Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s leading passenger vehicle maker, said it has attained cumulative exports of 15 lakh (1.5 Million) from its vehicle exports to over 100 countries including Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Early this year the Company’s premium hatchback Baleno manufactured exclusively in India became the first car to be exported from India to Japan.
The Company started exports to Europe in 1987-88, when a small number of cars were sent to Hungary.
Although exports business is inherently subject to economic and policy changes in the destination countries the Company has been able to maintain and upward trend in exports over the years, said the company.
One of its entry level market leading hatchback model over a decade, Alto has a sizeable presence in the export markets having clocked over 3,90,000 sales cumulatively, the compnay added.
Maruti Suzuki’s hatchback model Zen which was India’s world car of the 1990’s took the Company to many new markets.
Exports were bolstered also by the iconic Maruti 800 and later A-Star.
In 2015 fiscal the top five exported models for the Company were Alto, Swift, Celerio, Baleno and Ciaz and among destinations Sri Lanka, Chile, Philippines, Peru and Bolivia emerged as the top markets for the company’s export models.
The newly launched light commercial vehicle Super Carry is also exported to South Africa and Tanzania and will be exported to SAARC countries in the future.
Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki, Mr Kenichi Ayukawa said, “We are happy to reach the 1.5 million milestone for our exports. Maruti Suzuki has consistently maintained a presence in international markets, regularly offering new products and reaching out to new countries. Our products like Zen, A-Star, Maruti 800 and Alto have made a mark overseas, including in the most competitive markets of Europe”.
“Our premium hatchback Baleno, made exclusively in India, is the first car to be exported from India to Japan. It has become a symbol of the Make in India mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and taken India’s exports story to a new level”, he added.
