Mumbai: The good news for Hero Honda and TVS Motor Company, two of India''s largest two-wheeler manufacturers is that both companies reported a strong growth in motorcycle sales in April 2003, thus starting the current fiscal on a positive note.

Bajaj Auto also has some reason to feel happy about a 6-per cent sales growth last month. Hero Honda sold 1.34 lakh bikes during April 2003 against 1.15 lakh units sold in April 2002 while TVS sold 58,291 bikes during the month, against 50,283 units sold in the same month last year.

Bajaj Auto, the Pune-based two-wheeler manufacturer, reported sales of 71,074 units last month against the 67,136 units in the corresponding month last fiscal. The company said the Pulsar and the Caliber 115 are doing well in the market.

TVS''s total two-wheeler sales during the month touched 84,757 units, a growth of 5 per cent over its sales of 80,686 units in April 2002. However, the company''s scooter sales during April continued to slide and stood at 9,880 units against 10,855 units sold in April 2002.

The company''s moped sales were also down at 16,576 units last month from 19,548 units during the same month last year.

Both Hero Honda and TVS have lined up new launches for this year. Hero Honda has already launched a new version of its CD-Dawn, and TVS has relaunched its upmarket Fiero with improved features and new pricing.

Hero Honda is getting ready to launch a 200cc plus bike this month, while TVS is planning a foray into the four-stroke entry-level bikes segment this year with the launch of an indigenously developed new product.

Bajaj Auto says its sales of two-wheelers were down 14.9 per cent at 88,749 units against 1,04,284 units in April 2002, while that of three-wheelers were down 24.5 per cent at 10,681 units against 14,147 units last year. The company laid the blame on the 10-day strike by truckers, which affected volumes sales. "Inflow of materials and dispatch of goods were also severely affected," the company maintained.

Bajaj Auto said it exported 10,527 two- and three-wheelers in April 2003, achieving a growth of 88.5 per cent. The company retains a positive outlook for the month of May.