Indians bought double the cars daily than Pakistanis did in all of February

The massive difference between the flourishing Indian automotive market and the dwindling counterpart in Pakistan has been highlighted by sales of passenger vehicles in the two countries in the month of February. While India saw over 3.34 lakh passenger vehicles being sold last month, just a little over five thousand such vehicles were sold across the western border.

According to data released by Pakistan Auto Manufacturers Association (PAMA), there were just 5,672 passenger vehicles that were sold in the month of February, down significantly by 73 per cent or 21,664 units sold in February of 2022. In comparison, the wholesale figure of 3.34 lakh units of such vehicles sold in India was a record for the month of February. The retail figure was at 3.01 lakh units. This is approximately 10,000 cars being sold daily.

While there are still several challenges that the Indian automotive sector as a whole needs to overcome, the situation is far more challenging for the Pakistani auto industry. The passenger vehicle landscape here is a mix of imported and locally-made models. Inflation and the country's fast deteriorating economy has had - and continues to - take a mammoth toll. Several companies have had to announce non-production days - Pak Suzuki has had around 40 such days in the past seven months while Indus Motor Company has had 53 such days since August of last year. Several local reports also highlight that at least two lakh indirect jobs have been affected due to the prevailing situations.

Rising fuel prices have not helped either and have impacted buying sentiments further. This is especially true in the two-wheeler segment which, even in India, is not passing through its most memorable phase either. Inability or delay in import of crucial parts is another stumbling block.