Blame game as wheels come off India's auto sector

File: While data shows firms such as Uber and Ola are popular with younger consumers more comfortable with shared mobility and digital trends, analysts say the auto industry's problems run deeper than that - and it is facing more serious bumps in the road.NEW DELHI, India - When India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that a preference by millennials for ride-hailing apps was contributing to a painful slump in car sales, it sparked an online backlash from furious youngsters.

But the country's once-booming auto sector - seen as an important barometer of overall economic health - is in the slow lane, with sales slumping for the 10th-straight month in August. "I think the slowdown is primarily because consumer confidence is low and income growth has really been impacted in the last couple of years," he told AFP.

There are also extra production costs caused by new rules requiring cars to be compliant with emissions and safety standards, while a 28 percent goods and services tax introduced in 2017 has dampened demand, analysts said. But the promising growth ride is screeching to a halt, with passenger car sales tumbling this year, including a 41 percent drop last month - the worst since records began more than 20 years ago.Aside from passenger cars, sales of commercial vehicles, motorcycles and scooters have also been hammered.

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