Maruti Suzuki has set a target of selling nine lakh CNG vehicles in FY27 after volumes rose 58% in the first quarter, reinforcing the fuel’s importance in the carmaker’s multi-powertrain strategy.
The country’s largest carmaker sold 2.2 lakh CNG vehicles in the first quarter of this financial year, Chairman RC Bhargava said in his address to shareholders in the company’s annual report for FY26. This followed a 22% increase in CNG sales to 7.46 lakh units in FY26.
"CNG cars have been in much demand,” Bhargava said. “This year’s target is nine lakh CNG cars."
The target represents an increase of about 21% over FY26 volumes.
Maruti Suzuki Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi, in his message to shareholders that the company’s multi-pathway approach had helped it meet its Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency Phase 2 target for FY26 “by a good margin”.
Maruti Suzuki’s multi-powertrain strategy covers battery-electric vehicles, strong hybrids, CNG, compressed biogas, E20-compatible vehicles, and flex-fuel technologies.
“For a country as large and diverse as India, no single technology pathway can adequately address all mobility needs,” Takeuchi said.
He described the multi-powertrain approach as a practical route towards reducing carbon emissions while preserving affordability, customer choice and energy security, while remaining suited to local conditions.
Among these pathways, Maruti Suzuki sees a significant opportunity in compressed biogas. Takeuchi said India’s biomass resources could be used to produce low-carbon fuel locally, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and create supply chains supporting the rural economy. Using paddy straw as feedstock could also help reduce crop burning.
Maruti Suzuki’s board has approved four biogas plants in the first phase at an investment of Rs 561 crore. Bhargava said the company could make substantial further investments in biogas production and distribution after gaining experience from the initial projects.
The carmaker plans to consume more than 20 tonnes of biogas per day by FY31. It has also been working with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, over the past two years to study biogas production and the use of fermented organic manure.
The nine-lakh-unit target underlines the role CNG will continue to play in Maruti Suzuki’s efforts to reduce fleet emissions and meet regulatory requirements alongside electric vehicles, hybrids and biofuels.