Suzuki Motor Corporation (Japan) on Monday said overall passenger vehicle (PV) wholesale in the Indian market is expected to grow around 1-2 per cent in 2025-26, with the company’s arm Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) looking to outpace industry growth. “With the launch of two new SUVs, including the battery electric vehicle (BEV) e-Vitara, our company plans to outpace market growth. In addition, the new Kharkhoda (Haryana) plant started operations in February, contributing to increased production and sales of the popular SUV Brezza,” SMC said in its financial results on Monday. As for the outlook for FY25, although sports utility vehicles (SUVs) continue to be strong in the market, demand for compact cars continues to be sluggish, and the overall market for wholesale (dispatches to dealers) sales is expected to grow between 1 and 2 per cent, it said. Capex plans The parent company of MSIL also said that it has earmarked capital expenditures of ¥380 billion, of which investments in India will account for around 50 per cent, with plans to increase production capacity of mainly automobiles. In March this year, MSIL’s board had approved an investment of ₹7,410 crore to set up a third plant at Kharkhoda plant with a capacity of up to 2.5 lakh vehicles per year. “Being a global production and export base for battery EVs, the company will contribute to the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Indian government by expanding global exports while flexibly responding to the increase in demand in India as it works to build a system to produce four million units in India,” it said. Talking about two-wheeler business, SMC said strong sales of scooters, particularly the flagship ‘Access’ model, outpaced the growth rate of the overall market and exceeded one million units for the first time. Production and sales of all motorcycles increased year on year. Safety gear Meanwhile, MSIL said it will offer six airbags as standard equipment across models such as WagonR, Alto K10, Celerio, and Eeco, with no changes in the pricing of these upgraded vehicles. The move underscores the company’s commitment to offering enhanced safety for customers across diverse segments, it said. “India’s rapidly expanding modern road infrastructure, high-speed expressways and evolving mobility patterns imply that the need for robust safety measures has never been greater,” Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales), MSIL, said. Published on May 12, 2025