India’s domestic car and SUV sales dropped by 50% in June compared to the same period in 2019, owing to the economic decline caused by the coronavirus crisis.
According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), passenger car sales dropped 58% to 55,497 in June from a year ago, while sales of two-wheelers – largely seen as an indicator of the health of the rural economy – dropped 39%.
The numbers give a clue about the economic activity in one of the largest economies of the world, which has struggled to compile official figures on key indicators as strict lockdown measures to contain the coronavirus affected data collection.
About 906,752 people in India have been confirmed as being infected with the coronavirus of which 571,459 have made recovery from the virus. The virus has killed 23,727 people in the country.
During the month of April, major automakers in the country had reported zero sales.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, combatting the nation’s one of the worst economic decline in decades, opened up most activities in June in an effort to revive sentiment and economic growth.
