Kia India reports 22% dip in October wholesales amid supply chain woes

Kia India has reported that its wholesales last month declined by 22% to 16,331 units as compared to 21,021 units in October of 2020. The automaker dispatched 10,488 units of Seltos, 5,443 units of Sonet, and 400 units of Carnival MPVs last month to dealers.

The company has attributed this to the global supply chain disruptions and global shortage of semiconductor chips. “The adverse supply chain situation has been an opportunity lost for us; however, our customers' and vendors' continuous support has enabled us to maintain a healthy performance throughout the year.," said Kia India MD and CEO Tae-Jin Park.

He added that though the company expects the issue to continue for the next few months, it will keep optimising production to the maximum level and ensure deliveries of its products at the earliest. Tae-Jin Park added that Kia will keep a close eye on the situation and will take all the necessary steps as and when required.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the entire automotive industry as well as other sectors across the globe have been struggling with the semiconductor crisis. There has been an acute gap in the demand and supply of semiconductors which has led to an increased delivery time of vehicles. However, despite these challenges, Kia says that it has been optimising its production so as to keep the waiting period of vehicles to the minimum. The company also expects the supply chain woes to begin normalising from early next year.