GM recommends Rs 1 hike instead of 5% increase in levy charges

10 Jul 2012 Evaluate

The auto maker - General Motors commonly known as GM has recommended hike of Rs 1 per litre in diesel instead of charging 5% levy on diesel cars. According to the company, this will result in more income rather than increasing tax and distorting the market.

GM Vice President, Corporate Communications, P Balendran said, “all original manufactures have recommended that right approach will be to increase diesel prices in small doses and reducing petrol rates gradually so that market distortion is addressed and the sector performs well.”

By adding further, Balendran said Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has recommended a hike in diesel prices by Re 1 per litre as it would help government earn Rs 6,000 crore revenue. By increasing Rs 1 per litre the government will earn three times more as compared to 5% increase in levy on vehicle tax on diesel cars will only resulted in an income of Rs 2500 crore.

Balendran claimed that the Planning Commission has conducted a study and the report has come out saying that privately owned passenger cars consume only 1.03 percent of the total diesel consumed in the country so there is a recommendation that levy of additional diesel tax is regressive step for industry.  As there is a vast disparity of prices of diesel and petrol across the country there is 85% demand for diesel cars while demand for petrol cars has come down to 15%, which normally remained around 50-50 percent levels in India.

In the recent past petrol had reached as high as Rs 78 per litre level while diesels have remained stable around Rs 40-45 per litre. So a better idea would be to increase of diesel and on the flip side there should be an effort to bring down the price of petrol. If this results in sluggishness of industry the government will earn more revenue. According to estimate by GM this year the car market is expected to grow between 6 to 8%. Previous month GM sold 7,364 units in India  among which 5286 units were of its popular brand Beat including its 4,800 diesel units and 700 Travera.

As strike at vendor’s plant is nearing to end, GM is hopeful of making delivery of 2,000 Travera in this month as said by Balendran. In the next one month time Traveras production shall reach from 1,800 to 2,500. GM has planned to bring out two new model cars Sail and Enjoy MPV, in heavy vehicle volume category, in the fourth quarter of this fiscal.

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