GST cut fuels Maruti Suzuki’s best festive season in a decade

Maruti Suzuki is having one of its best festive seasons in the last decade, aided by a combination of GST-fueled optimism over prices and robust consumer demand. According to a report by ANI, the nation's largest automaker not only surpassed previous delivery records but also registered an incredible spurt in bookings and exports, reflecting a wider revival in India's auto retail momentum.

A festive rush like never before

This year’s Navratri season turned into a watershed moment for Maruti Suzuki. The company delivered a staggering 1.65 lakh vehicles in the first eight days, with 2 lakh deliveries by Dussehra, a number that dwarfs last year’s Navratri total of around 1 lakh. Bookings, meanwhile, have reached an all-time high of 2.5 lakh units.

“This festive season, the demand has been unprecedented," said Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki. “Compared to last year, our sales have nearly doubled. It’s a reflection of the optimism that the GST reform has created among buyers."

GST cut and buyer sentiment fuelled the surge

Banerjee credited the government’s GST rate cut in August for sparking fresh enthusiasm in the market. “After the GST Council’s announcement, many customers who were waiting on the sidelines began booking cars," he explained. “That shift in sentiment translated directly into higher showroom activity and record bookings."

Exports have also played a crucial role in Maruti’s success story this season, with overseas shipments growing by 50 per cent to around 42,000 units. To keep pace, Maruti’s production teams have been working on Sundays and holidays to meet delivery targets.

A coordinated push from dealers and financiers

Behind the record-breaking numbers lies an equally aggressive push from the company’s partners. Banerjee told ANI that dealers have been “working day and night" to deliver vehicles to customers, while finance partners are rushing to sanction loans and issue delivery orders.

Bookings, which previously hovered around 10,000 per day, have now nearly doubled to 18,000. Interestingly, the strongest response has come from beyond India’s top 100 cities, a sign that smaller markets are leading this wave of demand.

Small cars make a big comeback

Banerjee noted that small cars are driving much of this growth, posting a 100 per cent jump in sales compared to last year. “In metropolitan cities, we are seeing 35–40 per cent growth, but beyond metros, the response has been phenomenal," he added.

With festive energy running high and GST reforms acting as a catalyst, Maruti Suzuki is now eyeing an equally robust October. With 2.5 lakh pending bookings still in the pipeline, the company’s challenge isn’t demand, it’s keeping up with it. As Banerjee summed up, “There’s positivity everywhere. The market is alive again, and we’re doing everything we can to deliver smiles faster."

Get insights into Upcoming Cars In India, Electric Vehicles, Upcoming Bikes in India and cutting-edge technology transforming the automotive landscape.