The country's automobile exports went up by a whopping 65.3 per cent in 2002-03 as 'Made-in-India' vehicles, mainly cars and two-wheelers, continued to charm overseas buyers.

A total of 305,000 vehicles were shipped during April-March 2002-03 over 1.84 units in the previous fiscal, data compiled by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers showed.

The exports performance was impressive keeping in view the 14.8 per cent growth in domestic sales during the last fiscal.

However, exports of commercial, utility and multi-purpose vehicles declined during the year.

The country's largest car exporter Maruti Udyog posted a robust 182.7 per cent rise to 31,518 units but Ford India's exports fell by 10 per cent to 27,355 units.

Exports of Hyundai Motor grew by 65.4 per cent to 8,966 units but Tata Engineering registered a 10.5 per cent decline at 1,940 units.

Hindustan Motors saw a rise of 46 per cent to 92 units while General Motors and Honda Siel exported 39 and 67 cars.

Notwithstanding the good run in the domestic market, exports of commercial vehicles fell by 9.82 per cent to 10,704 units.

This was due to a 16.2 per cent dip in light commercial vehicle exports at 5,900 units while that of medium and heavy commercial vehicles saw a marginal decline of 0.41 per cent to 4,804 units.

M&H bus exports of Ashok Leyland and Tata Engineering posted a rise of 53.2 and 368.3 per cent to 1,226 and 1,522 units respectively.

M&H truck exports of Ashok Leyland and Tata Engineering, however, dived by 13.1 and 61 per cent to 1001 and 975 units.

Exports of light bus of Ashok Leyland went up by 865.21 per cent to 222 units. Exports of light trucks of Tata Engineering and Ashok Leyland dipped by 38.1 and 38.4 per cent to 2,696 and 101 units.

Exports of utility vehicles slipped by 64 per cent to 1,106 units as Maruti and Tata Engineering suffered a jolt of 35 and 79.2 per cent to 230 and 508 units respectively.   

Multi-purpose vehicle exports also skidded by 30 per cent to 570 units as M&M and Maruti saw 19 and 31.3 per cent dip to 68 and 502 units respectively.

Motorcycle and step-thru exports zoomed by 121.7 per cent to 126,000 units. The growth was fuelled by Yamaha Motor and Bajaj Auto registering 128.4 and 148.1 per cent rise to 45,546 and 45,810 units respectively.

Motorcycle exports of Hero Honda and TVS Motor also grew by 75.5 and 160.7 per cent to 22,859 and 7,570 units respectively.

Scooter exports also jumped up by 6.29 per cent to 30,116 units mainly due to Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, which clocked a massive 74.2 per cent growth to 10,916 units.

But, Bajaj Auto fell by 32.7 per cent to 7,556 units.

Moped exports also went up by 22.9 per cent to 23,330 units as Kinetic Engineering and Majestic Auto posted rise of 109.9 and 26.1 per cent growth to 4,561 and 16,145 units respectively.

Three-wheeler exports grew up by 181 per cent to 43,443 units as passenger carrier three-wheelers recorded a 195.2 per cent rise to 42,878 units but that of goods carriers fell by 39.9 per cent to 565 units.