Bicycle sales in India have grown by more than twofold in the last five months as people are opting for this inexpensive mode of transport to cover short-to-medium distance in view of health safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, industry players said.
People in many cities have to wait to buy a bicycle of their choice due to a massive surge in demand, according to manufacturers.
Such a trend can be attributed to health awareness after the coronavirus pandemic, they said.
A total of 41,80,945 bicycles have been sold in the country in the five months from May to September 2020, according to the All India Bicycle Manufacturers Association (AICMA).
AICMA secretary general K.B. Thakur said the increase in demand for bicycles is unprecedented.
‘A probable first’
“Probably for the first time in history, such a trend has been seen [in] bicycles.”
“Sales of bicycles have gone up by over 100% in these five months. In many places people have to wait for their favourite cycle, booking has to be done,” he said. In May, the number of bicycles sold was 4,56,818. This number almost doubled to 8,51,060 in June, while in September, the country sold 11,21,544 cycles in a month. In total, 41,80,945 cycles have been sold in the last five months, as per the AICMA data.
