New Delhi: Yamaha Motor India today announced a significant increase in its sales volumes for September 2003.

The company sold 36,980 units in September 2003 as against 22, 464 units sold in August 2003. This translates into an increase of almost 65 per cent in Yamaha sales.

Yamaha has also recorded an increase of 26 per cent in sales over September 2002 as the company sold 29, 255 units in September 2002.

This tremendous increase in the growth rate has paved the way for Yamaha as a key player in the Indian two-wheeler market. The company has improved its market share from 6 per cent in August 2003 to 10 per cent in September 2003.

The steep increase in sales volume can be attributed to the recent variant launches by Yamaha. Both the variants - the new international look Libero and the Enticer DLX - have received encouraging response from the customers.

The success of the variants is the testimony to the fact that Yamaha''s strategy of expanding its customer base through variant launches has paid off. Yamaha''s Libero has been instrumental in driving the sales for the country and has surpassed all the other models in the deluxe commuter category.

Yamaha's Crux has also been strengthening its position in the rural market. Owing to the encouraging customer feedback, the company is introducing a new variant - the Crux 5KA-3 - in the market in a phased manner. Yamaha hopes that the Crux variant will also be able to add incremental sales to its kitty.

Yamaha Motor made its initial foray into India in 1985. Subsequently in 1996, it entered into a 50:50 joint venture with the Escorts group. But, by mutual consent, Yamaha recently acquired stake in the remaining half as well, bringing the Indian operations under its complete control as a 100-per cent subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Co Ltd, Japan.

The company pioneered the volume bike segment with the launch of its 100cc, two-stroke motorcycle RX 100. Since then, it has introduced an entire range of two- and four-stroke bikes in India. Today, its product kitty includes the Crux and the Crux R in the standard segment, the Libero in the deluxe segment, and the Enticer and the RX 135 in the pleasure segment.