October 6: With the arrival of Dashain and Tihar festivals, the automobile business has started to boom. The schemes and offers introduced by the companies aimed at the festive season has helped in thriving the automobile business that was hard hit by the lockdown and prohibitory order. Companies like TATA, Hyundai, Ford, Renault and SsangYong have introduced discounts and offers for Dashain-Tihar.

On the two-wheeler side, TVS, Suzuki, Yamaha have also announced Dashain-Tihar schemes. Traders say that the number of people coming to the showroom to buy vehicles has increased after the lockdown was lifted.

Although the market for two-wheelers was increasing, the market for four-wheelers was sluggish after the lockdown was lifted in mid-August. When the market for four-wheelers was growing, the government imposed prohibitory order from august 19. Krishna Prasad Dulal, president of Nepal Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) said that the market has started to become vibrant after the government lifted the prohibitory order on September 9.

“The market isn’t like last year. Customers are slowly approaching the business that was closed for six months. We can only estimate that the market will grow as the festivals approach,” he said.

In the previous years, NADA used to organise Auto Show before Dashain and there used to be huge sales of automobile. However, businessmen say that the sales will be much less than before as there is no such Auto Show this year.