More Stories

Informist, Tuesday, Apr. 1, 2025

 

--Maruti Suzuki: WagonR top-selling model for fourth year in a row in FY25 

 

NEW DELHI – The five-door tall-boy hatchback WagonR pipped competitors yet again to emerge as India's top-selling four-wheeler for the fourth consecutive financial year in 2024-25 (Apr-Mar), even as Indians increasingly turn towards bigger, swankier sport utility vehicles. "We were able to have seven models in the top 10 (selling models) in FY25," Partho Banerjee, senior executive director of the country's largest passenger vehicle-maker, told reporters. 

 

"In FY25, we reported all-time high wholesale and retail sales," Banerjee said. The company despatched 192,984 units to dealerships in India and abroad, at a growth of 3.1% on year. In 2024-25 (Apr-Mar), the company sold 2.23 million units, up 4.6% from the year-ago period. For FY26, the industry expects growth of around 1-2%. "Fundamentally, we are not expecting very high growth (in FY26). Market is not so great currently," Banerjee said. 

 

In the previous financial year, sales of the company in the rural market grew 10% on year, while in urban India, the company's growth remained flat. "In the first half (of FY25) we could not grow due to the elections, scorching heat. We bounced back in the second half, but growth remained flat," Banerjee said. In FY25, Maruti Suzuki gained 3.5% more market share in the rural areas compared to the previous financial year.

 

Banerjee also confirmed that following feedback from the market, the company has decided to stop the production of its sedan Ciaz. As the Ciaz fell victim to changing market demand patterns, the company itself lost market share from 50%-odd to 40%-odd currently. The company has now taken the stance of offering a variety of models in multiple power options, like cars running on petrol, diesel, compressed natural gas, and electric.

 

"Our market share dropped because of a structural change in the system, as people are now preferring more SUVs over hatchbacks. We have launched Fronx, Grand Vitara, and others. We took counter-measures to deal with the needs of the customers," Banerjee said.  

 

On the exports front, Maruti Suzuki managed to sell 332,585 units to dealerships abroad. This, Maruti said, was its highest ever total exports in a financial year. The company also crossed production of 2 million automobile units in a year for the first time. "We have been India's number one car exporter for the fourth consecutive calendar year and financial year," the company said.

 

For the December quarter, the company reported a net profit of INR 35.25 billion on revenue of INR 384.92 billion. Shares of the company ended at INR 11,481.10 on the National Stock Exchange, down 0.4%.  End

 

Reported by Anand JC

Edited by Avishek Dutta

 

For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.

 

Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt Ltd.

 

Informist Media Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000

Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com

 

© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2025. All rights reserved.