After Fronx, Maruti Suzuki India starts exporting Jimny to Japan

Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) on Thursday said it has started exporting the off-roader sport utility vehicle (SUV) Jimny to Japan. This is the second car after the Fronx that the company is exporting from India to Japan.

 

MSIL launched the Jimny in India in June 2023 and started exporting it to various countries in Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa from October 2023. While over 22,000 units of this five-door car were exported from India in 2023-24, the company has exported over 38,000 units of the Jimny in the first nine months of the ongoing financial year.

 

Mexico, Australia, and South Africa are currently the top three export markets for this car. The Jimny's domestic sales have recently been lukewarm. Japanese firm Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) owns about 58 per cent of shares in MSIL.

 

 

Maruti's overall exports have recently been growing at a much faster rate than domestic sales. MSIL's exports increased by 38.2 per cent Y-o-Y to 99,220 units in the third quarter of 2024-25. In the same period, the company's domestic sales increased by 8.75 per cent Y-o-Y to 466,993 units.

 

During a conference call with analysts on Wednesday, the company's executive director (corporate affairs), Rahul Bharti, stated: “Exports have been a very happy story for us. We have consistently been putting in efforts, and it is showing results now. The growth in exports is distributed across regions such as Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. This growth is due to a strong dealership network, intensive efforts to reach out to customers, better finance options, and more model launches."

 

The consolidated net profit of MSIL rose 16.2 per cent Y-o-Y to approximately Rs 3,726.9 crore in the third quarter of the financial year 2024-25, driven by strong demand for SUVs and CNG-run cars, festival sales, and robust growth in rural areas.