Despite a cut in excise duties of 4-6 percentage points by the previous United Progressive Alliance government in February this year, auto sales have been tepid for four months now, reports Roudra Bhattacharya in New Delhi. The government on Wednesday allowed the lower excise duty on cars and bikes for another six months till December 31 to give the sector some relief, given that demand has been sluggish for close to two years. The industry is hoping that sales will pick up as consumer confidence returns following the formation of a stable government at the Centre.
