Maruti Suzuki India
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Sept 15 (Reuters) -
SIAM - INDIA'S AUG 3-WHEELER SALES 93,764 UNITS
SIAM - INDIA FESTIVE DEMAND SEASON EXPECTED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BOOST, RESULTING IN HEALTHY Q2 NUMBERS
INDIA AUTO INDUSTRY BODY SIAM - INDIA'S AUG TOTAL DOMESTIC PASSENGER VEHICLE SALES 4,39,309 UNITS
INDIA'S AUG 2-WHEELER SALES 2.03 MLN UNITS
(([email protected];))
Sept 15 (Reuters) -
SIAM - INDIA'S AUG 3-WHEELER SALES 93,764 UNITS
SIAM - INDIA FESTIVE DEMAND SEASON EXPECTED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BOOST, RESULTING IN HEALTHY Q2 NUMBERS
INDIA AUTO INDUSTRY BODY SIAM - INDIA'S AUG TOTAL DOMESTIC PASSENGER VEHICLE SALES 4,39,309 UNITS
INDIA'S AUG 2-WHEELER SALES 2.03 MLN UNITS
(([email protected];))
Corrects paragraph 3 in September 7 story to identify Sai Giridhar as FADA President, not Vice President
By Abhinav Parmar
Sept 7 (Reuters) - Sales of alternative-fuel passenger vehicles outpaced petrol-powered cars in India in August for the first time, an auto dealers' body said on Monday, as the Middle East war raised oil prices and a public backlash against higher-ethanol-content fuel simmered.
Alternative-fuel models, including compressed natural gas, hybrid and electric models, accounted for nearly 42% of passenger-vehicle sales, while petrol vehicles stood at about 41%, according to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), which represents dealers of major car and two-wheeler makers.
"This shift was bound to happen," FADA President Sai Giridhar told Reuters.
While E20-related concerns may have initially accelerated buyers' move away from petrol, the trend was being sustained by a wider choice of alternative-fuel models, improved EV range and a gradual expansion of charging infrastructure, he said.
The world's third-largest car market's transition to E20 petrol, which contains 20% ethanol, from E10 is aimed at reducing reliance on imported crude but has drawn criticism from owners of older vehicles, who are concerned that the blend could reduce fuel economy.
The government earlier dismissed the backlash, calling it "wild claims" and asking people to not "fall for the rage bait".
RECORD AUGUST SALES
India's automobile retail sales rose 17.5% year-on-year in August to 2.4 million, a record for the month.
This was despite leading auto companies rolling out price hikes this year to cope with elevated input costs.
Giridhar, however, warned that further price hikes risked eroding gains from last year's tax reforms introduced to fuel consumption.
The country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India MRTI.NS on Monday said it will raise prices of select models by up to 20,000 rupees ($211.80) from September, its third hike since May.
India is heading into its annual festive season, a period that typically spurs big-ticket purchases.
Giridhar said despite inflationary pressures and price increases, dealers remain optimistic about sales.
Passenger-vehicle inventory increased by five days from end-July levels to about 38–40 days, FADA said.
(Reporting by Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Harikrishnan Nair)
(([email protected];))
Corrects paragraph 3 in September 7 story to identify Sai Giridhar as FADA President, not Vice President
By Abhinav Parmar
Sept 7 (Reuters) - Sales of alternative-fuel passenger vehicles outpaced petrol-powered cars in India in August for the first time, an auto dealers' body said on Monday, as the Middle East war raised oil prices and a public backlash against higher-ethanol-content fuel simmered.
Alternative-fuel models, including compressed natural gas, hybrid and electric models, accounted for nearly 42% of passenger-vehicle sales, while petrol vehicles stood at about 41%, according to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), which represents dealers of major car and two-wheeler makers.
"This shift was bound to happen," FADA President Sai Giridhar told Reuters.
While E20-related concerns may have initially accelerated buyers' move away from petrol, the trend was being sustained by a wider choice of alternative-fuel models, improved EV range and a gradual expansion of charging infrastructure, he said.
The world's third-largest car market's transition to E20 petrol, which contains 20% ethanol, from E10 is aimed at reducing reliance on imported crude but has drawn criticism from owners of older vehicles, who are concerned that the blend could reduce fuel economy.
The government earlier dismissed the backlash, calling it "wild claims" and asking people to not "fall for the rage bait".
RECORD AUGUST SALES
India's automobile retail sales rose 17.5% year-on-year in August to 2.4 million, a record for the month.
This was despite leading auto companies rolling out price hikes this year to cope with elevated input costs.
Giridhar, however, warned that further price hikes risked eroding gains from last year's tax reforms introduced to fuel consumption.
The country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India MRTI.NS on Monday said it will raise prices of select models by up to 20,000 rupees ($211.80) from September, its third hike since May.
India is heading into its annual festive season, a period that typically spurs big-ticket purchases.
Giridhar said despite inflationary pressures and price increases, dealers remain optimistic about sales.
Passenger-vehicle inventory increased by five days from end-July levels to about 38–40 days, FADA said.
(Reporting by Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Harikrishnan Nair)
(([email protected];))
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd MRTI.NS:
MARUTI SUZUKI - TO INCREASE PRICES ON SELECTED MODELS BY UP TO 20,000 RUPEES IN SEPTEMBER 2026
Source text: ID:nBSE11K2HL
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd MRTI.NS:
MARUTI SUZUKI - TO INCREASE PRICES ON SELECTED MODELS BY UP TO 20,000 RUPEES IN SEPTEMBER 2026
Source text: ID:nBSE11K2HL
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
** Maruti Suzuki India's shares MRTI.NS fall as much as 4.74% to 12,905 rupees, its lowest level in nearly three months
** Decline follows a slowdown in August sales to 219,220 vehicles from 241,421 units in July
** Exports also weaken, falling to 33,844 units from 36,538 a year earlier
** Stock traded largely unchanged ahead of the data release before sliding to its intraday low
** The weaker monthly numbers add to concerns over demand momentum for India's largest carmaker
** MRTI shares are down about 23% so far in 2026, underperforming the Nifty 50 .NSEI, which is down roughly 8%
(Reporting by Vijay Malkar)
(([email protected];))
** Maruti Suzuki India's shares MRTI.NS fall as much as 4.74% to 12,905 rupees, its lowest level in nearly three months
** Decline follows a slowdown in August sales to 219,220 vehicles from 241,421 units in July
** Exports also weaken, falling to 33,844 units from 36,538 a year earlier
** Stock traded largely unchanged ahead of the data release before sliding to its intraday low
** The weaker monthly numbers add to concerns over demand momentum for India's largest carmaker
** MRTI shares are down about 23% so far in 2026, underperforming the Nifty 50 .NSEI, which is down roughly 8%
(Reporting by Vijay Malkar)
(([email protected];))
Adds details from paragraph 2 onwards
Aug 21 (Reuters) - India's Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles TAMO.NS will raise prices of cars and SUVs across its portfolio by up to 25,000 rupees ($261.23) from September 1, the car maker said on Friday, with the extent of the hike varying by model and variant.
Here are some details:
The Nexon EV maker said the price increase aimed to partially offset rising input costs and persistent commodity inflation amid continued geopolitical uncertainty.
Indian automakers have increasingly raised vehicle prices this year as cost pressures persist. Rival Hyundai Motor India HYUN.NS on Wednesday announced its third price increase of 2026, while market leader Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS has implemented two portfolio-wide hikes in recent months.
Auto makers have cited inflationary pressures, higher commodity prices, elevated operating costs, and disruptions to global trade and energy markets linked to the Iran war as factors driving up costs.
The car maker said it had sought to absorb rising costs but was now passing on part of the burden to customers through the latest revision.
The increase marks the auto maker's third price hike this year, after a 0.5% raise in its internal combustion engine portfolio from April 1 and a further 1.5% increase across its portfolio from July 1.
($1 = 95.7000 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
(([email protected]; 8800437922;))
Adds details from paragraph 2 onwards
Aug 21 (Reuters) - India's Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles TAMO.NS will raise prices of cars and SUVs across its portfolio by up to 25,000 rupees ($261.23) from September 1, the car maker said on Friday, with the extent of the hike varying by model and variant.
Here are some details:
The Nexon EV maker said the price increase aimed to partially offset rising input costs and persistent commodity inflation amid continued geopolitical uncertainty.
Indian automakers have increasingly raised vehicle prices this year as cost pressures persist. Rival Hyundai Motor India HYUN.NS on Wednesday announced its third price increase of 2026, while market leader Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS has implemented two portfolio-wide hikes in recent months.
Auto makers have cited inflationary pressures, higher commodity prices, elevated operating costs, and disruptions to global trade and energy markets linked to the Iran war as factors driving up costs.
The car maker said it had sought to absorb rising costs but was now passing on part of the burden to customers through the latest revision.
The increase marks the auto maker's third price hike this year, after a 0.5% raise in its internal combustion engine portfolio from April 1 and a further 1.5% increase across its portfolio from July 1.
($1 = 95.7000 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
(([email protected]; 8800437922;))
** Maruti Suzuki's MRTI.NS recent 0.5% price hike insufficient to offset persistent input-cost pressures, says Nomura
** Brokerage estimates automaker will need an additional 150-200 basis points of price hikes to meet consensus EBITDA margin expectations for FY27-FY29
** Says, cumulative FY27 price increases of about 0.9% remain below cost pressures of more than 300 basis points seen in the first quarter
** Nomura maintains its "neutral" rating on the stock and target price of 14,071 rupees
** Shares of Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS up 0.35% at 13,739 rupees
** YTD stock down 17.74%
(Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru)
(([email protected] | X: https://twitter.com/SurbhiMisra_ |;))
** Maruti Suzuki's MRTI.NS recent 0.5% price hike insufficient to offset persistent input-cost pressures, says Nomura
** Brokerage estimates automaker will need an additional 150-200 basis points of price hikes to meet consensus EBITDA margin expectations for FY27-FY29
** Says, cumulative FY27 price increases of about 0.9% remain below cost pressures of more than 300 basis points seen in the first quarter
** Nomura maintains its "neutral" rating on the stock and target price of 14,071 rupees
** Shares of Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS up 0.35% at 13,739 rupees
** YTD stock down 17.74%
(Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru)
(([email protected] | X: https://twitter.com/SurbhiMisra_ |;))
Updates to add details paragraph 2 onwards
Aug 19 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor India HYUN.NS said on Wednesday it will increase vehicle prices by up to 1% across its portfolio from September this year, with the extent of the hike varying by model and variant.
Here are the details:
The company attributed the increase to rising input and commodity costs, higher operational expenses, and continuing geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties
Hyundai said it has been attempting to absorb cost increases and optimize expenses but is now passing on part of the burden to customers through a marginal price revision
The latest increase marks Hyundai's third price hike announcement of 2026. The automaker raised prices by 0.6% from January 1 and in April announced a further increase of up to 1% effective May. That increase was later implemented from June 1, with prices rising by up to 12,800 rupees ($133.68) depending on the model and variant
India's automakers have increasingly raised prices this year as cost pressures persist. Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS has announced two portfolio-wide price increases in recent months, while Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles TAMO.NS has also raised prices
Automakers have pointed to inflationary pressures, higher commodity prices, elevated operating costs and disruptions to global trade routes and energy markets stemming from geopolitical tensions as factors weighing on costs.
($1 = 95.7525 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
(([email protected] | X: https://twitter.com/SurbhiMisra_ |;))
Updates to add details paragraph 2 onwards
Aug 19 (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor India HYUN.NS said on Wednesday it will increase vehicle prices by up to 1% across its portfolio from September this year, with the extent of the hike varying by model and variant.
Here are the details:
The company attributed the increase to rising input and commodity costs, higher operational expenses, and continuing geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties
Hyundai said it has been attempting to absorb cost increases and optimize expenses but is now passing on part of the burden to customers through a marginal price revision
The latest increase marks Hyundai's third price hike announcement of 2026. The automaker raised prices by 0.6% from January 1 and in April announced a further increase of up to 1% effective May. That increase was later implemented from June 1, with prices rising by up to 12,800 rupees ($133.68) depending on the model and variant
India's automakers have increasingly raised prices this year as cost pressures persist. Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS has announced two portfolio-wide price increases in recent months, while Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles TAMO.NS has also raised prices
Automakers have pointed to inflationary pressures, higher commodity prices, elevated operating costs and disruptions to global trade routes and energy markets stemming from geopolitical tensions as factors weighing on costs.
($1 = 95.7525 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
(([email protected] | X: https://twitter.com/SurbhiMisra_ |;))
By Mike Colias
Aug 18 (Reuters) - Greetings from Detroit!
A pair of exclusive reports from Reuters underscores how much the Trump administration’s trade policies continue to reshape the factory networks of global automakers.
Ford said it would move production of some premium Lincoln models to the U.S. from China in coming years, including its Nautilus SUV. Imports of that model have been hit with 52.5% tariffs, prompting Ford to take steps to shift output to an undisclosed U.S. factory.
The move was notable for the message it sends to the Trump administration: we’re ready to build more cars on American soil.
CEO Jim Farley was so eager to make that point, he joined a Reuters interview with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to share the Lincoln-onshoring news. They told reporter Nora Eckert that automakers are falling in line behind the Trump administration’s push for more U.S. manufacturing.
At the same time, Detroit’s car companies are gearing up to lobby the administration to ease some proposed changes to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. At least two of the companies estimate the hit from the Trump team’s proposed changes – including a requirement for more U.S.-made parts on imported cars – could tack on $2 billion in extra costs annually.
Which brings us to today’s Auto File …
EV sales continue strong run
Car buyers continue to gravitate toward electric cars, prodded by high fuel prices stemming from the U .S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Global sales of fully electric vehicles, along with plug-in hybrids, rose 9% in July from a year earlier, according to data from consultancy Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. It was the fifth straight month of increased EV sales.
But sales have been uneven across the world’s largest car markets. European buyers are flocking to EVs and plug-in hybrids, while green-car sales in the U.S. and China have been declining from year-earlier levels.
Large European markets drove gains, including an 81% jump in France, 46% increase in Germany and a 43% gain in Britain. Benchmark attributed the increases to a return of tax subsidies for EV purchases in many markets.
The story is the opposite in the U.S., where the removal of a $7,500 tax credit last autumn has sapped demand. Sales in North America fell 27% in July from a year earlier. In China, where car sales overall are declining after years of growth, EV sales slipped 5%.
India blinks on its ethanol-heavy fuel policy
A top Indian government adviser said the nation should bring back a fuel variant with a lower blend of ethanol, the first sign that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could reconsider the controversial policy.
Modi's government started rolling out so-called E20 ethanol-based fuel nationwide last year to curb pollution and reduce oil imports. The move has angered some Indian motorists and triggered complaints over reduced fuel efficiency and wear and tear on cars.
India's Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran said on Monday that offering a lower-ethanol variant would calm public concerns.
Days earlier, Reuters colleagues Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra reported that executives from top automakers Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra privately shared concerns about potential contamination of E20 fuel following extensive testing of fuel samples.
India's main auto lobby in late July submitted data to the government raising the concerns about E20, but days later withdrew its report, saying some figures needed more checks.
China’s e-truck exports zoom higher
Surging fuel prices from the Iran war have propelled exports of China’s electric trucks.
China’s exports of electric-powered heavy trucks, or e-trucks, roughly doubled in the four months following the war launched on Iran on February 28 by the U.S. and Israel.
E-trucks were already gaining momentum inside China, driven by subsidies and improved charging availability. Now, as high fuel prices prompt truck drivers globally to curb their expenses, China is supplying other countries with the big, battery-powered rigs.
Some of the spike in demand has come from South and Southeast Asia, which is especially reliant on the Middle East for oil supplies and has seen a jump in diesel prices.
Fast Laps
U.S. and Canadian trade negotiators are haggling over terms that could drop President Donald Trump's tariffs on Canadian vehicles to 15%, from 25%.
Chinese autonomous-vehicle developer Pony.ai says it is planning an overseas expansion of more than 4,000 robotaxis, including to four unnamed European cities.
The president of Canadian labor union Unifor said Jeep-maker Stellantis is considering a sale of its assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario. The automaker declined to comment.
Stellantis is recalling about 955,000 vehicles globally because a radio-software glitch could prevent rear-view cameras from working properly.
General Motors agreed to sell its 50% stake in an Indiana battery facility jointly owned with South Korea’s Samsung SDI, the latest automaker to pull back from the EV market.
Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also subscribe here.
(Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
By Mike Colias
Aug 18 (Reuters) - Greetings from Detroit!
A pair of exclusive reports from Reuters underscores how much the Trump administration’s trade policies continue to reshape the factory networks of global automakers.
Ford said it would move production of some premium Lincoln models to the U.S. from China in coming years, including its Nautilus SUV. Imports of that model have been hit with 52.5% tariffs, prompting Ford to take steps to shift output to an undisclosed U.S. factory.
The move was notable for the message it sends to the Trump administration: we’re ready to build more cars on American soil.
CEO Jim Farley was so eager to make that point, he joined a Reuters interview with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to share the Lincoln-onshoring news. They told reporter Nora Eckert that automakers are falling in line behind the Trump administration’s push for more U.S. manufacturing.
At the same time, Detroit’s car companies are gearing up to lobby the administration to ease some proposed changes to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. At least two of the companies estimate the hit from the Trump team’s proposed changes – including a requirement for more U.S.-made parts on imported cars – could tack on $2 billion in extra costs annually.
Which brings us to today’s Auto File …
EV sales continue strong run
Car buyers continue to gravitate toward electric cars, prodded by high fuel prices stemming from the U .S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Global sales of fully electric vehicles, along with plug-in hybrids, rose 9% in July from a year earlier, according to data from consultancy Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. It was the fifth straight month of increased EV sales.
But sales have been uneven across the world’s largest car markets. European buyers are flocking to EVs and plug-in hybrids, while green-car sales in the U.S. and China have been declining from year-earlier levels.
Large European markets drove gains, including an 81% jump in France, 46% increase in Germany and a 43% gain in Britain. Benchmark attributed the increases to a return of tax subsidies for EV purchases in many markets.
The story is the opposite in the U.S., where the removal of a $7,500 tax credit last autumn has sapped demand. Sales in North America fell 27% in July from a year earlier. In China, where car sales overall are declining after years of growth, EV sales slipped 5%.
India blinks on its ethanol-heavy fuel policy
A top Indian government adviser said the nation should bring back a fuel variant with a lower blend of ethanol, the first sign that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could reconsider the controversial policy.
Modi's government started rolling out so-called E20 ethanol-based fuel nationwide last year to curb pollution and reduce oil imports. The move has angered some Indian motorists and triggered complaints over reduced fuel efficiency and wear and tear on cars.
India's Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran said on Monday that offering a lower-ethanol variant would calm public concerns.
Days earlier, Reuters colleagues Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra reported that executives from top automakers Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra privately shared concerns about potential contamination of E20 fuel following extensive testing of fuel samples.
India's main auto lobby in late July submitted data to the government raising the concerns about E20, but days later withdrew its report, saying some figures needed more checks.
China’s e-truck exports zoom higher
Surging fuel prices from the Iran war have propelled exports of China’s electric trucks.
China’s exports of electric-powered heavy trucks, or e-trucks, roughly doubled in the four months following the war launched on Iran on February 28 by the U.S. and Israel.
E-trucks were already gaining momentum inside China, driven by subsidies and improved charging availability. Now, as high fuel prices prompt truck drivers globally to curb their expenses, China is supplying other countries with the big, battery-powered rigs.
Some of the spike in demand has come from South and Southeast Asia, which is especially reliant on the Middle East for oil supplies and has seen a jump in diesel prices.
Fast Laps
U.S. and Canadian trade negotiators are haggling over terms that could drop President Donald Trump's tariffs on Canadian vehicles to 15%, from 25%.
Chinese autonomous-vehicle developer Pony.ai says it is planning an overseas expansion of more than 4,000 robotaxis, including to four unnamed European cities.
The president of Canadian labor union Unifor said Jeep-maker Stellantis is considering a sale of its assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario. The automaker declined to comment.
Stellantis is recalling about 955,000 vehicles globally because a radio-software glitch could prevent rear-view cameras from working properly.
General Motors agreed to sell its 50% stake in an Indiana battery facility jointly owned with South Korea’s Samsung SDI, the latest automaker to pull back from the EV market.
Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also subscribe here.
(Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
India started 20% ethanol in petrol in 2025, protests peaked this year
Maruti, Mahindra privately discussed issue of fuel contamination
Automakers tested more than 250 fuel samples in 21 Indian states
Government says own tests found only four contamination cases
By Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra
NEW DELHI, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Hours after India made public assurances last week that its ethanol-blended petrol was safe, the country's main auto lobby withdrew a complaint about fuel contamination it had sent to the government a week earlier. The group said some figures needed more checks.
But separate communications between industry executives, reviewed by Reuters, showed that in the preceding days, top automakers Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS, Tata Motors TAMO.NS and Mahindra MAHM.NS discussed their concerns about contamination of petrol blended with 20% ethanol, called E20.
Their data compiled the most comprehensive fuel testing done by the industry since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government started rolling out E20 nationwide from last year to help curb pollution and cut oil imports.
With no other petrol available since April 1, consumer concerns have grown about the impact on vehicle performance.
The carmakers' emails show for the first time how they are privately worried about contaminants in E20, like chloride and moisture, which they say are hurting vehicles, even as they publicly back the government's rollout of the fuel.
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) withdrew its July 28 letter on fuel contamination after a government and public uproar over the warning, saying "some numbers" need "authentication".
The previously unreported industry data and emails reviewed by Reuters show "multiple" automakers had already conducted extensive tests by collecting over 250 fuel samples from pumps over a year from as many as 21 of India's 36 states and territories. They found high chloride contamination in many of the samples in 18 states, as well as high moisture content.
The executives' emails raised no concern about data authentication.
Asked for comment on the private emails, SIAM told Reuters the data was intended only for internal circulation, discussion and validation, and collected by "very few" automakers.
Maruti, Tata and Mahindra, who were part of the SIAM internal emails seen by Reuters, account for 67% of India's car market.
As "the testing basis and sample size were insufficient to support definitive conclusions, the communication was withdrawn" as it was sent inadvertently, SIAM said, adding it intends to undertake a proper scientific study.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas did not respond to requests for comment. Its minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, said on Friday that two weeks prior to receiving the letter from SIAM, India's oil marketing companies had begun "rigorous testing" of fuel at retail outlets to check for contamination.
Only four cases of contamination were found, he said. State-run fuel retailers also said last week that extensive random and scientific tests showed "no cause for any alarm on account of fuel contamination".
Mahindra said conclusions drawn from its executive's emails "are completely baseless and incorrect", industry data is limited and preliminary, and it does not see issues with E20. Maruti and Tata did not respond to requests for comment.
AUTO INDUSTRY MET GOVERNMENT TO FLAG CHLORIDE CONCERNS
E20 has angered motorists, with hundreds alleging it has reduced mileage and increased wear and tear on their cars, and triggered at least one court challenge.
SIAM had earlier said high levels of chloride are corrosive for auto parts, while high moisture levels in fuel can immobilise a vehicle immediately after fuelling.
In the group emails exchanged among Maruti, Tata, Mahindra and SIAM, Maruti's senior executive Anoop Bhat raised concerns on the high chloride findings saying this had been privately discussed with the petroleum ministry on July 26.
The tabulated state-wide findings shared by the industry on group emails showed they recorded chloride levels of 6 to 570 parts per million (ppm) in Rajasthan state, 1.4 to 420 ppm in the capital New Delhi and 10 to 357 ppm in Maharashtra.
The Indian government says the permissible limit is 3 ppm.
The data tables also showed moisture levels reaching 13,000 ppm in Andhra Pradesh and 12,500 ppm in Uttar Pradesh, versus a permissible government benchmark of 3,000 ppm.
While the reason for contamination is not known, SIAM said in its now withdrawn letter it had seen an increase in chloride levels since the rollout of E20 and has requested the government to direct oil marketing companies to find the root cause.
For moisture, the SIAM letter noted, the cause could be inadequate "maintenance of the underground storage tanks and pipelines at retail outlets".
Maruti's Bhat wrote in his July 26 email that 1 ppm of chloride was the maximum that current fuel injectors, which transport fuel to the engine, "can tolerate".
"Lesser than 1 ppm in E20 is also in line with international standards. Same is in line with discussion held with" the petroleum ministry, Bhat wrote.
Mahindra's senior principal engineer of fluids technology, R. Ramaprabhu, said in emails that organic chloride is the contaminant responsible for the very rapid vehicle failures the industry is seeing and can spoil engines "within 200 km".
"Majority cases reported immediately after fuelling ... is due to organic chloride," he wrote, adding that Mahindra has "strong evidences" of fuel sample data from retail outlets.
Mahindra's Ramaprabhu and Maruti's Bhat did not respond to Reuters' queries.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra in New Delhi; Editing by Sonali Paul)
(([email protected]; X: @aditishahsays))
India started 20% ethanol in petrol in 2025, protests peaked this year
Maruti, Mahindra privately discussed issue of fuel contamination
Automakers tested more than 250 fuel samples in 21 Indian states
Government says own tests found only four contamination cases
By Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra
NEW DELHI, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Hours after India made public assurances last week that its ethanol-blended petrol was safe, the country's main auto lobby withdrew a complaint about fuel contamination it had sent to the government a week earlier. The group said some figures needed more checks.
But separate communications between industry executives, reviewed by Reuters, showed that in the preceding days, top automakers Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS, Tata Motors TAMO.NS and Mahindra MAHM.NS discussed their concerns about contamination of petrol blended with 20% ethanol, called E20.
Their data compiled the most comprehensive fuel testing done by the industry since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government started rolling out E20 nationwide from last year to help curb pollution and cut oil imports.
With no other petrol available since April 1, consumer concerns have grown about the impact on vehicle performance.
The carmakers' emails show for the first time how they are privately worried about contaminants in E20, like chloride and moisture, which they say are hurting vehicles, even as they publicly back the government's rollout of the fuel.
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) withdrew its July 28 letter on fuel contamination after a government and public uproar over the warning, saying "some numbers" need "authentication".
The previously unreported industry data and emails reviewed by Reuters show "multiple" automakers had already conducted extensive tests by collecting over 250 fuel samples from pumps over a year from as many as 21 of India's 36 states and territories. They found high chloride contamination in many of the samples in 18 states, as well as high moisture content.
The executives' emails raised no concern about data authentication.
Asked for comment on the private emails, SIAM told Reuters the data was intended only for internal circulation, discussion and validation, and collected by "very few" automakers.
Maruti, Tata and Mahindra, who were part of the SIAM internal emails seen by Reuters, account for 67% of India's car market.
As "the testing basis and sample size were insufficient to support definitive conclusions, the communication was withdrawn" as it was sent inadvertently, SIAM said, adding it intends to undertake a proper scientific study.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas did not respond to requests for comment. Its minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, said on Friday that two weeks prior to receiving the letter from SIAM, India's oil marketing companies had begun "rigorous testing" of fuel at retail outlets to check for contamination.
Only four cases of contamination were found, he said. State-run fuel retailers also said last week that extensive random and scientific tests showed "no cause for any alarm on account of fuel contamination".
Mahindra said conclusions drawn from its executive's emails "are completely baseless and incorrect", industry data is limited and preliminary, and it does not see issues with E20. Maruti and Tata did not respond to requests for comment.
AUTO INDUSTRY MET GOVERNMENT TO FLAG CHLORIDE CONCERNS
E20 has angered motorists, with hundreds alleging it has reduced mileage and increased wear and tear on their cars, and triggered at least one court challenge.
SIAM had earlier said high levels of chloride are corrosive for auto parts, while high moisture levels in fuel can immobilise a vehicle immediately after fuelling.
In the group emails exchanged among Maruti, Tata, Mahindra and SIAM, Maruti's senior executive Anoop Bhat raised concerns on the high chloride findings saying this had been privately discussed with the petroleum ministry on July 26.
The tabulated state-wide findings shared by the industry on group emails showed they recorded chloride levels of 6 to 570 parts per million (ppm) in Rajasthan state, 1.4 to 420 ppm in the capital New Delhi and 10 to 357 ppm in Maharashtra.
The Indian government says the permissible limit is 3 ppm.
The data tables also showed moisture levels reaching 13,000 ppm in Andhra Pradesh and 12,500 ppm in Uttar Pradesh, versus a permissible government benchmark of 3,000 ppm.
While the reason for contamination is not known, SIAM said in its now withdrawn letter it had seen an increase in chloride levels since the rollout of E20 and has requested the government to direct oil marketing companies to find the root cause.
For moisture, the SIAM letter noted, the cause could be inadequate "maintenance of the underground storage tanks and pipelines at retail outlets".
Maruti's Bhat wrote in his July 26 email that 1 ppm of chloride was the maximum that current fuel injectors, which transport fuel to the engine, "can tolerate".
"Lesser than 1 ppm in E20 is also in line with international standards. Same is in line with discussion held with" the petroleum ministry, Bhat wrote.
Mahindra's senior principal engineer of fluids technology, R. Ramaprabhu, said in emails that organic chloride is the contaminant responsible for the very rapid vehicle failures the industry is seeing and can spoil engines "within 200 km".
"Majority cases reported immediately after fuelling ... is due to organic chloride," he wrote, adding that Mahindra has "strong evidences" of fuel sample data from retail outlets.
Mahindra's Ramaprabhu and Maruti's Bhat did not respond to Reuters' queries.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah and Aditya Kalra in New Delhi; Editing by Sonali Paul)
(([email protected]; X: @aditishahsays))
NEW DELHI, Aug 9 (Reuters) - India's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India MRTI.NS expects the domestic passenger vehicle market to grow to 6.1 million-6.3 million units by fiscal year 2030-31, driven by a revival in demand for small cars and a stronger sport utility vehicle segment, Chairman R.C. Bhargava said.
Maruti is reassessing its five-year growth targets as it expects the small-car segment to expand significantly faster than in the past five years, the company said in a statement on Sunday, accompanying its 2025/26 annual report.
Key points:
Maruti sold a record 2.42 million vehicles and exported an all-time high 447,000 units in FY26, and expects to reach its next million-unit sales milestone earlier than previously projected.
The company plans to invest about 350 billion rupees ($4 billion) to raise annual production capacity to 3.65 million vehicles by FY31.
Maruti's board has approved an initial investment of 5.61 billion rupees to set up four biogas plants as part of its clean-energy strategy. Bhargava said biogas could reduce dependence on imported compressed natural gas and support India's net-zero goals.
Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said Maruti plans to launch seven new SUVs over the next five to six years to strengthen its presence in the fast-growing segment.
The company accelerated capacity expansion by adding 500,000 units of manufacturing capacity in FY27.
Maruti is prioritising localisation, alternate sourcing and supplier capability development to mitigate geopolitical and supply-chain risks.
Maruti said its relationship with parent Suzuki Motor Corp 7269.T has become "closer and more integrated", helping shorten vehicle development cycles and reduce costs.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah and Manoj Kumar; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
(([email protected]; +919810286200; Twitter:@manojgulnar;))
NEW DELHI, Aug 9 (Reuters) - India's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India MRTI.NS expects the domestic passenger vehicle market to grow to 6.1 million-6.3 million units by fiscal year 2030-31, driven by a revival in demand for small cars and a stronger sport utility vehicle segment, Chairman R.C. Bhargava said.
Maruti is reassessing its five-year growth targets as it expects the small-car segment to expand significantly faster than in the past five years, the company said in a statement on Sunday, accompanying its 2025/26 annual report.
Key points:
Maruti sold a record 2.42 million vehicles and exported an all-time high 447,000 units in FY26, and expects to reach its next million-unit sales milestone earlier than previously projected.
The company plans to invest about 350 billion rupees ($4 billion) to raise annual production capacity to 3.65 million vehicles by FY31.
Maruti's board has approved an initial investment of 5.61 billion rupees to set up four biogas plants as part of its clean-energy strategy. Bhargava said biogas could reduce dependence on imported compressed natural gas and support India's net-zero goals.
Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said Maruti plans to launch seven new SUVs over the next five to six years to strengthen its presence in the fast-growing segment.
The company accelerated capacity expansion by adding 500,000 units of manufacturing capacity in FY27.
Maruti is prioritising localisation, alternate sourcing and supplier capability development to mitigate geopolitical and supply-chain risks.
Maruti said its relationship with parent Suzuki Motor Corp 7269.T has become "closer and more integrated", helping shorten vehicle development cycles and reduce costs.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah and Manoj Kumar; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
(([email protected]; +919810286200; Twitter:@manojgulnar;))
Aug 6 (Reuters) - Sales of vehicles powered by alternative fuels came within "striking distance" of petrol-powered vehicles in July, India's auto dealers' body said on Thursday, as fuel policy changes and high prices following the Iran war accelerated consumers' shift towards cleaner mobility options.
Alternative-fuel passenger vehicles, including CNG, hybrid and electric models, accounted for 40.59% of total sales in July, just 1.09 percentage points behind petrol-powered vehicles at 41.68%, the body said.
(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
(([email protected]; 8800437922;))
Aug 6 (Reuters) - Sales of vehicles powered by alternative fuels came within "striking distance" of petrol-powered vehicles in July, India's auto dealers' body said on Thursday, as fuel policy changes and high prices following the Iran war accelerated consumers' shift towards cleaner mobility options.
Alternative-fuel passenger vehicles, including CNG, hybrid and electric models, accounted for 40.59% of total sales in July, just 1.09 percentage points behind petrol-powered vehicles at 41.68%, the body said.
(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
(([email protected]; 8800437922;))
Automakers warn government of ethanol fuel contamination
E20 rollout sparks complaints of vehicle damage, lower mileage
Officials dismiss concerns as misinformation, see few signs
By Aditi Shah, Arpan Chaturvedi and Sarita Chaganti Singh
NEW DELHI, Aug 5 (Reuters) - India's auto industry said it would revamp numbers furnished to the government as it withdrew its first warning of damage to vehicle parts caused by contaminated ethanol-blended fuel, stoking consumer anger over the contentious policy.
Tuesday's move came hours after media reported the group's warning, sparking public uproar and forcing the petroleum ministry to issue a clarification.
"The referred numbers reported in the media need authentication," the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said in a statement, "... and therefore SIAM is withdrawing its earlier communication."
SIAM, which sent its warning on July 28, and the recipient, India's petroleum ministry, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
With their letter, seen by Reuters, India's automakers accept for the first time issues stemming from a mandatory policy that sparked street protests, legal cases and consumer anger after the government rolled it out at 90,000 fuel pumps.
The lobby group did not deny the issue of contamination in its statement, but said some numbers quoted "need authentication through collection of elaborate data ... across the country followed by a comprehensive consultation".
The group, whose members include Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Toyota Motor Corp and Mercedes Benz, did not say when the efforts would be completed, however.
QUESTIONS FROM VEHICLE OWNERS
Vehicle owners are at best sceptical about the U-turn.
"Did the science change overnight, or did the ministry call?" Nachiket Deshpande, one of dozens of angry social media users, asked on X.
The policy of blending 20% ethanol in petrol to yield a product called E20 replaced E10 nationwide in 2025.
That was well ahead of a 2030 deadline as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government sought to cut costly petroleum imports, although E20-compliant cars had only begun hitting the roads in 2023.
The rollout provoked uproar instead among consumers who blame the fuel for mileage drops and vehicle damage, with many demanding a choice of lower ethanol blends, particularly for vehicles that cannot use E20.
The government sought to soothe the concerns with press statements and social media campaigns, drafting in executives from leading carmakers such as Maruti and Hyundai to defend the roll-out at a July press conference.
WARNINGS OF CORROSION OR WEAR
In its missive to the ministry, the group warned of elevated chloride and moisture levels in E20 fuel sold at retail outlets nationwide.
"Members are observing a huge increase in the issues in customer vehicle parts and replacement. Investigations ... reveal the failure is due to corrosion or wear caused by high chloride presence which is traced to the fuel used," it said.
Car parts in direct contact with the fuel or engine emissions suffered the most, "specifically after E20 implementation", it added.
It also flagged high moisture levels in the fuel that it said could immobilise the vehicle immediately after fuelling, calling on the ministry for tougher quality checks against contamination.
Fuel quality is monitored on a regular basis by oil marketing companies and only two cases of chloride contamination were found in a sample of 2,000 tests, the ministry had said on social media on Tuesday.
Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, a senior government official called the fuel concerns a "misinformation campaign" against E20, playing out mainly on social media with no real evidence in cars on the road.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah, Arpan Chaturvedi and Sarita Chaganti Singh; Additional reporting by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
(([email protected]; +91-11-4954 8023, +91-11-3015 8023; Reuters Messaging: twitter: @aditishahsays))
Automakers warn government of ethanol fuel contamination
E20 rollout sparks complaints of vehicle damage, lower mileage
Officials dismiss concerns as misinformation, see few signs
By Aditi Shah, Arpan Chaturvedi and Sarita Chaganti Singh
NEW DELHI, Aug 5 (Reuters) - India's auto industry said it would revamp numbers furnished to the government as it withdrew its first warning of damage to vehicle parts caused by contaminated ethanol-blended fuel, stoking consumer anger over the contentious policy.
Tuesday's move came hours after media reported the group's warning, sparking public uproar and forcing the petroleum ministry to issue a clarification.
"The referred numbers reported in the media need authentication," the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said in a statement, "... and therefore SIAM is withdrawing its earlier communication."
SIAM, which sent its warning on July 28, and the recipient, India's petroleum ministry, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
With their letter, seen by Reuters, India's automakers accept for the first time issues stemming from a mandatory policy that sparked street protests, legal cases and consumer anger after the government rolled it out at 90,000 fuel pumps.
The lobby group did not deny the issue of contamination in its statement, but said some numbers quoted "need authentication through collection of elaborate data ... across the country followed by a comprehensive consultation".
The group, whose members include Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Toyota Motor Corp and Mercedes Benz, did not say when the efforts would be completed, however.
QUESTIONS FROM VEHICLE OWNERS
Vehicle owners are at best sceptical about the U-turn.
"Did the science change overnight, or did the ministry call?" Nachiket Deshpande, one of dozens of angry social media users, asked on X.
The policy of blending 20% ethanol in petrol to yield a product called E20 replaced E10 nationwide in 2025.
That was well ahead of a 2030 deadline as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government sought to cut costly petroleum imports, although E20-compliant cars had only begun hitting the roads in 2023.
The rollout provoked uproar instead among consumers who blame the fuel for mileage drops and vehicle damage, with many demanding a choice of lower ethanol blends, particularly for vehicles that cannot use E20.
The government sought to soothe the concerns with press statements and social media campaigns, drafting in executives from leading carmakers such as Maruti and Hyundai to defend the roll-out at a July press conference.
WARNINGS OF CORROSION OR WEAR
In its missive to the ministry, the group warned of elevated chloride and moisture levels in E20 fuel sold at retail outlets nationwide.
"Members are observing a huge increase in the issues in customer vehicle parts and replacement. Investigations ... reveal the failure is due to corrosion or wear caused by high chloride presence which is traced to the fuel used," it said.
Car parts in direct contact with the fuel or engine emissions suffered the most, "specifically after E20 implementation", it added.
It also flagged high moisture levels in the fuel that it said could immobilise the vehicle immediately after fuelling, calling on the ministry for tougher quality checks against contamination.
Fuel quality is monitored on a regular basis by oil marketing companies and only two cases of chloride contamination were found in a sample of 2,000 tests, the ministry had said on social media on Tuesday.
Speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, a senior government official called the fuel concerns a "misinformation campaign" against E20, playing out mainly on social media with no real evidence in cars on the road.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah, Arpan Chaturvedi and Sarita Chaganti Singh; Additional reporting by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
(([email protected]; +91-11-4954 8023, +91-11-3015 8023; Reuters Messaging: twitter: @aditishahsays))
** Maruti Suzuki India MRTI.NS reported a 10.8% fall in quarterly profit to 33.52 billion rupees ($351.44 million) on Friday but beat analysts' estimates of 32.22 billion rupees, as per LSEG-compiled data
** Shares up 0.21% at 13,947 rupees
LONG-TERM OUTLOOK IN FOCUS
** PhillipCapital ("buy", TP: 15,987 rupees) believes co's portfolio expansion, focus on addressing product gaps, emphasis on alternative fuel vehicles to guide long-term outlook
** Jefferies ("buy", PT: 16,500 rupees) expects margins to improve from low base of June quarter, led by price hikes and recent fall in aluminium prices but says "slow and insufficient price hikes have still weakened outlook"
** Emkay downgrades stock on concerns of sharp growth moderation in H2 with gradual margin improvement from Q1, flattish volumes compared to H2 FY26 and limited pricing power
** Emkay downgrades to "add" from "buy", TP lowered by 8.3% to 15,500
** Axis Capital ("reduce", TP raised to 12,850 from 12,800) says raw material headwinds to continue, putting pressure in Q2 exacerbated by inflation in steel, rubber prices
** Goldman Sachs ("buy", cuts TP to 16,700 from 16,900) notes recent correction in metal prices should flow directly to co's EBIT margin in Q2, when festive season volumes pick up
($1 = 95.3800 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Saikeerthi in Bengaluru)
(([email protected]; (+91) 8296756080))
** Maruti Suzuki India MRTI.NS reported a 10.8% fall in quarterly profit to 33.52 billion rupees ($351.44 million) on Friday but beat analysts' estimates of 32.22 billion rupees, as per LSEG-compiled data
** Shares up 0.21% at 13,947 rupees
LONG-TERM OUTLOOK IN FOCUS
** PhillipCapital ("buy", TP: 15,987 rupees) believes co's portfolio expansion, focus on addressing product gaps, emphasis on alternative fuel vehicles to guide long-term outlook
** Jefferies ("buy", PT: 16,500 rupees) expects margins to improve from low base of June quarter, led by price hikes and recent fall in aluminium prices but says "slow and insufficient price hikes have still weakened outlook"
** Emkay downgrades stock on concerns of sharp growth moderation in H2 with gradual margin improvement from Q1, flattish volumes compared to H2 FY26 and limited pricing power
** Emkay downgrades to "add" from "buy", TP lowered by 8.3% to 15,500
** Axis Capital ("reduce", TP raised to 12,850 from 12,800) says raw material headwinds to continue, putting pressure in Q2 exacerbated by inflation in steel, rubber prices
** Goldman Sachs ("buy", cuts TP to 16,700 from 16,900) notes recent correction in metal prices should flow directly to co's EBIT margin in Q2, when festive season volumes pick up
($1 = 95.3800 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Saikeerthi in Bengaluru)
(([email protected]; (+91) 8296756080))
Aug 1 (Reuters) - Maruti Suzuki India Ltd MRTI.NS:
MARUTI SUZUKI - IN JULY 2026, MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED SOLD A TOTAL OF 241,421 UNITS.
Source text: ID:nNSE6fnFbR
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
(([email protected];))
Aug 1 (Reuters) - Maruti Suzuki India Ltd MRTI.NS:
MARUTI SUZUKI - IN JULY 2026, MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED SOLD A TOTAL OF 241,421 UNITS.
Source text: ID:nNSE6fnFbR
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
(([email protected];))
July 31 (Reuters) -
MARUTI SUZUKI EXEC: APART FROM COMMODITY PRICES, HIGHER GAS PRICES ALSO IMPACTED MARGINS - CONF CALL
MARUTI SUZUKI EXEC: SUPPLY SIDE WE SEE A HEADROOM OF ABOUT 10% GROWTH
Source text: [ID:]
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
(([email protected];))
July 31 (Reuters) -
MARUTI SUZUKI EXEC: APART FROM COMMODITY PRICES, HIGHER GAS PRICES ALSO IMPACTED MARGINS - CONF CALL
MARUTI SUZUKI EXEC: SUPPLY SIDE WE SEE A HEADROOM OF ABOUT 10% GROWTH
Source text: [ID:]
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
(([email protected];))
July 30 (Reuters) - Maruti Suzuki India Ltd MRTI.NS:
MARUTI SUZUKI - STARTS COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION AT FOURTH HANSALPUR PLANT WITH 250,000 UNITS CAPACITY
MARUTI SUZUKI - CUMULATIVE INVESTMENT AT HANSALPUR FACILITY STANDS AT 252.9 MILLION RUPEES
Source text: ID:nBSE9Fw6cb
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
(([email protected];))
July 30 (Reuters) - Maruti Suzuki India Ltd MRTI.NS:
MARUTI SUZUKI - STARTS COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION AT FOURTH HANSALPUR PLANT WITH 250,000 UNITS CAPACITY
MARUTI SUZUKI - CUMULATIVE INVESTMENT AT HANSALPUR FACILITY STANDS AT 252.9 MILLION RUPEES
Source text: ID:nBSE9Fw6cb
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
(([email protected];))
- Maruti Suzuki, Suzuki Motor’s Indian unit, unveiled the new Brezza compact SUV for sale through Arena showrooms across India.
- Production will shift to Maruti Suzuki’s Kharkhoda plant, supporting its push to defend SUV-led growth in India.
- The model adds a 1.0-liter Turbo Boosterjet option; lineup also includes a 1.5-liter Dual Jet engine, including a CNG variant.
- The new Brezza received a 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating; cumulative India sales of the model exceed 1.4 million since 2016.
Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Suzuki Motor Corporation published the original content used to generate this news brief on July 25, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.
- Maruti Suzuki, Suzuki Motor’s Indian unit, unveiled the new Brezza compact SUV for sale through Arena showrooms across India.
- Production will shift to Maruti Suzuki’s Kharkhoda plant, supporting its push to defend SUV-led growth in India.
- The model adds a 1.0-liter Turbo Boosterjet option; lineup also includes a 1.5-liter Dual Jet engine, including a CNG variant.
- The new Brezza received a 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating; cumulative India sales of the model exceed 1.4 million since 2016.
Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Suzuki Motor Corporation published the original content used to generate this news brief on July 25, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Maruti Suzuki is selling fewer cars. It sold 1.82 million units in India in the latest fiscal year, up from a pre-COVID high of 1.73 million.
Maruti Suzuki found it hard to adapt cost-focused culture to tastes of increasingly wealthy Indians
Japanese-owned carmaker slow to roll out popular features like sunroofs and advanced technology, as well as SUVs
Company's market share hovers around 39%, near an all-time low; CEO targets 50%
Firm is spending more on R&D and increasing autonomy of local managers - sources
By Aditi Shah
NEW DELHI, July 20 (Reuters) - For some 40 years, Suzuki cars dominated India's roads.
The Japanese company's relentless focus on keeping prices and running costs low put millions of people behind the wheel. Hatchbacks made by its Indian arm Maruti Suzuki commanded between half and four-fifths of the country's new car sales in recent decades.
But as Indians got richer, they gravitated to bigger and flashier rides – and the automaker's emphasis on affordability started to become a drag. Maruti Suzuki's share of the world's third-largest autos market now lingers at around 39%, near an all-time low.
Suzuki's struggles reflect how cost-sensitive managers in Japan were slow to adapt to the changing tastes of newly affluent Indians, four people familiar with its business told Reuters. Executives, the people said, for years felt that demand for sunroofs, advanced technology and SUVs hadn't trumped questions of affordability for Indians.
Reuters is reporting for the first time details about the deliberations between Indian and Japanese executives at Suzuki as they struggled to pivot beyond a long-successful strategy that emphasized value before almost everything else.
Maruti Suzuki managers first floated the idea of adding sunroofs about a decade ago, the people said. But Japanese bosses considered the feature – which has become a symbol of upward mobility in India – impractical given India's extreme heat and dusty roads. They worried that adding a more powerful air conditioning unit and strengthening the cabin to accommodate the panel would increase costs and distract from Suzuki's mission of providing affordable transport.
The carmaker didn't introduce sunroofs until 2022. By then, fast-growing domestic rivals Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra — which both currently have a market share of around 14% — had sunroofs as standard features on between a quarter and a third of their cars sold in India, according to data from auto research firm JATO Dynamics.
This account of the missteps that eroded Suzuki's iron grip on India and its subsequent efforts to woo customers back is based on interviews with more than 20 people, including executives, suppliers and others with direct knowledge of the automaker and its Indian business. Most spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to talk to the media.
Maruti's head of corporate affairs, Rahul Bharti, said in an interview that Japanese managers were not reluctant to embrace the changing tastes of local customers. Instead, he said, they had prioritized factors such as cost and climate, as well as emissions and safety considerations.
Indian and Japanese executives engage in "extensive" talks before introducing products and new features, Bharti said. Maruti's market share had declined recently because of a collapse in demand for small cars, the automaker's slow rollout of SUVs and its 2020 decision to stop selling diesel cars, he added.
While it is committed to building affordable and compact models, Suzuki has now directed local managers to "pay more attention to the Indian customer," Bharti said.
Tata and Mahindra did not return requests for comment.
To be sure, Maruti Suzuki still runs a lucrative business in India. Revenue has more than doubled over the last five years to $19 billion and profit tripled to $1.5 billion as margins improved. About 60% of the 3.3 million cars Suzuki sold in the last financial year were in India, and Maruti contributed nearly half of its profits.
But while it is making more money, the company has fallen short of chief executive Toshihiro Suzuki's goal of owning half the market.
Maruti Suzuki also risks being seen by younger drivers as a "brand for their parents or grandparents," said Toshihide Kinoshita, an automotive analyst at Nomura Securities.
In India, the typical buyer of a new car is in their mid-30s. The average age in the United States is 51, according to data from Cox Automotive.
THE PEOPLE'S CAR
Japanese car manufacturers increasingly see India, the world's fastest-growing major economy, as a lifeline.
Many face an existential threat in traditional strongholds like Southeast Asia from the low costs and fast-paced innovation of Chinese rivals. They are also being squeezed by tariffs in the United States and slow growth at home as Japan's population shrinks.
Chinese EV makers, however, are largely shut out of India, which has increased scrutiny of investments from China after a deadly border clash between the two countries in 2020. Japanese carmakers sense the opportunity: Toyota and Suzuki have announced plans to spend a cumulative $11 billion to expand manufacturing and other operations in India by 2030.
Maruti Suzuki is now a symbol of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to turn India into a global manufacturing hub.
Suzuki first invested in Maruti in the early 1980s when the Indian brand was state-owned. Then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi wanted to provide a "people's car" to fulfill the dream of her late son Sanjay, an autos enthusiast who had sought to bring affordable mobility to the middle class.
The Maruti 800 arrived in 1983. It was priced at around $9,000 in inflation-adjusted dollars and became synonymous with India's modernization. Over three decades, Maruti sold nearly 3 million of the small hatchbacks. Such was the scale of Suzuki's dominance in India that its former CEO Osamu Suzuki said he aimed to keep a 50% market share "for eternity."
India's economy has grown some 18-fold since Suzuki entered the market. Yet Suzuki's cost-control culture meant managers initially faced resistance when they lobbied to offer advanced driver assistance systems that Mahindra introduced around 2021, some four years before Maruti, three people said.
For many buyers, the modernity and aspiration that Maruti once represented is found in Tata and Mahindra's feature-laden SUVs, rather than Maruti's workaday models. Maruti does not have "the bells and whistles" that customers now want, said JATO Dynamics president Ravi Bhatia.
One erstwhile loyalist looking elsewhere is Anil Tiwari, who is seeking a car to supplement his family's 17-year-old Maruti Alto hatchback. The insurance agent has narrowed his choices down to a Mahindra or Toyota SUV after his wife and children demanded a sunroof and a large infotainment display, among other technologies.
"My wife and children want the best," he said.
FIGHTBACK?
Maruti has been here before. Its market share dipped below 40% in 2011, though newer models and an expanded sales network helped it recover.
This time, competition is fiercer. Better equipped rivals and the fall in market share mean Suzuki now faces its toughest situation in India "in the last 40 years," chief executive Suzuki told reporters at the Tokyo auto show last year.
In an attempt to regain dominance, Suzuki is expanding R&D teams at Maruti and giving executives flexibility to make more decisions locally, five people told Reuters. It aims to cut the average product development time to 36 months from 48 months, four sources added.
Maruti has also built more car-testing labs in India to speed up design and execution, Bharti told Reuters.
Maruti has introduced pricier and more design-forward cars, including a three-row minivan that starts at about $25,000. It plans seven more SUVs by 2030, which will join a recently released model that has a sunroof and advanced driver assistance systems.
The brand is also reversing its decision not to use large display screens in some vehicles, according to three sources, who said Japanese executives had felt they would be a distraction for drivers.
Bharti confirmed that Maruti and Suzuki executives had discussed those concerns. Large displays and similar features are always "on the cards," he said, though the company continues to weigh customer demand against the realities of Indian driving conditions.
One open question is whether Maruti's more expensive cars will sell. The brand's association with affordability means Indians willing to spend more usually don't consider Maruti, six people told Reuters. Less than 3% of Maruti's sales come from cars priced above $15,500, compared with over 21% for the rest of the industry, according to JATO Dynamics.
That perception is shaping the choice for buyers like Deepanshu Singhal, a sales executive who plans to upgrade to a Mahindra or Toyota SUV from the Maruti Dzire sedan he has driven for seven years.
"I'd rather spend a little more money for a better car that has some freshness and newness," he said.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah; Additional reporting by Daniel Leussink in Tokyo, Saurabh Sharma in New Delhi, Sumit Khanna in Ahmedabad and Jatindra Dash in Bhubaneswar; Editing by David Dolan and Katerina Ang)
(([email protected], X:@aditishahsays))
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Maruti Suzuki is selling fewer cars. It sold 1.82 million units in India in the latest fiscal year, up from a pre-COVID high of 1.73 million.
Maruti Suzuki found it hard to adapt cost-focused culture to tastes of increasingly wealthy Indians
Japanese-owned carmaker slow to roll out popular features like sunroofs and advanced technology, as well as SUVs
Company's market share hovers around 39%, near an all-time low; CEO targets 50%
Firm is spending more on R&D and increasing autonomy of local managers - sources
By Aditi Shah
NEW DELHI, July 20 (Reuters) - For some 40 years, Suzuki cars dominated India's roads.
The Japanese company's relentless focus on keeping prices and running costs low put millions of people behind the wheel. Hatchbacks made by its Indian arm Maruti Suzuki commanded between half and four-fifths of the country's new car sales in recent decades.
But as Indians got richer, they gravitated to bigger and flashier rides – and the automaker's emphasis on affordability started to become a drag. Maruti Suzuki's share of the world's third-largest autos market now lingers at around 39%, near an all-time low.
Suzuki's struggles reflect how cost-sensitive managers in Japan were slow to adapt to the changing tastes of newly affluent Indians, four people familiar with its business told Reuters. Executives, the people said, for years felt that demand for sunroofs, advanced technology and SUVs hadn't trumped questions of affordability for Indians.
Reuters is reporting for the first time details about the deliberations between Indian and Japanese executives at Suzuki as they struggled to pivot beyond a long-successful strategy that emphasized value before almost everything else.
Maruti Suzuki managers first floated the idea of adding sunroofs about a decade ago, the people said. But Japanese bosses considered the feature – which has become a symbol of upward mobility in India – impractical given India's extreme heat and dusty roads. They worried that adding a more powerful air conditioning unit and strengthening the cabin to accommodate the panel would increase costs and distract from Suzuki's mission of providing affordable transport.
The carmaker didn't introduce sunroofs until 2022. By then, fast-growing domestic rivals Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra — which both currently have a market share of around 14% — had sunroofs as standard features on between a quarter and a third of their cars sold in India, according to data from auto research firm JATO Dynamics.
This account of the missteps that eroded Suzuki's iron grip on India and its subsequent efforts to woo customers back is based on interviews with more than 20 people, including executives, suppliers and others with direct knowledge of the automaker and its Indian business. Most spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to talk to the media.
Maruti's head of corporate affairs, Rahul Bharti, said in an interview that Japanese managers were not reluctant to embrace the changing tastes of local customers. Instead, he said, they had prioritized factors such as cost and climate, as well as emissions and safety considerations.
Indian and Japanese executives engage in "extensive" talks before introducing products and new features, Bharti said. Maruti's market share had declined recently because of a collapse in demand for small cars, the automaker's slow rollout of SUVs and its 2020 decision to stop selling diesel cars, he added.
While it is committed to building affordable and compact models, Suzuki has now directed local managers to "pay more attention to the Indian customer," Bharti said.
Tata and Mahindra did not return requests for comment.
To be sure, Maruti Suzuki still runs a lucrative business in India. Revenue has more than doubled over the last five years to $19 billion and profit tripled to $1.5 billion as margins improved. About 60% of the 3.3 million cars Suzuki sold in the last financial year were in India, and Maruti contributed nearly half of its profits.
But while it is making more money, the company has fallen short of chief executive Toshihiro Suzuki's goal of owning half the market.
Maruti Suzuki also risks being seen by younger drivers as a "brand for their parents or grandparents," said Toshihide Kinoshita, an automotive analyst at Nomura Securities.
In India, the typical buyer of a new car is in their mid-30s. The average age in the United States is 51, according to data from Cox Automotive.
THE PEOPLE'S CAR
Japanese car manufacturers increasingly see India, the world's fastest-growing major economy, as a lifeline.
Many face an existential threat in traditional strongholds like Southeast Asia from the low costs and fast-paced innovation of Chinese rivals. They are also being squeezed by tariffs in the United States and slow growth at home as Japan's population shrinks.
Chinese EV makers, however, are largely shut out of India, which has increased scrutiny of investments from China after a deadly border clash between the two countries in 2020. Japanese carmakers sense the opportunity: Toyota and Suzuki have announced plans to spend a cumulative $11 billion to expand manufacturing and other operations in India by 2030.
Maruti Suzuki is now a symbol of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to turn India into a global manufacturing hub.
Suzuki first invested in Maruti in the early 1980s when the Indian brand was state-owned. Then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi wanted to provide a "people's car" to fulfill the dream of her late son Sanjay, an autos enthusiast who had sought to bring affordable mobility to the middle class.
The Maruti 800 arrived in 1983. It was priced at around $9,000 in inflation-adjusted dollars and became synonymous with India's modernization. Over three decades, Maruti sold nearly 3 million of the small hatchbacks. Such was the scale of Suzuki's dominance in India that its former CEO Osamu Suzuki said he aimed to keep a 50% market share "for eternity."
India's economy has grown some 18-fold since Suzuki entered the market. Yet Suzuki's cost-control culture meant managers initially faced resistance when they lobbied to offer advanced driver assistance systems that Mahindra introduced around 2021, some four years before Maruti, three people said.
For many buyers, the modernity and aspiration that Maruti once represented is found in Tata and Mahindra's feature-laden SUVs, rather than Maruti's workaday models. Maruti does not have "the bells and whistles" that customers now want, said JATO Dynamics president Ravi Bhatia.
One erstwhile loyalist looking elsewhere is Anil Tiwari, who is seeking a car to supplement his family's 17-year-old Maruti Alto hatchback. The insurance agent has narrowed his choices down to a Mahindra or Toyota SUV after his wife and children demanded a sunroof and a large infotainment display, among other technologies.
"My wife and children want the best," he said.
FIGHTBACK?
Maruti has been here before. Its market share dipped below 40% in 2011, though newer models and an expanded sales network helped it recover.
This time, competition is fiercer. Better equipped rivals and the fall in market share mean Suzuki now faces its toughest situation in India "in the last 40 years," chief executive Suzuki told reporters at the Tokyo auto show last year.
In an attempt to regain dominance, Suzuki is expanding R&D teams at Maruti and giving executives flexibility to make more decisions locally, five people told Reuters. It aims to cut the average product development time to 36 months from 48 months, four sources added.
Maruti has also built more car-testing labs in India to speed up design and execution, Bharti told Reuters.
Maruti has introduced pricier and more design-forward cars, including a three-row minivan that starts at about $25,000. It plans seven more SUVs by 2030, which will join a recently released model that has a sunroof and advanced driver assistance systems.
The brand is also reversing its decision not to use large display screens in some vehicles, according to three sources, who said Japanese executives had felt they would be a distraction for drivers.
Bharti confirmed that Maruti and Suzuki executives had discussed those concerns. Large displays and similar features are always "on the cards," he said, though the company continues to weigh customer demand against the realities of Indian driving conditions.
One open question is whether Maruti's more expensive cars will sell. The brand's association with affordability means Indians willing to spend more usually don't consider Maruti, six people told Reuters. Less than 3% of Maruti's sales come from cars priced above $15,500, compared with over 21% for the rest of the industry, according to JATO Dynamics.
That perception is shaping the choice for buyers like Deepanshu Singhal, a sales executive who plans to upgrade to a Mahindra or Toyota SUV from the Maruti Dzire sedan he has driven for seven years.
"I'd rather spend a little more money for a better car that has some freshness and newness," he said.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah; Additional reporting by Daniel Leussink in Tokyo, Saurabh Sharma in New Delhi, Sumit Khanna in Ahmedabad and Jatindra Dash in Bhubaneswar; Editing by David Dolan and Katerina Ang)
(([email protected], X:@aditishahsays))
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd said on 21st July 2026 that it will raise prices of its vehicles by up to Rs 30,000 effective August 2026. The company cited a continuous sustained increase in input costs, despite ongoing cost reduction measures. The exact quantum of the increase will vary from model to model. The price hike follows months of inflationary pressures and an adverse cost environment, with the company stating it was constrained to pass on a portion of the higher costs to customers while keeping the impact on customers to a minimum.
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Maruti Suzuki India Ltd said on 21st July 2026 that it will raise prices of its vehicles by up to Rs 30,000 effective August 2026. The company cited a continuous sustained increase in input costs, despite ongoing cost reduction measures. The exact quantum of the increase will vary from model to model. The price hike follows months of inflationary pressures and an adverse cost environment, with the company stating it was constrained to pass on a portion of the higher costs to customers while keeping the impact on customers to a minimum.
Powered by Tijori
July 21 (Reuters) - India's top carmaker Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS said on Tuesday it would increase vehicle prices by up to 30,000 rupees ($311.74) from August, its second portfolio-wide hike in about two months, citing sustained cost pressures.
($1 = 96.2325 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
(([email protected]; +91 9558725583;))
July 21 (Reuters) - India's top carmaker Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS said on Tuesday it would increase vehicle prices by up to 30,000 rupees ($311.74) from August, its second portfolio-wide hike in about two months, citing sustained cost pressures.
($1 = 96.2325 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
(([email protected]; +91 9558725583;))
Maruti Suzuki found it hard to adapt cost-focused culture to tastes of increasingly wealthy Indians
Japanese-owned carmaker slow to roll out popular features like sunroofs and advanced technology, as well as SUVs
Company's market share hovers around 39%, near an all-time low; CEO targets 50%
Firm is spending more on R&D and increasing autonomy of local managers - sources
By Aditi Shah
NEW DELHI, July 20 (Reuters) - For some 40 years, Suzuki cars dominated India's roads.
The Japanese company's relentless focus on keeping prices and running costs low put millions of people behind the wheel. Hatchbacks made by its Indian arm Maruti Suzuki commanded between half and four-fifths of the country's new car sales in recent decades.
But as Indians got richer, they gravitated to bigger and flashier rides – and the automaker's emphasis on affordability started to become a drag. Maruti Suzuki's share of the world's third-largest autos market now lingers at around 39%, near an all-time low.
Suzuki's struggles reflect how cost-sensitive managers in Japan were slow to adapt to the changing tastes of newly affluent Indians, four people familiar with its business told Reuters. Executives, the people said, for years felt that demand for sunroofs, advanced technology and SUVs hadn't trumped questions of affordability for Indians.
Reuters is reporting for the first time details about the deliberations between Indian and Japanese executives at Suzuki as they struggled to pivot beyond a long-successful strategy that emphasized value before almost everything else.
Maruti Suzuki managers first floated the idea of adding sunroofs about a decade ago, the people said. But Japanese bosses considered the feature – which has become a symbol of upward mobility in India – impractical given India's extreme heat and dusty roads. They worried that adding a more powerful air conditioning unit and strengthening the cabin to accommodate the panel would increase costs and distract from Suzuki's mission of providing affordable transport.
The carmaker didn't introduce sunroofs until 2022. By then, fast-growing domestic rivals Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra — which both currently have a market share of around 14% — had sunroofs as standard features on between a quarter and a third of their cars sold in India, according to data from auto research firm JATO Dynamics.
This account of the missteps that eroded Suzuki's iron grip on India and its subsequent efforts to woo customers back is based on interviews with more than 20 people, including executives, suppliers and others with direct knowledge of the automaker and its Indian business. Most spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to talk to the media.
Maruti's head of corporate affairs, Rahul Bharti, said in an interview that Japanese managers were not reluctant to embrace the changing tastes of local customers. Instead, he said, they had prioritized factors such as cost and climate, as well as emissions and safety considerations.
Indian and Japanese executives engage in "extensive" talks before introducing products and new features, Bharti said. Maruti's market share had declined recently because of a collapse in demand for small cars, the automaker's slow rollout of SUVs and its 2020 decision to stop selling diesel cars, he added.
While it is committed to building affordable and compact models, Suzuki has now directed local managers to "pay more attention to the Indian customer," Bharti said.
Tata and Mahindra did not return requests for comment.
To be sure, Maruti Suzuki still runs a lucrative business in India. Revenue has more than doubled over the last five years to $19 billion and profit tripled to $1.5 billion as margins improved. About 60% of the 3.3 million cars Suzuki sold in the last financial year were in India, and Maruti contributed nearly half of its profits.
But while it is making more money from selling fewer cars, the company has fallen short of chief executive Toshihiro Suzuki's goal of owning half the market.
Maruti Suzuki also risks being seen by younger drivers as a "brand for their parents or grandparents," said Toshihide Kinoshita, an automotive analyst at Nomura Securities.
In India, the typical buyer of a new car is in their mid-30s. The average age in the United States is 51, according to data from Cox Automotive.
THE PEOPLE'S CAR
Japanese car manufacturers increasingly see India, the world's fastest-growing major economy, as a lifeline.
Many face an existential threat in traditional strongholds like Southeast Asia from the low costs and fast-paced innovation of Chinese rivals. They are also being squeezed by tariffs in the United States and slow growth at home as Japan's population shrinks.
Chinese EV makers, however, are largely shut out of India, which has increased scrutiny of investments from China after a deadly border clash between the two countries in 2020. Japanese carmakers sense the opportunity: Toyota and Suzuki have announced plans to spend a cumulative $11 billion to expand manufacturing and other operations in India by 2030.
Maruti Suzuki is now a symbol of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to turn India into a global manufacturing hub.
Suzuki first invested in Maruti in the early 1980s when the Indian brand was state-owned. Then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi wanted to provide a "people's car" to fulfill the dream of her late son Sanjay, an autos enthusiast who had sought to bring affordable mobility to the middle class.
The Maruti 800 arrived in 1983. It was priced at around $9,000 in inflation-adjusted dollars and became synonymous with India's modernization. Over three decades, Maruti sold nearly 3 million of the small hatchbacks. Such was the scale of Suzuki's dominance in India that its former CEO Osamu Suzuki said he aimed to keep a 50% market share "for eternity."
India's economy has grown some 18-fold since Suzuki entered the market. Yet Suzuki's cost-control culture meant managers initially faced resistance when they lobbied to offer advanced driver assistance systems that Mahindra introduced around 2021, some four years before Maruti, three people said.
For many buyers, the modernity and aspiration that Maruti once represented is found in Tata and Mahindra's feature-laden SUVs, rather than Maruti's workaday models. Maruti does not have "the bells and whistles" that customers now want, said JATO Dynamics president Ravi Bhatia.
One erstwhile loyalist looking elsewhere is Anil Tiwari, who is seeking a car to supplement his family's 17-year-old Maruti Alto hatchback. The insurance agent has narrowed his choices down to a Mahindra or Toyota SUV after his wife and children demanded a sunroof and a large infotainment display, among other technologies.
"My wife and children want the best," he said.
FIGHTBACK?
Maruti has been here before. Its market share dipped below 40% in 2011, though newer models and an expanded sales network helped it recover.
This time, competition is fiercer. Better equipped rivals and the fall in market share mean Suzuki now faces its toughest situation in India "in the last 40 years," chief executive Suzuki told reporters at the Tokyo auto show last year.
In an attempt to regain dominance, Suzuki is expanding R&D teams at Maruti and giving executives flexibility to make more decisions locally, five people told Reuters. It aims to cut the average product development time to 36 months from 48 months, four sources added.
Maruti has also built more car-testing labs in India to speed up design and execution, Bharti told Reuters.
Maruti has introduced pricier and more design-forward cars, including a three-row minivan that starts at about $25,000. It plans seven more SUVs by 2030, which will join a recently released model that has a sunroof and advanced driver assistance systems.
The brand is also reversing its decision not to use large display screens in some vehicles, according to three sources, who said Japanese executives had felt they would be a distraction for drivers.
Bharti confirmed that Maruti and Suzuki executives had discussed those concerns. Large displays and similar features are always "on the cards," he said, though the company continues to weigh customer demand against the realities of Indian driving conditions.
One open question is whether Maruti's more expensive cars will sell. The brand's association with affordability means Indians willing to spend more usually don't consider Maruti, six people told Reuters. Less than 3% of Maruti's sales come from cars priced above $15,500, compared with over 21% for the rest of the industry, according to JATO Dynamics.
That perception is shaping the choice for buyers like Deepanshu Singhal, a sales executive who plans to upgrade to a Mahindra or Toyota SUV from the Maruti Dzire sedan he has driven for seven years.
"I'd rather spend a little more money for a better car that has some freshness and newness," he said.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah; Additional reporting by Daniel Leussink in Tokyo, Saurabh Sharma in New Delhi, Sumit Khanna in Ahmedabad and Jatindra Dash in Bhubaneswar; Editing by David Dolan and Katerina Ang)
(([email protected], X:@aditishahsays))
Maruti Suzuki found it hard to adapt cost-focused culture to tastes of increasingly wealthy Indians
Japanese-owned carmaker slow to roll out popular features like sunroofs and advanced technology, as well as SUVs
Company's market share hovers around 39%, near an all-time low; CEO targets 50%
Firm is spending more on R&D and increasing autonomy of local managers - sources
By Aditi Shah
NEW DELHI, July 20 (Reuters) - For some 40 years, Suzuki cars dominated India's roads.
The Japanese company's relentless focus on keeping prices and running costs low put millions of people behind the wheel. Hatchbacks made by its Indian arm Maruti Suzuki commanded between half and four-fifths of the country's new car sales in recent decades.
But as Indians got richer, they gravitated to bigger and flashier rides – and the automaker's emphasis on affordability started to become a drag. Maruti Suzuki's share of the world's third-largest autos market now lingers at around 39%, near an all-time low.
Suzuki's struggles reflect how cost-sensitive managers in Japan were slow to adapt to the changing tastes of newly affluent Indians, four people familiar with its business told Reuters. Executives, the people said, for years felt that demand for sunroofs, advanced technology and SUVs hadn't trumped questions of affordability for Indians.
Reuters is reporting for the first time details about the deliberations between Indian and Japanese executives at Suzuki as they struggled to pivot beyond a long-successful strategy that emphasized value before almost everything else.
Maruti Suzuki managers first floated the idea of adding sunroofs about a decade ago, the people said. But Japanese bosses considered the feature – which has become a symbol of upward mobility in India – impractical given India's extreme heat and dusty roads. They worried that adding a more powerful air conditioning unit and strengthening the cabin to accommodate the panel would increase costs and distract from Suzuki's mission of providing affordable transport.
The carmaker didn't introduce sunroofs until 2022. By then, fast-growing domestic rivals Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra — which both currently have a market share of around 14% — had sunroofs as standard features on between a quarter and a third of their cars sold in India, according to data from auto research firm JATO Dynamics.
This account of the missteps that eroded Suzuki's iron grip on India and its subsequent efforts to woo customers back is based on interviews with more than 20 people, including executives, suppliers and others with direct knowledge of the automaker and its Indian business. Most spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to talk to the media.
Maruti's head of corporate affairs, Rahul Bharti, said in an interview that Japanese managers were not reluctant to embrace the changing tastes of local customers. Instead, he said, they had prioritized factors such as cost and climate, as well as emissions and safety considerations.
Indian and Japanese executives engage in "extensive" talks before introducing products and new features, Bharti said. Maruti's market share had declined recently because of a collapse in demand for small cars, the automaker's slow rollout of SUVs and its 2020 decision to stop selling diesel cars, he added.
While it is committed to building affordable and compact models, Suzuki has now directed local managers to "pay more attention to the Indian customer," Bharti said.
Tata and Mahindra did not return requests for comment.
To be sure, Maruti Suzuki still runs a lucrative business in India. Revenue has more than doubled over the last five years to $19 billion and profit tripled to $1.5 billion as margins improved. About 60% of the 3.3 million cars Suzuki sold in the last financial year were in India, and Maruti contributed nearly half of its profits.
But while it is making more money from selling fewer cars, the company has fallen short of chief executive Toshihiro Suzuki's goal of owning half the market.
Maruti Suzuki also risks being seen by younger drivers as a "brand for their parents or grandparents," said Toshihide Kinoshita, an automotive analyst at Nomura Securities.
In India, the typical buyer of a new car is in their mid-30s. The average age in the United States is 51, according to data from Cox Automotive.
THE PEOPLE'S CAR
Japanese car manufacturers increasingly see India, the world's fastest-growing major economy, as a lifeline.
Many face an existential threat in traditional strongholds like Southeast Asia from the low costs and fast-paced innovation of Chinese rivals. They are also being squeezed by tariffs in the United States and slow growth at home as Japan's population shrinks.
Chinese EV makers, however, are largely shut out of India, which has increased scrutiny of investments from China after a deadly border clash between the two countries in 2020. Japanese carmakers sense the opportunity: Toyota and Suzuki have announced plans to spend a cumulative $11 billion to expand manufacturing and other operations in India by 2030.
Maruti Suzuki is now a symbol of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to turn India into a global manufacturing hub.
Suzuki first invested in Maruti in the early 1980s when the Indian brand was state-owned. Then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi wanted to provide a "people's car" to fulfill the dream of her late son Sanjay, an autos enthusiast who had sought to bring affordable mobility to the middle class.
The Maruti 800 arrived in 1983. It was priced at around $9,000 in inflation-adjusted dollars and became synonymous with India's modernization. Over three decades, Maruti sold nearly 3 million of the small hatchbacks. Such was the scale of Suzuki's dominance in India that its former CEO Osamu Suzuki said he aimed to keep a 50% market share "for eternity."
India's economy has grown some 18-fold since Suzuki entered the market. Yet Suzuki's cost-control culture meant managers initially faced resistance when they lobbied to offer advanced driver assistance systems that Mahindra introduced around 2021, some four years before Maruti, three people said.
For many buyers, the modernity and aspiration that Maruti once represented is found in Tata and Mahindra's feature-laden SUVs, rather than Maruti's workaday models. Maruti does not have "the bells and whistles" that customers now want, said JATO Dynamics president Ravi Bhatia.
One erstwhile loyalist looking elsewhere is Anil Tiwari, who is seeking a car to supplement his family's 17-year-old Maruti Alto hatchback. The insurance agent has narrowed his choices down to a Mahindra or Toyota SUV after his wife and children demanded a sunroof and a large infotainment display, among other technologies.
"My wife and children want the best," he said.
FIGHTBACK?
Maruti has been here before. Its market share dipped below 40% in 2011, though newer models and an expanded sales network helped it recover.
This time, competition is fiercer. Better equipped rivals and the fall in market share mean Suzuki now faces its toughest situation in India "in the last 40 years," chief executive Suzuki told reporters at the Tokyo auto show last year.
In an attempt to regain dominance, Suzuki is expanding R&D teams at Maruti and giving executives flexibility to make more decisions locally, five people told Reuters. It aims to cut the average product development time to 36 months from 48 months, four sources added.
Maruti has also built more car-testing labs in India to speed up design and execution, Bharti told Reuters.
Maruti has introduced pricier and more design-forward cars, including a three-row minivan that starts at about $25,000. It plans seven more SUVs by 2030, which will join a recently released model that has a sunroof and advanced driver assistance systems.
The brand is also reversing its decision not to use large display screens in some vehicles, according to three sources, who said Japanese executives had felt they would be a distraction for drivers.
Bharti confirmed that Maruti and Suzuki executives had discussed those concerns. Large displays and similar features are always "on the cards," he said, though the company continues to weigh customer demand against the realities of Indian driving conditions.
One open question is whether Maruti's more expensive cars will sell. The brand's association with affordability means Indians willing to spend more usually don't consider Maruti, six people told Reuters. Less than 3% of Maruti's sales come from cars priced above $15,500, compared with over 21% for the rest of the industry, according to JATO Dynamics.
That perception is shaping the choice for buyers like Deepanshu Singhal, a sales executive who plans to upgrade to a Mahindra or Toyota SUV from the Maruti Dzire sedan he has driven for seven years.
"I'd rather spend a little more money for a better car that has some freshness and newness," he said.
(Reporting by Aditi Shah; Additional reporting by Daniel Leussink in Tokyo, Saurabh Sharma in New Delhi, Sumit Khanna in Ahmedabad and Jatindra Dash in Bhubaneswar; Editing by David Dolan and Katerina Ang)
(([email protected], X:@aditishahsays))
Court ruling a first on fuel blending concerns
Maruti previously denied any E20 impact on older vehicles
Court asks company to replace the car and pay compensation
Maruti has the option to appeal consumer court ruling
Update with comment from Maruti Suzuki in paragraphs 7-8
By Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditi Shah
NEW DELHI, July 16 (Reuters) - In a ruling that could expose automakers to greater liability over India's ethanol-blended fuel policy, an Indian consumer court has ordered Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS to provide a new car to a customer who alleged mandatory E20 fuel damaged his vehicle.
The first-of-its-kind ruling is likely to be closely watched, as legal experts said it could embolden other vehicle owners who believe the fuel has caused problems with their cars to seek compensation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and automakers — including Maruti — have in recent weeks defended last year's rollout of so-called E20 fuel, which has 20% ethanol, saying it is safe for all vehicles.
The E20 programme, intended to reduce crude oil imports and cut emissions, has become one of the administration's biggest political challenges, with critics alleging the policy was rolled out too quickly and without offering motorists alternative fuel choices.
Hearing the plea of a doctor who alleged the fuel caused damage to his car, a consumer court in the state of Chhattisgarh said Maruti must offer a new replacement of its Grand Vitara SUV or 2 million Indian rupees ($20,760) in damages.
Maruti, India's biggest carmaker, denied the allegation and told the consumer forum that the defects stemmed from use of adulterated fuel. Judges did not agree, according to a court order issued this week that went viral online on Thursday.
In a statement to Reuters, Maruti Suzuki said it will challenge the verdict.
"The car in this case was an E20 compatible car, fully equipped to handle E20 fuel and so disclosed in the owner’s manual," it said.
Harsh Gursahani, a partner at Indian law firm PLR Chambers, said the ruling could prompt a number of other consumers to file cases, "which will be a big headache for Maruti and other automakers".
The judgment quickly fuelled criticism online, with motorists questioning earlier assurances from Maruti that E20 fuel was safe.
"Every person who has a problem ... should move to consumer court and get justice," said X user Gaurav Pradhan.
Maruti said earlier this month its checks on older cars manufactured before 2023 "have not found anything of concern".
($1 = 96.3450 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi; Editing by Aditya Kalra, Ros Russell and Jan Harvey)
(([email protected];))
Court ruling a first on fuel blending concerns
Maruti previously denied any E20 impact on older vehicles
Court asks company to replace the car and pay compensation
Maruti has the option to appeal consumer court ruling
Update with comment from Maruti Suzuki in paragraphs 7-8
By Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditi Shah
NEW DELHI, July 16 (Reuters) - In a ruling that could expose automakers to greater liability over India's ethanol-blended fuel policy, an Indian consumer court has ordered Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS to provide a new car to a customer who alleged mandatory E20 fuel damaged his vehicle.
The first-of-its-kind ruling is likely to be closely watched, as legal experts said it could embolden other vehicle owners who believe the fuel has caused problems with their cars to seek compensation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and automakers — including Maruti — have in recent weeks defended last year's rollout of so-called E20 fuel, which has 20% ethanol, saying it is safe for all vehicles.
The E20 programme, intended to reduce crude oil imports and cut emissions, has become one of the administration's biggest political challenges, with critics alleging the policy was rolled out too quickly and without offering motorists alternative fuel choices.
Hearing the plea of a doctor who alleged the fuel caused damage to his car, a consumer court in the state of Chhattisgarh said Maruti must offer a new replacement of its Grand Vitara SUV or 2 million Indian rupees ($20,760) in damages.
Maruti, India's biggest carmaker, denied the allegation and told the consumer forum that the defects stemmed from use of adulterated fuel. Judges did not agree, according to a court order issued this week that went viral online on Thursday.
In a statement to Reuters, Maruti Suzuki said it will challenge the verdict.
"The car in this case was an E20 compatible car, fully equipped to handle E20 fuel and so disclosed in the owner’s manual," it said.
Harsh Gursahani, a partner at Indian law firm PLR Chambers, said the ruling could prompt a number of other consumers to file cases, "which will be a big headache for Maruti and other automakers".
The judgment quickly fuelled criticism online, with motorists questioning earlier assurances from Maruti that E20 fuel was safe.
"Every person who has a problem ... should move to consumer court and get justice," said X user Gaurav Pradhan.
Maruti said earlier this month its checks on older cars manufactured before 2023 "have not found anything of concern".
($1 = 96.3450 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi; Editing by Aditya Kalra, Ros Russell and Jan Harvey)
(([email protected];))
July 15 (Reuters) -
INDIA AUTO INDUSTRY BODY SIAM - INDIA'S JUNE TOTAL DOMESTIC PASSENGER VEHICLE SALES 3,88,144 UNITS
SIAM - INDIA'S JUNE 2-WHEELER SALES 18,51,400 UNITS
SIAM - INDIA'S JUNE 3-WHEELER SALES 77,951 UNITS
SIAM - OVERALL CONSUMER SENTIMENT AND DEMAND REMAIN STEADY AT PRESENT
SIAM: INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO CLOSELY MONITOR GEOPOLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND PROGRESS OF MONSOON
Further company coverage: ASOK.NS
(([email protected];;))
July 15 (Reuters) -
INDIA AUTO INDUSTRY BODY SIAM - INDIA'S JUNE TOTAL DOMESTIC PASSENGER VEHICLE SALES 3,88,144 UNITS
SIAM - INDIA'S JUNE 2-WHEELER SALES 18,51,400 UNITS
SIAM - INDIA'S JUNE 3-WHEELER SALES 77,951 UNITS
SIAM - OVERALL CONSUMER SENTIMENT AND DEMAND REMAIN STEADY AT PRESENT
SIAM: INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO CLOSELY MONITOR GEOPOLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND PROGRESS OF MONSOON
Further company coverage: ASOK.NS
(([email protected];;))
By Saikeerthi .
July 9 (Reuters) - Indian tyre maker JK Tyre & Industries JKIN.NS expects to raise product prices by 11%-13% by the end of the first half of fiscal 2027 to offset rising input costs, its finance chief said, joining rivals in passing on higher expenses to customers.
The hikes reflect pressure across the auto-parts sector after an oil price rally linked to the Middle East conflict drove up the cost of petroleum-based inputs, energy and freight.
"Prices (of raw materials) have gone through the roof and for us, it went up by almost over 20%. So, that has impacted business in this quarter," JK Tyre CFO Sanjeev Aggarwal told Reuters on Wednesday, citing West Asia tensions, transport disruption and supply-chain constraints.
The company, which counts leading car makers Maruti Suzuki India MRTI.NS and Tata Motors TATM.NS among its customers, had said in May it planned a 5%-6% price increase.
Raw materials such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, carbon black and steel make up about two-thirds of JK Tyre's expenses.
Aggarwal said JK Tyre had rolled out price increases every month in the first quarter, with a small part of the planned rise implemented in June and the rest due in coming months.
The move brings it into line with rivals Apollo Tyres APLO.NS and CEAT CEAT.NS, which have also raised prices. Top Indian car makers have also passed on costs to customers.
Industry data released earlier this month showed vehicle sales rose 21.8% in June, signalling strong demand across passenger and commercial vehicles and giving tyre makers more room to pass on higher costs.
(Reporting by Saikeerthi in Bengaluru; Editing by Chandini Monnappa and Subhranshu Sahu)
(([email protected]; (+91) 8296756080))
By Saikeerthi .
July 9 (Reuters) - Indian tyre maker JK Tyre & Industries JKIN.NS expects to raise product prices by 11%-13% by the end of the first half of fiscal 2027 to offset rising input costs, its finance chief said, joining rivals in passing on higher expenses to customers.
The hikes reflect pressure across the auto-parts sector after an oil price rally linked to the Middle East conflict drove up the cost of petroleum-based inputs, energy and freight.
"Prices (of raw materials) have gone through the roof and for us, it went up by almost over 20%. So, that has impacted business in this quarter," JK Tyre CFO Sanjeev Aggarwal told Reuters on Wednesday, citing West Asia tensions, transport disruption and supply-chain constraints.
The company, which counts leading car makers Maruti Suzuki India MRTI.NS and Tata Motors TATM.NS among its customers, had said in May it planned a 5%-6% price increase.
Raw materials such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, carbon black and steel make up about two-thirds of JK Tyre's expenses.
Aggarwal said JK Tyre had rolled out price increases every month in the first quarter, with a small part of the planned rise implemented in June and the rest due in coming months.
The move brings it into line with rivals Apollo Tyres APLO.NS and CEAT CEAT.NS, which have also raised prices. Top Indian car makers have also passed on costs to customers.
Industry data released earlier this month showed vehicle sales rose 21.8% in June, signalling strong demand across passenger and commercial vehicles and giving tyre makers more room to pass on higher costs.
(Reporting by Saikeerthi in Bengaluru; Editing by Chandini Monnappa and Subhranshu Sahu)
(([email protected]; (+91) 8296756080))
India made E20 fuel mandatory at all petrol pumps at end-2025
Car owners complain of mileage drop, potential vehicle damage
Government says move lowers imports of crude, helps farmers
Modi's political opponents press carmakers for answers
By Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditi Shah
NEW DELHI, July 8 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is facing mounting anger over a mandatory 20% ethanol-blended fuel policy, with vehicle owners demanding choice and an opposition politician asking carmakers Maruti Suzuki and Toyota to provide clarity.
The 20% ethanol-blended petrol, called E20, became the only fuel sold at India's 90,000 petrol pumps at the end of last year, triggering a public uproar that however dissipated within weeks.
But it's now again at the centre of controversy after a top government lawyer called E20 an "experiment" in court - and then backtracked on the comments - re-igniting concerns about the fuel affecting the performance of cars and what critics called its hasty rollout.
Hundreds of motorists have posted complaints on X alleging reduced fuel efficiency and increased wear and tear of car parts from E20. One of the main complaints is that they have no option to buy unblended petrol if they prefer.
"Auto companies need to stop hiding and tell us clearly ... can your pre-2023 models actually handle E20 fuel?" said X user Aashna. "Stop fooling the public."
While countries like Brazil have paced ethanol blend increases over decades, the U.S. has capped its standard blend at E10 and sells higher blends only as an option for compatible vehicles.
In India, however, E20 fuel replaced E10 nationwide in 2025, well ahead of its 2030 deadline, even though E20-compliant cars only began hitting the roads in 2023.
Late on Tuesday, opposition politician Arvind Kejriwal held a press conference during which he read from the owner's manuals of Maruti and Toyota cars, arguing many old cars were only E10 compliant, tapping into simmering public anger over the policy.
"People are only asking for one thing: please give us an option," said Kejriwal, a former chief minister of the capital Delhi. He has written to Toyota and others demanding clarity on whether their vehicles are E20 compliant, according to letters he posted on X on Wednesday.
Maruti MRTI.NS and Toyota Motor 7203.T did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
GOVERNMENT MINISTER CHALLENGES CRITICISM
Reuters has previously reported that a fuel tank flap and user manual of an Audi Q3 purchased in 2024 in India showed it recommended only E5 and E10 fuel. The fuel tank of a 2024 Mahindra MAHM.NS Scorpio SUV was pasted with a warning sticker: "CAUTION. PETROL/E10 FUEL ONLY".
Mahindra said in a statement that its E20-compliant vehicles could use the fuel, but it did not address what would happen with older cars.
The E20 debate has dominated prime-time television debates and newspaper editorials in recent days. The government says E20 saves imports of crude oil, helps farmers cultivating sugar, the base for ethanol, and lowers emissions.
A lawyer filed a new public interest case at the Supreme Court this week, echoing those concerns. It's not clear if the court will hear the case amid the new public uproar, given it dismissed challenges to the policy last year.
Modi's officials and state-run oil companies have been trying to calm nerves. On Tuesday, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said he was challenging anyone to prove that their vehicle was damaged because of using E20.
Tehseen Poonawalla, a New Delhi-based entrepreneur and opposition Congress party supporter, has sought a public conversation with the minister on the issue, saying he will bring affected customers to the gathering.
(Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditi Shah; editing by Aditya Kalra and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
(([email protected];))
India made E20 fuel mandatory at all petrol pumps at end-2025
Car owners complain of mileage drop, potential vehicle damage
Government says move lowers imports of crude, helps farmers
Modi's political opponents press carmakers for answers
By Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditi Shah
NEW DELHI, July 8 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is facing mounting anger over a mandatory 20% ethanol-blended fuel policy, with vehicle owners demanding choice and an opposition politician asking carmakers Maruti Suzuki and Toyota to provide clarity.
The 20% ethanol-blended petrol, called E20, became the only fuel sold at India's 90,000 petrol pumps at the end of last year, triggering a public uproar that however dissipated within weeks.
But it's now again at the centre of controversy after a top government lawyer called E20 an "experiment" in court - and then backtracked on the comments - re-igniting concerns about the fuel affecting the performance of cars and what critics called its hasty rollout.
Hundreds of motorists have posted complaints on X alleging reduced fuel efficiency and increased wear and tear of car parts from E20. One of the main complaints is that they have no option to buy unblended petrol if they prefer.
"Auto companies need to stop hiding and tell us clearly ... can your pre-2023 models actually handle E20 fuel?" said X user Aashna. "Stop fooling the public."
While countries like Brazil have paced ethanol blend increases over decades, the U.S. has capped its standard blend at E10 and sells higher blends only as an option for compatible vehicles.
In India, however, E20 fuel replaced E10 nationwide in 2025, well ahead of its 2030 deadline, even though E20-compliant cars only began hitting the roads in 2023.
Late on Tuesday, opposition politician Arvind Kejriwal held a press conference during which he read from the owner's manuals of Maruti and Toyota cars, arguing many old cars were only E10 compliant, tapping into simmering public anger over the policy.
"People are only asking for one thing: please give us an option," said Kejriwal, a former chief minister of the capital Delhi. He has written to Toyota and others demanding clarity on whether their vehicles are E20 compliant, according to letters he posted on X on Wednesday.
Maruti MRTI.NS and Toyota Motor 7203.T did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
GOVERNMENT MINISTER CHALLENGES CRITICISM
Reuters has previously reported that a fuel tank flap and user manual of an Audi Q3 purchased in 2024 in India showed it recommended only E5 and E10 fuel. The fuel tank of a 2024 Mahindra MAHM.NS Scorpio SUV was pasted with a warning sticker: "CAUTION. PETROL/E10 FUEL ONLY".
Mahindra said in a statement that its E20-compliant vehicles could use the fuel, but it did not address what would happen with older cars.
The E20 debate has dominated prime-time television debates and newspaper editorials in recent days. The government says E20 saves imports of crude oil, helps farmers cultivating sugar, the base for ethanol, and lowers emissions.
A lawyer filed a new public interest case at the Supreme Court this week, echoing those concerns. It's not clear if the court will hear the case amid the new public uproar, given it dismissed challenges to the policy last year.
Modi's officials and state-run oil companies have been trying to calm nerves. On Tuesday, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said he was challenging anyone to prove that their vehicle was damaged because of using E20.
Tehseen Poonawalla, a New Delhi-based entrepreneur and opposition Congress party supporter, has sought a public conversation with the minister on the issue, saying he will bring affected customers to the gathering.
(Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditi Shah; editing by Aditya Kalra and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
(([email protected];))
July 6 (Reuters) - India's retail car sales rose 28.6% in June, with compressed natural gas and other alternative-fuel-powered vehicles accounting for a record 40.35% of total sales, after fuel prices jumped following the war in Iran, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said on Monday.
(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
(([email protected]; 8800437922;))
July 6 (Reuters) - India's retail car sales rose 28.6% in June, with compressed natural gas and other alternative-fuel-powered vehicles accounting for a record 40.35% of total sales, after fuel prices jumped following the war in Iran, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said on Monday.
(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
(([email protected]; 8800437922;))
By Dhwani Pandya
MUMBAI, July 4 (Reuters) - Indian government and auto industry officials on Saturday defended the mandatory rollout of petrol blended with 20% ethanol, saying years of testing and service data showed no evidence of widespread vehicle damage, despite public concerns over lower fuel efficiency and engine safety.
The fuel, known as E20, has faced rising criticism on social media in recent days, with motorists questioning whether older vehicles designed for lower ethanol blends could suffer corrosion, wear or reduced performance.
Automakers including Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS, Hero MotorCorp HROM.NS and Toyota Kirloskar Motor said even older vehicles can run safely on E20. Maruti Suzuki, India's largest carmaker, said it had serviced more than 15 million older cars over the past two years that were not certified for E20 and found no fuel-related problems.
"As a manufacturer, we have tested E10 cars which were prevalent before 2023 on E20 fuel for all parameters and we have not found anything of concern," Rahul Bharti, Maruti Suzuki's senior executive officer for corporate affairs, said at a joint press conference with government officials.
Industry officials acknowledged a minor trade-off: E20 reduces fuel efficiency by about 3-3.5% because of its lower energy content. However, they said the fuel's higher octane rating can help carmakers design future engines with higher compression ratios, which could improve performance, torque, drivability and even fuel efficiency.
Officials also rejected viral claims that E20 had caused engine failures, saying at least one widely shared case was linked to contaminated fuel rather than standard E20.
They added that E20 is the highest ethanol blend currently tested for regular petrol vehicles and said any move to higher blends would need fresh trials.
(Reporting by Dhwani Pandya. Editing by Mark Potter)
(([email protected];))
By Dhwani Pandya
MUMBAI, July 4 (Reuters) - Indian government and auto industry officials on Saturday defended the mandatory rollout of petrol blended with 20% ethanol, saying years of testing and service data showed no evidence of widespread vehicle damage, despite public concerns over lower fuel efficiency and engine safety.
The fuel, known as E20, has faced rising criticism on social media in recent days, with motorists questioning whether older vehicles designed for lower ethanol blends could suffer corrosion, wear or reduced performance.
Automakers including Maruti Suzuki MRTI.NS, Hero MotorCorp HROM.NS and Toyota Kirloskar Motor said even older vehicles can run safely on E20. Maruti Suzuki, India's largest carmaker, said it had serviced more than 15 million older cars over the past two years that were not certified for E20 and found no fuel-related problems.
"As a manufacturer, we have tested E10 cars which were prevalent before 2023 on E20 fuel for all parameters and we have not found anything of concern," Rahul Bharti, Maruti Suzuki's senior executive officer for corporate affairs, said at a joint press conference with government officials.
Industry officials acknowledged a minor trade-off: E20 reduces fuel efficiency by about 3-3.5% because of its lower energy content. However, they said the fuel's higher octane rating can help carmakers design future engines with higher compression ratios, which could improve performance, torque, drivability and even fuel efficiency.
Officials also rejected viral claims that E20 had caused engine failures, saying at least one widely shared case was linked to contaminated fuel rather than standard E20.
They added that E20 is the highest ethanol blend currently tested for regular petrol vehicles and said any move to higher blends would need fresh trials.
(Reporting by Dhwani Pandya. Editing by Mark Potter)
(([email protected];))
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.'s most advanced vehicle manufacturing facility at Kharkhoda, Haryana, was inaugurated on 2 July 2026 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi via video conferencing during the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum. The 800-acre plant operates with an initial capacity of 0.5 million units a year and is designed to scale up to 1 million units with a total projected investment of ₹35,000 crore, including a dedicated supplier park. At full scale it will be among the world's largest passenger vehicle plants and is a cornerstone of the company's ambition to reach 4 million units of annual production. Built on Suzuki's Smart Factory concept and Industry 5.0 practices, the facility runs entirely on renewable energy and is a zero-liquid-discharge site that recycles all its water. An in-plant railway siding will further ease logistics and reduce fuel consumption. The company said the plant will create over 21,000 direct and indirect jobs and is already supporting community development projects in nearby villages.
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Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.'s most advanced vehicle manufacturing facility at Kharkhoda, Haryana, was inaugurated on 2 July 2026 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi via video conferencing during the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum. The 800-acre plant operates with an initial capacity of 0.5 million units a year and is designed to scale up to 1 million units with a total projected investment of ₹35,000 crore, including a dedicated supplier park. At full scale it will be among the world's largest passenger vehicle plants and is a cornerstone of the company's ambition to reach 4 million units of annual production. Built on Suzuki's Smart Factory concept and Industry 5.0 practices, the facility runs entirely on renewable energy and is a zero-liquid-discharge site that recycles all its water. An in-plant railway siding will further ease logistics and reduce fuel consumption. The company said the plant will create over 21,000 direct and indirect jobs and is already supporting community development projects in nearby villages.
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July 2 (Reuters) - Maruti Suzuki India Ltd MRTI.NS:
MARUTI SUZUKI - PROJECTED INVESTMENT IN KHARKHODA VEHICLE MANUFACTURING FACILITY 350 BILLION RUPEES
Source text: ID:nBSE5ZrdWl
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
(([email protected];))
July 2 (Reuters) - Maruti Suzuki India Ltd MRTI.NS:
MARUTI SUZUKI - PROJECTED INVESTMENT IN KHARKHODA VEHICLE MANUFACTURING FACILITY 350 BILLION RUPEES
Source text: ID:nBSE5ZrdWl
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
(([email protected];))
July 1 (Reuters) - Maruti Suzuki India Ltd MRTI.NS:
MARUTI SUZUKI - JUNE 2026 SALES TOTAL 200,390 UNITS
Source text: ID:nBSEV0wXD
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
(([email protected];))
July 1 (Reuters) - Maruti Suzuki India Ltd MRTI.NS:
MARUTI SUZUKI - JUNE 2026 SALES TOTAL 200,390 UNITS
Source text: ID:nBSEV0wXD
Further company coverage: MRTI.NS
(([email protected];))
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Popular questions
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What does Maruti Suzuki India do?
Maruti Suzuki India is engaged in the business of manufacturing and sale of passenger vehicles in India. Making a small beginning with the iconic Maruti 800 car, Maruti Suzuki today has a vast portfolio of many car models with large number of variants. Maruti Suzuki’s product range extends from entry level small cars like Alto 800, Alto K10 to the luxury sedan Ciaz. Other activities include facilitation of pre-owned car sales fleet management, car financing. The Company has manufacturing facilities in Gurgaon and Manesar in Haryana and a state of the art R&D centre in Rohtak, Haryana.
Who are the competitors of Maruti Suzuki India?
Maruti Suzuki India major competitors are Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata MotorsPassenger, Hindustan Motors. Market Cap of Maruti Suzuki India is ₹3,83,250 Crs. While the median market cap of its peers are ₹1,10,873 Crs.
Is Maruti Suzuki India financially stable compared to its competitors?
Maruti Suzuki India seems to be financially stable compared to its competitors. The probability of it going bankrupt or facing a financial crunch seem to be lower than its immediate competitors.
Does Maruti Suzuki India pay decent dividends?
The company seems to be paying a very low dividend. Investors need to see where the company is allocating its profits. Maruti Suzuki India latest dividend payout ratio is 29.98% and 3yr average dividend payout ratio is 29.46%
How has Maruti Suzuki India allocated its funds?
Companies resources are majorly tied in miscellaneous assets
How strong is Maruti Suzuki India balance sheet?
Balance sheet of Maruti Suzuki India is strong. But short term working capital might become an issue for this company.
Is the profitablity of Maruti Suzuki India improving?
The profit is oscillating. The profit of Maruti Suzuki India is ₹13,986 Crs for TTM, ₹14,680 Crs for Mar 2026 and ₹14,500 Crs for Mar 2025.
Is the debt of Maruti Suzuki India increasing or decreasing?
The net debt of Maruti Suzuki India is decreasing. Latest net debt of Maruti Suzuki India is -₹3,158.9 Crs as of Mar-26. This is less than Mar-25 when it was -₹1,105.6 Crs.
Is Maruti Suzuki India stock expensive?
Maruti Suzuki India is not expensive. Latest PE of Maruti Suzuki India is 27.18, while 3 year average PE is 35.51. Also latest EV/EBITDA of Maruti Suzuki India is 18.36 while 3yr average is 24.67.
Has the share price of Maruti Suzuki India grown faster than its competition?
Maruti Suzuki India has given better returns compared to its competitors. Maruti Suzuki India has grown at ~8.33% over the last 10yrs while peers have grown at a median rate of 7.79%
Is the promoter bullish about Maruti Suzuki India?
Promoters seem to be bullish about the company. Latest quarter promoter holding is 58.65% and last quarter promoter holding is 58.53%.
Are mutual funds buying/selling Maruti Suzuki India?
The mutual fund holding of Maruti Suzuki India is increasing. The current mutual fund holding in Maruti Suzuki India is 15.33% while previous quarter holding is 14.95%.