In a judgement that will have far-reaching implications for many automotive retailers in India, the Supreme Court has allowed a conditional extension for the BS4 vehicle sales deadline.
The Supreme Court was hearing a last-ditch plea from the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) to extend the registration timeframe for BS4 vehicles beyond the original March 31, 2020 deadline, bearing in mind the impact of the nationwide lockdown enforced due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
As per Supreme Court order, automotive retailers can only sell 10 per cent of unsold BS-IV inventory for 10 days post the prevailing lockdown. The Supreme Court noted that “there was no justification to extend the time” beyond the original March 31, 2020, deadline but took cognizance of the loss of sales due to the lockdown. Allowing automotive retailers to sell 10 percent of BS-IV inventory should make good the six days of sales lost in the March lockdown, the Court ruled. The unsold BS-IV inventory with dealers across the country comprises 7,00,000 two-wheelers, 15,000 passenger vehicles and 12,000 commercial vehicles.