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Festive car sales face supply crunch

economictimes.indiatimes.com · 10h · first reportShare

Mumbai | New Delhi: Low levels of stocks at dealerships could weigh on car sales this festive season, with the top five manufacturers that account for more than 85% of the market struggling to build inventory even as bookings remain strong.The second leg of the festive season, starting with Navratri on October 11 and through Diwali on November 10, is expected to be positive from a demand perspective, but companies may not be able to fully make use of that because of supply constraints, said industry executives. This one-month period is crucial for automakers, as it accounts for a third of their annual sales.Also Read: JLR begins talks with global banks for $1.3 billion five-year loanMarket leader Maruti Suzuki has pending bookings for more than 200,000 units, while its network inventory is currently enough to last only around 16 days of sales compared with the stock for roughly one month it typically carries during the festive period.134374804"At the beginning of this financial year, w