Winning Bizness Desk

Mumbai. Automobile companies generally increase their vehicle prices in January and April each year. Maruti Suzuki has announced a price hike for seven of its models, effective from April 8, with prices rising by up to ₹62,000. The company cited increasing raw material costs and operational expenses as the reasons for this decision. This marks Maruti Suzuki's third price hike in 2025. The first increase was in January when prices were raised by up to 4%. In February, the company again raised prices by 1% to 4% depending on the model, with the highest hike of ₹32,500 on the Celerio model.

Other Automakers Also Raising Prices

Other automobile companies, including Hyundai Motor India, Mahindra & Mahindra, Mercedes-Benz, Renault India, Kia Motors, Honda, BMW, and Audi, have also announced price hikes for April 2025. These companies have cited similar reasons for the increase, mainly rising input costs and higher logistics expenses, leading to increased overall manufacturing costs. This price hike will directly impact consumers, especially those planning to buy a new car in the coming months.

Maruti's Sales Grew by 3% in March

In March 2025, Maruti Suzuki recorded a 3% increase in sales, selling 1,92,984 vehicles compared to 1,87,196 in March 2024. However, the sales of smaller cars like Alto and S-Presso declined to 11,655 units from 11,829 units a year earlier. Similarly, sales of compact models such as Baleno, Swift, Dzire, and Ignis fell to 66,906 units from 69,844 units. On the other hand, utility vehicles like Grand Vitara, Brezza, Ertiga, and XL6 saw an increase in sales, reaching 61,097 units from 58,436 in the previous year. Maruti Suzuki also exported 32,968 vehicles in March 2025, up from 25,892 units in March 2024.

Maruti's Electric Car and Annual Performance

Maruti Suzuki unveiled its first electric car, the e-Vitara, at the Global Mobility Expo 2025 in January and is preparing for its launch later this year. The company reported selling over 22.34 lakh vehicles in the 2024-25 fiscal year, compared to 21.35 lakh in the previous year. This marked the second consecutive year that Maruti Suzuki sold over 2 million cars. The company’s passenger vehicle sales in India stood at 17,60,767 units, while exports increased to 3,32,585 units from 2,83,067 units in the previous fiscal year.

Stock Performance and Financial Growth

Maruti Suzuki's stock closed 1.83% higher at ₹11,691 today. While the stock has risen 4.31% this year, it has declined 7.56% over the past six months. In the third quarter of the 2024-25 fiscal year, the company recorded a net profit of ₹3,727 crore, a 16% increase from ₹3,206 crore in the same quarter last year. Revenue from operations also grew by 15.67% to ₹38,764 crore. Founded in 1981 as a government-owned company, Maruti Suzuki formed a joint venture with Japan’s Suzuki Corporation in 1982. The company launched India’s first budget car, the Maruti 800, in 1983 at an ex-showroom price of ₹47,500, making car ownership accessible to the masses. Over the last 40 years, Maruti Suzuki has sold nearly 3 crore vehicles in India.