What’s the secret to Suzuki’s success? While almost everyone else’s numbers have taken a turn for the worse, even across India, Suzuki posted modest growth for FY2020. As we noted in February, 2020, Suzuki India and Royal Enfield were the only two manufacturers to report sales growth for that month alone.
Suzuki India’s fiscal year ran from April, 2019, to March, 2020. During that period, it sold 790,397 bikes. Year-on-year, that’s an increase of 5.7 percent over the 747,506 bikes sold in FY2019. It may not be earth-shattering, but in an industry that was mostly seeing struggles all around the world even before COVID-19, it’s still positive movement.
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“We are pleased to close this financial year on a positive note with 5.7 percent growth amid the precautionary measures taken in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. We attribute this growth to our dealer partners for their determination and exceptional support further translating into customer trust and love,” said Suzuki India managing director Koichiro Hirao.
“At present, our first and foremost priority is to ensure the health and safety of the employees and all stakeholders. As the industry fights the Covid-19 pandemic by implementing shutdowns and taking precautionary measures, we believe that industry will overcome this difficult time and bounce back with positive growth in the coming months.”
Despite the fact that Suzuki Motorcycle India was the only manufacturer to show growth for FY2020, it’s still only the fifth-largest manufacturer by sales volume in the world’s biggest bike market. Hero MotoCorp, Honda, TVS, and Bajaj all slot into place ahead of Suzuki. However, it’s worth noting that Suzuki did still come in ahead of Royal Enfield in terms of sales.
No one knows what the future holds for Suzuki India or the Indian motorcycle market more broadly, or the global motorcycle market, for that matter. There’s a lot of uncertainty, and it’s being felt collectively across the industry and around the world at the moment. The introduction of Suzuki’s Gixxer 250 series, as well as the Access 125 and Burgman Street scooters, which are both BS6-compliant, is hopefully what the company needed to do to have a successful FY2021.
Since we don’t know how long the global coronavirus pandemic will hold tight in each geographic area around the globe, it’s difficult to offer any kind of predictions about motorcycle sales. Every motorcycle manufacturer across India and the world will be pleased when we’re all out riding again and buying new bikes and accessories, and that’s a fact.
Sources: Suzuki Motorcycle India, The Economic Times, GaadiWaadi