New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS): Curtailed production due to semiconductor shortage as well as high base effect dented India's domestic passenger vehicle (PV) sales on both year-on-year and sequential basis in November.

"Industry continues to face headwinds due to global semi-conductor shortage," Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Director General Rajesh Menon said.

"In the festive season, industry was hoping to make up for the lost ground, but the sales in the month of November 2021, were lowest in seven years for passenger vehicles, lowest in 11 years for two-wheelers, and lowest in 19 years for three-wheelers."

Besides, challenges pertaining to rising ownership costs due to high commodity prices subdued buyers' sentiments.

At present, semiconductors play a critical part in the production of internal combustion engines. They are an integral part of all kinds of sensors and controls in any vehicle.

Lately, the shortage has extended the waiting period along with escalated prices.

The sales of passenger vehicles fell to 215,626 units in November as compared to 264,898 units sold during the corresponding month of 2020. Even on a sequential basis, November's PV sales were lower than October's level of 2,26,353 units.

The PV sales data comprises cars, utility vehicles and vans. However, the data furnished by the SIAM does not include sales figures from some key players such as Tata Motors.

In terms of production, a total of 266,552 passenger vehicles were manufactured in November, down from 294,596 units on a YoY basis.

Segment-wise, a total of 100,906 passenger cars were sold in the domestic market in November, down from 149,949 units sold in the like period of 2020.

The sales of other sub-categories such as utility vehicles (UV) grew, whereas vans fell on a year-on-year basis.

As per the data, UV sales rose to 105,091 units from 103,525 units, while the off-take of vans declined to 9,629 units from 11,424 units in the year-ago period.

For two-wheelers, sales were lower in November 2021 at 1,050,616 units from 1,600,379 units sold in the same month of 2020.

The overall domestic automobile sectors' off-take representing the sales of passenger vehicles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and quadricycles fell to 1,288,759 units from 1,889,348 units sold during the same period of last year.

According to SIAM, total production of passenger vehicles, three-wheelers, two-wheelers and quadricycles in November was 1,696,012 units, down from 2,297,179 produced in the like period of 2020.

However, the data showed a YoY rise in exports.

Overall exports, including PVs, two and three-wheelers and quadricycles rose to 443,649 units from 401,543 units during the same period of last year.