For the common man, the achievement of buying their own house and car is a dream. In the last 37 years, Maruti Suzuki has fulfilled the dream of owning a car for more than 2 crore Indians! With over 50% market share in the passenger car market, Maruti is by far India’s largest car-maker.
During the 80s, owning a Maruti 800 became a status symbol and a natural next step after owning a Bajaj scooter. The car excelled In terms of mileage, budget and space, and gradually became a favourite of the masses. Returning after watching the late night matinee show while sleeping at the backseat of the Maruti 800, and being carried by our parents back to the house still remains the favourite childhood memory for most of us.
As stricter emission norms were imposed in 2010, the 800 model was phased out and Alto slowly started leading the pack. In 2015, Alto overtook M800 to become the best ever selling model in India. When I turned 18 and nervously took the steering wheel of our 8 year old Maruti Alto for the first time, my father who was sitting on the passenger seat reassured me that the car was well maintained. I was truly thrilled to find the ride made very smooth and comfortable because of excellent maintenance and service provided by Maruti Suzuki.
With the launch of Swift in 2005 followed by WagonR in 2006, and the entry into sedan market with Dzire in 2008, the brand paved its way to achieve a pan-India presence across all ages and classes. What truly sets Maruti Suzuki apart is its marketing, customer service and network presence. The company has 4 distinct retail channels in the country – Maruti Suzuki ARENA, NEXA, True Value and Commercial, thus tapping the entire gamut of customers. Maruti True Value was launched in 2001 as the brand forayed into selling and buying used cars. Starting 2015, Maruti Suzuki tapped young and aspirational customers with the launch of an exclusive, premium retail channel called NEXA. Two years later, the company redefined its retail network across India with new showrooms christened Maruti Suzuki ARENA, selling mass models and offering a modern, digitalised and transparent environment to the customers.
Over the years, Maruti Suzuki has gone from strength to strength by deeply understanding the Indian passenger market and changed the game for the Indian automotive industry. It has truly put India on wheels!