Maruti Suzuki Accelerates Growth with New SUVs, Capacity Expansion and Cleaner Technologies
New Delhi: India’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, has achieved its highest-ever annual sales of 24.22 lakh vehicles in FY 2025-26, with exports reaching a record 4.47 lakh units. This milestone marks the company’s third consecutive year of crossing the two-million annual sales mark.
According to the company’s Annual Integrated Report 2025-26, titled “The Next Million, New Momentum”, Maruti Suzuki is poised to accelerate growth through a combination of stronger SUV offerings, renewed momentum in the small-car segment, higher exports, and investments in manufacturing capacity. The company is optimistic that these factors will help it reach its next million-vehicle milestone sooner than previously expected.
Seven New SUVs to Strengthen Portfolio
Maruti Suzuki’s Managing Director and CEO, Hisashi Takeuchi, revealed that the company plans to introduce seven new SUVs over the next five to six years. This strategic move reflects the company’s confidence in the medium-term outlook and its commitment to meeting evolving customer preferences.
“Reflecting our confidence in the medium-term outlook, we accelerated our capacity expansion plans. During FY 2026-27, we added 500,000 units of manufacturing capacity. Customer expectations continue to evolve rapidly. The Company has plans to introduce 7 SUVs in the next 5 to 6 years to further strengthen SUV portfolio,” Takeuchi said.
This expansion of the SUV portfolio will enable Maruti Suzuki to cater to the growing demand for SUVs in the Indian market, where customer preferences have been shifting rapidly.
India’s Car Market to Reach 6.3 Million Units by FY31
Maruti Suzuki’s Chairman, R. C. Bhargava, estimated that India’s passenger vehicle market could expand to between 6.1 million and 6.3 million units by FY 2030-31. He also expects the small-car segment, which has faced pressure in recent years, to grow considerably faster than it did during the previous five years.
“I am happy to inform you that these GST reforms have given a new impetus not only to the automobile industry but to several sectors of the economy… We are in the process of making as accurate an estimate as possible of the likely growth of the car market in the next five years. Presently, we are estimating that the car industry would grow to 6.1 to 6.3 million units by FY 2030-31 and that the share of the small car market would grow significantly faster than its pace of growth in the last five years,” Bhargava said.
Multi-Powertrain Approach to Net-Zero Transition
Maruti Suzuki’s annual report underlined the company’s preference for a multi-technology approach to reducing emissions in India rather than relying on a single powertrain solution. Bhargava highlighted biogas as one of the technologies the company believes could contribute to India’s journey towards net-zero emissions while reducing dependence on imported energy.
“In India we need to use multiple technologies to achieve our goal of moving to net zero. We strongly believe that biogas can be generated in large quantities from locally available resources. This form of energy would substitute for imported CNG and be clean and renewable with zero import content. In addition, there would be many valuable byproducts… Maruti Suzuki Board has approved that we start four biogas plants in the 1st phase, at a cost of Rs.561 crore, and once we have learnt more about the process and technology, we hope to invest substantial amounts of money in the production and distributions of biogas. It will provide zero emission fuel and reduce the pressure on CNG and on burning coal for generating electricity,” he said.
Exports Become a Bigger Growth Engine
Maruti Suzuki’s record exports of 4.47 lakh vehicles were another major component of its FY26 performance. Combined with domestic demand, the export performance helped lift total annual sales to 24.22 lakh vehicles and underpins the company’s confidence about its next phase of volume growth.
The annual report identifies exports, manufacturing expansion, cleaner technologies, and deeper localisation as elements of a broader strategy tied to India’s economic development. Takeuchi said the next million vehicles should be viewed as more than simply another sales target.
“As India progresses towards becoming a developed nation by 2047, the automobile industry has both a responsibility and an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to this journey. Through manufacturing, exports, technology development, employment generation, skill creation, and sustainable mobility, Maruti Suzuki remains committed to supporting India’s aspirations. The next million sales of vehicles represent far more than a volume milestone. They represent greater access to mobility, stronger manufacturing capabilities, wider adoption of cleaner technologies, deeper localization, and broader value creation for society,” he said.
With record volumes already on the books, Maruti Suzuki’s next phase will depend on whether several bets can deliver at the same time: SUVs must keep attracting buyers, small cars need to regain momentum, exports must remain strong, and cleaner powertrains must scale economically. If those engines of growth stay in sync, the company’s “next million” may turn out to be less a distant target and more the next marker on an increasingly crowded odometer.