Maruti Suzuki India has approximately 1.2 lakh pending bookings for CNG vehicles, accounting for nearly half of its total order backlog of 2.5 lakh units as of November 6, as component shortages constrain production amid strong demand, according to a senior company official.
"Now, my problem is this, that CNG, there is a supply constraint. But our supply chain team has assured us that from January we will have a better supply," Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, said in an interview with this publication.
Banerjee said the company was working with suppliers to address shortages of components used in CNG kits. It expects CNG supplies to improve gradually from January 2027.
The supply constraints come at a time when demand for CNG vehicles is growing strongly. According to Banerjee, Maruti Suzuki's CNG volumes have increased by approximately 38% since April, supported by higher fuel prices and growing consumer preference for vehicles with lower running costs.
During its October sales briefing, the company said it had sold nearly 87,000 CNG vehicles during the month, with CNG accounting for close to 40% of its domestic sales. However, management indicated that monthly CNG production capability remained constrained at around 85,000-86,000 vehicles.
Demand for the company's CNG vehicles has expanded beyond entry-level hatchbacks to premium hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs and MPVs. Maruti offers factory-fitted CNG variants across several models, including the WagonR, Swift, Baleno, Dzire, Brezza, Victoris and Ertiga.
Maruti Suzuki has also been expanding the appeal of CNG vehicles beyond entry-level buyers. Its newer Brezza and Victoris models offer underbody CNG tank arrangements, addressing one of the limitations of conventional CNG cars by retaining usable luggage space.
During the October sales briefing, Banerjee said the company was seeing customers move from diesel to CNG vehicles, particularly as fuel costs increased. He also argued that the perception of CNG was changing from a purely economical option to a more aspirational choice.
"There are customers who are now shifting from the diesel to the CNG variants. That's a very positive sign which we are seeing in the market now," he said earlier.
The growing CNG order book is part of a wider increase in demand for Maruti Suzuki vehicles. According to the company's November 1 sales release, domestic passenger vehicle wholesales rose 20.5% year-on-year to 2,12,384 units in October, while total monthly sales reached a record 2,76,120 units, up 25%.
Maruti Suzuki has also been increasing overall vehicle production. During the October sales briefing, Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, said average daily production had risen from approximately 9,100 vehicles in the first quarter of FY27 to 9,600 in the second quarter and 10,100 in October.
However, the expansion in overall output has not fully resolved the constraints affecting CNG models, which depend on the availability of specific components.