said, “It has been a challenging year for the industry, from subdued market sentiment in the initial quarters, to the current global pandemic situation. Royal Enfield, however, continues to remain invested in bringing greater innovation in products and processes. We’ve seen very encouraging response for new motorcycle variants that we launched, our personalization and customization initiative – Make Your Own – has seen a tremendously positive reaction from consumers, new Ride concepts like the Astral and Rongbuk ride have seen more enthusiastic riders participate, and overall there has been robust growth in our digital community.
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He added, “We have recently completed sales of our entire BS-IV motorcycle stock ahead of the regulatory deadline, and that is testament to our focused approach, and strategic planning. While the industry currently continues to face headwinds, we are confident that in the long-term, there will be slow and steady recovery. Astute planning and agility will be the key to sustained recovery. At Royal Enfield, we will continue to stay focused on bringing evocative motorcycles and several exciting avenues for engagement for our discerning consumers, while also ensuring that we pursue our journey of innovation and transformation.”