Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) said its exports grew 28 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to 2,63,068 units in 2022, its highest ever overseas shipments.
The previous record was in 2021, when the company dispatched 2,05,450 vehicles overseas.
The company exports 16 models. In 2022, the highest exported models were Dzire, Swift, S-Presso, Baleno and Brezza. Maruti Suzuki vehicles were popular among customers in Africa, West Asia, Latin America, ASEAN and neighbouring regions, the company said.
Jimny SUV
MSIL also exports Suzuki’s Jimny SUV, which it started manufacturing in India and exporting from January 2021. According to sources, the company has exported 29,316 units of Jimny cumulatively since then. “In 2021-22, 18,486 units were exported and in 2022-23 (till December), 9,195 units were exported,” the sources told businessline.
MSIL, which started exports in 1986-87 with the first consignment to Hungary, today exports to around 100 countries.
“Crossing the two-lakh milestone in exports for the second consecutive year signifies the trust, quality, reliability, performance, and affordability of our products. This achievement further aligns with our strong commitment to the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative to manufacture products to delight global customers,” Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, MSIL, said.
Interestingly, in 2022, the company exported more than double the volume it exported in pre-Covid year (2019) . In 2019, MSIL exported 1,07,190 units, but in 2020 its exports had declined to 85,208 units due to the pandemic and supply chain constraints. MSIL’s exports in 2018 were at 1,13,824 units.
“We are thankful for the support from our parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation to enable us to leverage a wider distribution network across the globe. Further, adding more models to our portfolio helped sustain excitement in the export markets,” Takeuchi added.