Maruti Suzuki witnesses double-digit sales growth in 2021 despite challenges

Maruti Suzuki India has witnessed a 13 per cent year-on-year growth in wholesales through 2021 as the company dispatched 13.97 lakh units to dealers during the period as against 12.14 lakh units in the year-ago period. However, in the month of December last year, the company reported a four per cent fall in total wholesales which stood at 1,53,149 units.

The country's largest carmaker had dispatched 1,60,226 units in December of 2020. Last month, the company's domestic sales declined 13 per cent to 1,30,869 units when compared to 1,50,288 units in the year-ago period. Sales of the company's mini cars such as Alto and S-Presso, fell 35 per cent to 16,320 units as compared to 24,927 in the same month last year.

While sales of compact models such as Swift, Celerio, Ignis, Baleno and Dzire declined 11 per cent to 69,345 units as against 77,641 cars in December 2020, the sales of mid-sized sedan Ciaz declined to 1,204 units as compared with 1,270 units in December 2020.

Maruti Suzuki's utility vehicles such as Vitara Brezza, S-Cross and Ertiga rose five per cent to 26,982 units during the period as compared to 25,701 vehicles in the year-ago month. Its exports saw a two-fold jump to 22,280 units as against 9,938 units in the corresponding month last year.

Last month, the shortage of electronic components did not have any major impact on the production of vehicles. However, the crisis primarily affected the production of vehicles sold in the domestic market. The company stated that it took all possible measures to minimise the impact.

Maruti Suzuki is cautious yet optimistic about business in 2022 with pending orders stretching to over 2.3 lakh units, the company's Senior Executive Director - Marketing and Sales, Shashank Srivastava told PTI. "With the supplies improving month-on-month and continued response from consumers, we are optimistic about the next year," he said.