The progression from 2 million to 3 million cumulative rail-based vehicle dispatches has been achieved in 21 months, making it the fastest million for Maruti Suzuki’s operations, the company said. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Suzuki Motor’s logo on a wheel of its Wagon R Stingray. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Japanese small car maker Suzuki Motor said it will target 4.2 million vehicles in global sales in five years’ time, an increase of nearly a third, with most of its expansion concentrated in its main market of India.

It expects 60% of those sales to be in India, adding that the country would also receive 60% of the 2 trillion yen ($13 billion) it plans to invest by the 2030 financial year.

The company aims to boost manufacturing capacity in India to meet expected local demand while expanding India’s role as an exports hub to markets in Africa and the Middle East.

“India is Suzuki’s most important market where we are putting the most effort,” President Toshihiro Suzuki said at a strategy briefing in Tokyo.

Electric vehicles

The automaker has invested heavily in India since the early 1980s and Maruti Suzuki, majority-held by the Japanese automaker, commands roughly 40% of the country’s car market.

ALSO READ: Osamu Suzuki, who led Japanese automaker into India, dies at 94

It said, however, that it now expects to launch four battery electric vehicles in India by fiscal 2030, scaling back a previous goal of rolling out six.

Suzuki also said it will target an operating profit margin of at least 10% by 2030, up from 9.2% in the past financial year. It is aiming for return on equity of 15% or more, up from 12.6%.

The automaker is also targeting revenue of 8 trillion yen by the 2030 financial year, a jump of 49%.

Maruti Suzuki unveils first electric SUV eVITARA at the Bharat Mobility Show in New Delhi on January 17, 21025. Photo: X/@Maruti_Corp

Maruti Suzuki India on Friday (January 17, 2025) unveiled its first battery electric vehicle eVITARA, which will be exported to over 100 countries.

Speaking at the unveiling of the model at the Auto Expo, held as part of the Bharat Mobility Show, Suzuki Motor Corporation representative Director and president Toshihiro Suzuki said the electric SUV would be exported to various regions, including Europe and Japan.

Suzuki Motor Corporation, which has around 58% stake in Maruti Suzuki India, plans to make India a global production hub for the model.

“We plan to begin production of the eVITARA” in the coming few months at Maruti Suzuki’s Gujarat plant. From here, we will export to more than 100 countries, including Europe and Japan,” Mr. Suzuki said.

In India, the automaker will utilise all its resources to build a BEV ecosystem to offer customers an experience with total peace of mind, he stated.

This will ensure that customers feel very comfortable and confident when making the BEV choice, Mr. Suzuki said.

eVITARA is Suzuki’s first global strategic battery electric vehicle, which has been long-awaited in India and many parts of the world, he added.

Mr. Suzuki noted that the company has been studying customer requirements for BEV in detail all over the world, particularly in its key business regions — India, Japan and Europe.

Based on the study, the automaker aims to make BEVs attractive to customers through a three-step strategy, including the development of a BEV-dedicated platform for optimum performance, he added.

Secondly, evolve the right product for the target markets based on the customer requirements, Mr. Suzuki said.

Thirdly, leverage the company’s global economies of scale and concentrate manufacturing at a single location for the world.

“For this purpose, we have chosen India as the global manufacturing base due to its quality products and scale merit,” Mr. Suzuki said.

Speaking at the launch, Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said, “We have invested more than Rs 2,100 crore for manufacturing eVITARA in India, which includes a dedicated EV production line”.

The company is looking to create electric eco solutions for the customers through the “e for me” initiative, he added.

Maruti Suzuki will offer smart home chargers, along with installation support, ensuring convenience for its customers, Suzuki said.

“We will leverage our vast network to provide fast charging support to our customers in the top 100 cities in the first phase and then expand further. The idea is that, within these cities, every 5 to 10 kilometres a customer finds a charging point by Maruti Suzuki,” he added.

Moreover, he said, “We are preparing over 1,500 EV-enabled service workshops covering over 1,000 cities. These workshops will have specially trained manpower and special equipment to provide all EV-related support, including charging”.

eVITARA is going to feature two battery options — 49kWh and 61kWh, with a driving range of around 500 kms on a single charge.

Representational image only. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Maruti Suzuki India Limited on Wednesday (January 1, 2025) reported 30% rise in total wholesales at 1,78,248 units in December 2024 as compared to 1,37,551 units in the same month a year ago.

“Overall domestic sales, including that of light commercial vehicles and supplies to Toyota Kirloskar Motor, were at 1,32,523 units last month as against 1,06,492 units in December 2023, up 24.44%,” Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a regulatory filing.

“Total domestic passenger vehicle (PV) sales were at 1,30,117 units in December 2024 as compared to 1,04,778 units in the same month a year ago, up 24.18%,” it added.

Sales of mini cars comprising Alto and S-Presso were higher at 7,418 units last month as compared to 2,557 units in the year-ago period. Similarly, sales of compact cars such as Baleno, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis, Swift and WagonR were up at 54,906 units as against 45,741 units in December 2023.

“Utility vehicles, including Brezza, Ertiga, Fronx, Grand Vitara, Invicto, Jimny, and XL6 clocked sales of 55,651 units in December 2024, up from 45,957 units in the year-ago month,” the company said.

Sales of mid-sized sedan Ciaz were lower at 464 units as compared to 489 units in December 2023. MSI said its exports in December were higher at 37,419 units as compared to 26,884 units in the same month a year ago.

The bookings can be made at any ARENA showroom or by logging on to www.marutisuzuki.com/dzire with an initial payment of ₹11,000.

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), has commenced bookings for the 4th generation Dzire at any ARENA showroom or by logging on to www.marutisuzuki.com/dzire with an initial payment of ₹11 000.

Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India said, “The Dzire’s extraordinary journey since 2008 has made it India’s favourite sedan, winning the trust of more than 27 lakh customers.”

“With the All-New Dzire, we have crafted something that’s not just the best in its segment but goes beyond conventional expectations. Its modern design philosophy, superior comfort and cutting-edge technology represent the perfect synthesis of what customers love about Dzire and what they aspire for in a modern sedan,” he said.

“By combining advanced powertrain options with thoughtfully curated features, the All-New Dzire is poised to deliver an exceptional experience,” he added.

During the quarter, Maruti Suzuki registered net sales income of ₹35589 crore against ₹ 35535 crore in the same period of the previous year.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MSIL) for the second quarter ended September 30, 2024 reported 17% drop in net profit to ₹3,069 crore as compared with ₹3,716.5 crore in the year ago period.

The decline in profit was due to a provision of ₹837.6 crore resulting from the withdrawal of indexation benefit and change in tax rate on long term capital gains on debt mutual funds as per the Finance Act 2024, the company said in a filing.

This impact was intimated earlier to the stock exchanges on August 17, 2024, it said.

The Profit Before Tax (PBT) for the quarter grew by 6.3% year-on-year to 5,100.5 crore, being its highest ever for the company.

During the quarter, the company registered net sales income of ₹35,589 crore against ₹ 35,535 crore in the same period of the previous year.

The company sold a total of 5,41,550 vehicles during the quarter, of which the domestic market volume was 4,63,834 vehicles and the export volume was 77,716 vehicles.

While the domestic volume declined by 3.9%, the export volume grew by 12.1% compared to the same period of the previous year.

Last year, Suzuki Motor Gujarat Private Ltd. (SMG) was acquired to become a 100% subsidiary of MSIL.

The Board, at its meeting on Tuesday (October 29, 2024), considered the structure after the acquisition and gave an in-principle approval for the amalgamation of SMG with MSIL.

The appointed date for the amalgamation is April 1, 2025, subject to all legal and regulatory compliances, the company said.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10.
| Photo Credit: Bijoy Ghosh

Maruti Suzuki India on Monday (September 2024) said it has reduced prices of select variants of entry-level models Alto K10 and S-Presso with immediate effect.

The price of S-Presso LXI Petrol has been reduced by ₹2,000 and the price of Alto K10 VXI Petrol has been reduced by ₹6,500, the auto major said in a regulatory filing.

The Alto K10 range is priced from ₹3.99 lakh and ₹5.96 lakh while the S-Presso trims are tagged between ₹4.26 lakh and ₹6.11 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

In August, sales of the company’s mini segment cars, comprising Alto and S-Presso, declined to 10,648 units last month as against 12,209 units a year ago.

Maruti Suzuki’s stock was the top gainer on the Nifty and also led the 1% jump in the auto index
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Indian shares rose on July 9, led by Maruti Suzuki after the car maker’s shares were traded at a premium to its closing price.

The NSE Nifty 50 was up 0.14% at 24,354.6 points as of 10:30 a.m., while the S&P BSE Sensex added 0.21% to 80,126.43 points.

Maruti Suzuki jumped 4.75% after the automaker’s shares were traded in eight block deals — the trade of a large number of shares negotiated outside the open market — at a premium of 2.5%-4.3% over their closing price on Monday.

The stock was the top gainer on the Nifty and also led the 1% jump in the auto index.

Overall, eight of the 13 major sectors logged gains.

“The overall fundamentals of the markets remain positive, which is limiting any downside despite high valuations,” said Poonam Tandon, chief investment officer at IndiaFirst Life Insurance.

“On the domestic front, it will be the national budget on July 23, earnings season and monsoon that will be key triggers in the next few weeks,” Tandon added.

The broader, more domestically focussed small- and mid-caps rose 0.2% each.

Affle rose 4%, and was among the top three small-cap gainers, after Citi started coverage with a “buy” rating, citing a steady earnings outlook and likely gains from recovery in digital advertisement spending.

Torrent Power gained 3.5%, and was among the top five mid-cap gainers, after agreeing with ARS Steels & Alloy International to set up solar power generating projects.

Rice companies LT Foods and KRBL jumped 8%-15% on a report that the government is considering relaxing restrictions on the export of some rice varieties.

Inox Wind gained 2.4% after winning an order for wind turbine generators in Gujarat and Rajasthan. (Reporting by Manvi Pant and Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D’Souza)