A raging pandemic along with a phase of astrologically inauspicious time period does not seem to bother Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India which foresees accelerated demand and dispatches for September. According to Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director, Sales and Marketing, HMSI, ease in COVID-19 restrictions, current stock levels at the dealerships and high customer enquiries have bolstered the recovery prospects. The two-wheeler giant had reported a growth of just 1 per cent in domestic sales last month on a year-on-year basis. Accordingly, the company’s total sales during August stood at 4,43,969 units, including 4,28,231 domestic off-take and 15,738 exports.

Sequentially, Honda’s sales grew by a significant 38 per cent in August compared to July. “We are optimistic for September. However, factors like rising COVID-19 cases per day, persistence of some local lockdowns and the inauspicious period in September cannot be ignored,” he told IANS. “On the other hand, 95 percent of our network is back, we have witnessed a rising number of enquiries about new products, in some cases 75 per cent more enquiries have come in on a fortnightly basis and then there is the pent-up demand factor as well.”