Maruti Suzuki India Ltd’s exports contributed over 20% to total sales for the first time in August as India’s biggest carmaker began shipments of its maiden battery electric vehicle, the e VITARA, to as many as 12 countries in Europe.

Exports helped the carmaker to cushion some of the impact from sluggish domestic sales last month as several car buyers held off on their purchases, awaiting the GST Council’s decisions on the proposed tax relief.

“When we talk about exports, our strategy seems to be paying off. The entire decline in the domestic market has been totally compensated by exports. Our total numbers, including exports, are almost flattish, about 0.5% decline,” says Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, Maruti Suzuki.

“Exports grew by a spectacular 40%-plus growth in the month of August. And now, exports are more than 20% of our total sales,” Bharti says.

Maruti Suzuki exported 36,538 cars in August 2025 on total sales of 1.8 lakh units, taking its export contribution to 20.22%. The carmaker’s first BEV consignment of the e VITARA set sail from the Pipavav port as 2,900 cars were shipped to more than 12 countries in Europe.

To be clear, Maruti Suzuki had earlier set a target of 20% sales from exports by FY31 – about 8 lakh cars by the time it produces 40 lakh vehicles annually. Exports jumped 18% year-on-year to 3.32 lakh units in the financial year 2024-25, accounting for 16% of Maruti Suzuki’s total sales. In FY24, the contribution of exports stood at 14%.

In FY25, Maruti Suzuki cornered over 40% of India’s total car exports. “We have about 40% share in car exports from India. This can be much higher,” Hisashi Takeuchi, managing director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki, told this reporter in January. “A lot of countries are waiting for the e VITARA. EV penetration in European countries is much higher than in India. So they need this car more quickly. Some export market we have to give a little priority because they need this car urgently,” he had said.

It’s not just advanced economies that Maruti Suzuki is targeting for exports. Products popular in India can do well in the African market because of price competitiveness, Takeuchi had said.

Maruti Suzuki commenced export of vehicles from India in 1986. The first large consignment of 500 cars was shipped to Hungary in September 1987. The company attained 3 million cumulative exports in November 2024. Today, Maruti Suzuki exports 18 models to about 100 countries.