Maruti registered a 21.9 per cent growth in exports during the month at 1,813 units, up from 1,487 units a year ago. While Bajaj Auto saw its scooter shipments spiral by 90 per cent, motorcycle exports grew by 115 per cent and moped sales by 272 per cent year-on-year, according to latest sales data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

Bajaj Auto sold 766 scooters in foreign markets in May 2000, up from 403 units a year ago. Its also sold 468 motorcycles and 454 mopeds as against 217 units and 122 units respectively a year earlier.

The made-in-India tag was generally in demand during the month as barring multi-utility vehicles and three-wheelers, all other categories recorded a growth in shipments.

Passenger car exports from the country was up 37.1 per cent at 2,224 units as against 1,621 units a year ago. Tata Engineering sold 16 units abroad during the month, up from a mere nine units a year ago. Daewoo Motors India Ltd shipped 385 units, while General Motors India sold four cars and Honda Siel Cars shipped six units in May 2000.

Fiat India and Mercedes Benz India failed to ship even a single unit during the month as against 15 and 100 units a year ago.

Total scooter exports from the country grew 87.4 per cent during the month at 2,752 units as against 1,468 units a year ago, while motorcycle sales soared 32.9 per cent at 3,191 units from 2,519 units in May 1999. Moped shipments from the country rose 104.7 per cent in May 2000 at 3,721 units, up from 1,817 units in the same month a year ago.

Barring TVS-Suzuki, all other players in the Indian scooter market recorded sizeable gains in shipments. Bajaj Auto recorded a 90 per cent growth at 766 units, while Kinetic Motor Company's exports grew 94.5 per cent at 1,704 units and LML saw its shipments rising by 168 per cent at 282 units in May 2000.

According to the SIAM data, in the motorcycle industry, Bajaj Auto recorded a 115 per cent surge in units sold abroad at 468 units, while Hero Honda's exports grew over three folds at 912 units, up 342 per cent from 206 units a year ago.