We all want to own a car at some point in life, and in India car is also a kind of status symbol and every common man feels pride in owning a car. And there is one company in India that understands a common man requirement for a car, Maruti Suzuki a company that’s been selling affordable cars in India since 1909.
When Indian roads were dominated by homegrown Hindustan motors and their flagship car Ambassador, Maruti 800 came in by surprise with a new-age design and stylish looks to the Indian market, then there was no looking back for Maruti Suzuki which holds more than 50% of the market share in Indian passenger car Industry.
Maruti Suzuki is a partnership venture between Maruti Udyog( Government of India) and Suzuki motors. When Maruti Udyog knocked doors of several manufacturers for a joint venture in India only the Japanese car company saw the potential in the Indian market and signed the deal with them.
In India, reliability and affordability are the two important words which will sell like hot cake. When the ambassador and contessa were costing a bomb, Maruti 800 came with a price of less than half a lakh rupees. This also made it the most affordable car of that time. Then, the basic principle of economics affected the market, Supply, and Demand. The production was very high and the market was too small to absorb. So, the Government took the charge and slashed down taxes and fuel prices that boosted the sales.
And for, around 10 years the company worked day and night to meet all sorts of consumer needs, and then came the time when the government decided to liberalize the economy. In the year of 1991, the Government opened up the economy, and this allowed foreign brands to enter the market. But, during the previous decade, Maruti Suzuki launched its Van, Alto, and Gypsy that increased its stake in the market. Even after the liberalization process the company stood supreme with 61% of the market share. Around 42% of which was only from the sales of Maruti 800.
So, this is how the brand started and emerged with time.
Keeping the running cost low is what every middle-class man wants while buying a car. Because saving money is something every Indian inherited for years. And according to my experience each and every car coming from the company’s factory gives the best mileage.
As a middle class I understand the importance of savings in life, and so does Maruti Suzuki. That’s why they always try to provide the best at the least. In the post-independence era, the car was like a dream for many Indian people. But Maruti made the dreams come true, all because of its cost-effectiveness. With time they also bought many options to support the common man’s dreams. In-house vehicle finance facility with Maruti Suzuki Finance and their latest addition is their Maruti Suzuki Car Subscription service, where they offer flexible subscription plans.
Ambassador and Contessa were famous for their on-road breakdowns, Maruti Suzuki produced cars that are breakdown free. The company has a network of more than 4000 Maruti Suzuki showrooms and an equal number of Maruti Suzuki service stations all over the country. Throughout the years, the brand never stopped innovating and keeping customers happy with its products and services, creating the image of being the most reliable automaker in India.
Low initial cost? Check! High resale value? Check! The company is highly renowned to make cars that are light on the common man’s pocket. Maruti’s after-sales service is one the best not only in India but also all over the world. The servicing cost and prices of the spare parts are so low that it makes the maintenance even cheaper. Technically the Maruti Suzuki service cost works out to be less than Rs1/km.
In the year of 2001, the company launched True Value, where buying and selling of used cars were done. It’s not only the initial cost that play here. #TrustInTrueValue is really worth it. The fact is, a Maruti Suzuki can return you anywhere between 45-50% or more even after 4 years of usage. Thus, providing the best value for money with the lowest depreciation rates.
6 out of India’s 10 most selling cars are from the factories of Maruti.
Suzuki. With a legacy of around 40 years, it is a brand very well-known in India. The company has become a trustworthy brand in India. Nothing can go wrong with Maruti! And even if something happens, the network is so strong your problem will be fixed. People believe in Maruti Suzuki, and so does the ‘common man’.
Maruti Suzuki’s Swift Desire is the most selling car in India with around 248,000 units sold. After looking at this high growth in the mid-2010s the company decided to launch something more innovative and profitable. Nexa and Arena are two different sales channels that Maruti has introduced to enhance the customer experience.
The Arena showrooms are said to have a warm and comfortable atmosphere for the customers. They can book their cars using the company’s website. This shows that the company has tried to grip the power of digital technology. This channel is especially for the middle class as the cars are middle-line priced. Ertiga, Wagon-r, Swift, Swift desire are cars coming under this category.
At the same time Nexa is a channel for selling premium Maruti Suzuki cars. NEXA stands for New Exclusive Automotive Experience. We all know that Maruti has a lot of cars in their portfolio that fall under the category of ‘common man’s car’ or ‘typical family cars’. So they thought why not to enhance the customer experience and cater to the audience that wants to spend a little more for premium features and supreme build quality. Ciaz, Baleno, S-cross, Ignis are some cars coming under Nexa.
With high market share and large network of operation Maruti Suzuki is remains to stay in common man’s heart for ever.
Stay Tuned….
