Parent TMC reported India sales of 17,456 units in July on its website, while TKM — in its monthly press release — reported domestic sales of 30,516 units in the same month. The gap was 13,060 units. When asked about the discrepancy, TKM told Business Standard that TMC reports retail sales (units sold by dealers to customers), while TKM reports wholesale numbers (units dispatched from the factory to dealers) for each month.
However, TKM’s assertion does not square with retail data collated by dealers in India. According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada), which compiles vehicle registration data from the Vahan system, 29,443 Toyota vehicles were registered in July. This was far above the 17,456 units that TKM says TMC is reporting as retail sales for July. The Fada figure was instead closer to the Indian subsidiary’s wholesale sales of 30,516 units.
Business Standard therefore asked TKM to explain what sales system was changed or launched around July this year, and whether this involved TKM’s dealer network or the system through which dealer sales data is reported to TMC. TKM remained noncommittal, saying: “As a customer-centric organisation, TKM continuously strengthens and optimises its sales processes and systems to enhance efficiency of sales operations and dealer network.”
The July sales divergence was not reflected in production either. TMC reported 36,797 vehicles produced in India in July, while the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers data showed Toyota production at 34,851 units. Both figures were substantially higher than TMC’s reported sales of 17,456 units.
Moreover, it was not just July that saw a divergence in sales.
The gap narrowed in August but remained significant. The parent company — based in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan — reported India sales of 23,543 units, compared with the Indian subsidiary’s domestic sales of 28,410 units, a difference of 4,867 units. Meanwhile, Fada recorded 24,856 Toyota vehicle registrations in August, which was closer to TMC’s figure but still 1,313 units higher.
When asked why TMC’s reported India sales diverged sharply from TKM’s domestic sales in July and August, despite the Indian subsidiary continuing to report sales of 28,000-30,000 units a month, and whether there was any delay, disruption or change in the transmission or recognition of dealer sales data, TKM responded: “TKM follows the industry practice of reporting wholesale numbers in India, while TMC sales figures are published based on retail sales.”
Business Standard also asked whether dealers had submitted written complaints regarding issues arising from the change or launch of the new sales system. TKM responded: “We have not received any formal complaints from our dealer partners regarding this matter. As valued partners, we maintain regular engagement with our dealer network to support our shared customer-first commitment.”
Notably, TMC’s India sales figures also include sales of its luxury brand Lexus in India, while TKM’s domestic sales numbers do not. However, Lexus sales in India averaged 125-130 units a month in the first half of this year, making its contribution too
small to materially explain the divergence.
