Tata Motors crosses half million sales mark in '06

Tata Motors on Monday said its sales crossed the half-million mark in 2006, the first time it achieved such a feat in a calendar year.

The company registered a total sales of 5,55,065 vehicles (including exports), a growth of 30 per cent over 4,25,901 vehicles sold in 2005, Tata Motors said in a statement.

For the calendar year 2006, cumulative commercial vehicles sales in the domestic market stood at 2,83,170 units, up 43 per cent over 1,98,607 units sold in 2005, it said.

Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicle (M&HCV) sales stood at 1,65,362 units, up 35 per cent over 2005. Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sales were at 1,17,808 units, up 55 per cent over 2005, it said.

In the CV category, the company said it maintained the leadership position with an overall market share of 64 per cent in 2006, compared to 59 per cent in 2005.

Led by hatchback model Indica, total passenger vehicles sales stood at 2,18,355 units in the domestic market in 2006, up 20 per cent over 1,81,593 units over 2005, it said.

The Indica had its highest ever yearly sale at 1,38,537 units up 30 per cent, thereby increasing its market share to 20 per cent in the compact cars segment, compared to 19.2 per cent in 2005, the statement added.

The company's overall market share in passenger vehicles improved to 16.7 per cent in 2006 from 16.4 per cent in 2005. The market share for the Indigo family was at 36.3 per cent compared to 31.4 per cent in 2005 in the entry midsize segment, it said.

Exports in the year stood at 53,540 units as compared to 45,701 units in 2005, an increase of 17 per cent, it added.