Tata Motors Ltd said on Thursday that it sold a total of 26,862 vehicles in October 2003 compared to 19,306 units during the same month of the previous fiscal, an increase of 39 per cent.

The company's sale of commercial vehicles in the domestic market rose 30 per cent to 12,862 vehicles in the month under review, while its total CV sales in domestic market rose by 40.8 per cent to 54,698 units, as against the corresponding period a year ago, a Tata Motors press release said in Mumbai.

Tata Motor's Passenger Car Business Unit posted a 37.6 per cent increase in vehicle sales at 12,263 units in the reporting month from the domestic market, while cumulative sales for the fiscal rose 43 per cent at 79,238 units, it said.

The sales for the seven-month period ended October rose to 43 per cent at 165,000 vehicles, as against 115,000 units sold during the corresponding period a year ago, it said.

Tata Motors recorded a 36 per cent growth in medium and heavy commercial vehicle sales at 50,975 units during the first seven months of 2003, as against 37,460 vehicles sold during the same period of last year, it said.

Light commercial vehicle sales grew 51.2 per cent at 26,060 units during the seven-month period, compared to 17,238 vehicles sold during the same period of 2002, it said.

The sales of Indica stood at 7,200 units in October, while that for the first seven months of the year were at 47,103 vehicles, recording a 11.5 per cent growth on an year-on-year basis, it said.

The company sold around 2,285 units of Indigo during the month, with cumulative sale of around 15,551 units for the fiscal. The car continues to retain its "best selling position" in the entry mid-size segment on a fiscal and calendar year basis, the company claimed.

Utility vehicle sales were at 2,778 units in October, posting a 61.6 per cent growth, while cumulative sales of UV were at 16,633 units recording a 25.7 per cent growth, it said.

Sumo has registered a growth of 25.5 per cent in the fiscal, while the Safari has grown by 29 per cent, the release added.