Maruti Suzuki India expects its retail sales to grow 12-15% during the extended festive period this year, supported by strong demand across its passenger vehicle portfolio. The automaker delivered 30,000 vehicles on , while its pending bookings have climbed to 2.53 lakh units, highlighting the challenge of meeting customer demand.
The strong festive performance comes amid a broader recovery in India’s passenger vehicle market. Automakers have reported improved customer sentiment and higher showroom footfalls following the GST rate rationalisation. For Maruti Suzuki, however, the immediate challenge is to improve vehicle availability and convert its growing booking pipeline into deliveries.
Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, said the company was expecting to deliver around 30,000 vehicles on Dhanteras this year.
“We are expecting to deliver around 30,000 vehicles on Dhanteras this year. What is particularly encouraging is that the strong momentum is not limited to one day. From Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14 to November 6, we have already recorded retail sales of over 4 lakh vehicles, compared to 3.46 lakh units during the same period last year.
Both minor model changes, Brezza and Baleno are getting a very good response. Within a span of just two months, Baleno sales have crossed 50,000 mark and Brezza has crossed 70,000 numbers with both having huge pending bookings”.
Confirming the Dhanteras sales figure to HT Auto during a sales call, Banerjee said Maruti Suzuki delivered 30,000 vehicles in a single day. He cautioned against a direct year-on-year comparison because Dhanteras fell over two days last year.
“Last year, Dhanteras was on two days, a Saturday and a Sunday. So, it is not a like-to-like comparison. I am talking only about one day, and we have done 30,000,” Banerjee told HT Auto.
The automaker expects the extended Diwali festive period, which includes Dhanteras and subsequent celebrations, to generate more than 70,000 retail deliveries. This would represent a 12-15% increase over its performance during the corresponding festive period last year.
The festive demand reflects the momentum across Maruti Suzuki’s product portfolio, with the company seeing traction in multiple segments, including SUVs and entry-level passenger cars.
Banerjee said six of the automaker’s models had recorded sales of more than 20,000 units, marking a record for the company. Its SUV portfolio has also been witnessing demand, with the recently introduced Victoris clocking monthly volumes of around 16,000-17,000 units. The Grand Vitara, meanwhile, is registering approximately 10,000-11,000 units.
“We are gaining market share also. You all would have seen that we are gaining market share. Even last month, we gained market share. Six of our models have done more than 20,000-plus vehicles, which is a record,” Banerjee said.
He added that the company’s product portfolio was firing on all cylinders, with demand remaining strong across categories.
The response to the updated Brezza and Baleno has also contributed to the company’s sales momentum. According to Banerjee, both models have recorded strong sales, with substantial pending bookings.
Despite the strong demand, vehicle availability remains a key challenge for Maruti Suzuki. The company currently has 2.53 lakh pending bookings, underlining the scale of orders it needs to fulfil.
Banerjee said improving vehicle availability and reducing customer waiting periods were the company’s immediate priorities as it works to convert bookings into deliveries.
“Fundamentally, one of the things we have a problem with right now is the availability of vehicles. That is the biggest challenge for us. As I am talking to you, today morning also we are having 2.53 lakh pending bookings. So, we feel that right now, for us, it is about serving our customers as quickly as possible. That is the biggest challenge,” he said.
The backlog comes at a time when demand for the company’s vehicles remains strong across segments. The extent to which Maruti Suzuki can translate this demand into retail sales will depend on its ability to improve supplies and fulfil pending orders.
The Dhanteras performance and the increase in retail sales since Ganesh Chaturthi point to continued demand momentum for Maruti Suzuki during the festive season. The company has recorded retail sales of more than 4 lakh vehicles between September 14 and November 6, compared with 3.46 lakh units during the same period last year, according to Banerjee.
With six models crossing the 20,000-unit sales milestone and SUVs continuing to contribute to its portfolio, the automaker is looking to strengthen its market position.
However, clearing the pending bookings and improving vehicle availability will remain important to sustaining this momentum through the remaining months of FY27. Maruti Suzuki has also identified market-share gains as a it even as it works to improve production and customer deliveries.
