Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), the biggest car maker of India, sold its 10 millionth vehicle in the domestic market on 9th Feb 2012, just 6 years after selling its 5 millionth vehicle. A red coloured Swift Vxi was the car to be rolled out as the 10 millionth Maruti of the country. This hatchback is headed to Coimbatore after being manufactured at the company's Manesar plant, which was recently affected by labour problems.
The company had sold its first car, a M800, in the year 1981, more than 3 decades ago. It took Maruti a total of 25 years to reach the 5 million mark, whereas the next 5 million units were sold much faster due to an expanded portfolio and exponential rise in the demand for hatchbacks in the domestic market recent times. The manufacturer had acquired a new identity in September 2007, christening itself Maruti Suzuki India and dropping the name Maruti Udyog Ltd.
On this commendable achievement, Shinzo Nakanishi, CEO and MD of MSI, commented, "Maruti Suzuki's success story is closely linked with the success story of India in the last two decades. Even as India has grown and transformed, Maruti Suzuki has evolved to meet changing demands. We will continue to drive the growth and evolution of India's car market."
Though the car maker had been combating steady losses in sales in the past few months, 2012 started on a positive note for it, with a 5.2 per cent increase in sales volumes in the January this year. The labour problems that had plagued at its beleaguered Manesar plant have also been resolved now, bringing production on track once again.
