Retail market share gains 2% in October as company shifts focus from wholesale to retail metrics, banking on 18% GST category dominance.
03 Nov 2025 | 3153 Views | By Arunima Pal
Maruti Suzuki's retail market share grew by 2 percentage points in October, signaling potential progress toward parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation's ambitious goal of capturing 50% of the Indian passenger vehicle market—a target that chairman R C Bhargava believes will be driven primarily by the resurgent small car segment.
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Maruti Suzuki's retail market share grew by 2 percentage points in October, signaling potential progress toward parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation's ambitious goal of capturing 50% of the Indian passenger vehicle market—a target that chairman R C Bhargava believes will be driven primarily by the resurgent small car segment.
"We are already seeing a shift in market share. Ultimately, it is the retail market share that we will be looking at," Bhargava stated at the company's Q2 and H1 financial results press conference, emphasizing a strategic pivot toward retail sales metrics rather than traditional wholesale figures.
The shift in measurement philosophy reflects changing market dynamics. Following the government's GST reduction on small cars announced August 15, retail demand surged dramatically while wholesale dispatches initially remained constrained. "After the 15th of August, many customers stopped buying because they were waiting for the GST reforms to happen. As a result, wholesale for a little over a month were lost," Bhargava explained.
This divergence between retail and wholesale created temporary distortions that made traditional shipment-based market share calculations less meaningful. By focusing on retail—actual customer purchases rather than dealer inventory additions—Maruti is tracking real market position more accurately.
The company's retail market share gains are built on a foundation of dominance in the 18% GST category, where it holds a commanding 69% share. "Maruti Suzuki has 69% market share in 18% category, I see that going up slowly as the number of small car sales goes up. It's not going to remain at 69%, it's going to become a higher figure," Bhargava predicted.
This category—comprising vehicles under four meters in length—grew 30% during October's festive period, compared to just 4-5% growth for larger vehicles. The divergent growth rates suggest a fundamental reweighting of the Indian automotive market, favoring segments where Maruti enjoys structural advantages.
The company recorded its highest-ever retail sales during the festive period, with approximately 230,000 units sold in October according to VAAHAN data. This performance reflected not just volume growth but market share expansion relative to competitors who have positioned themselves more heavily in premium and large SUV segments.
"If you look at the recent trends, you will see that in the coming months, Maruti is likely to record higher retail sales compared to others," Bhargava stated, projecting sustained momentum beyond the initial post-GST surge.
The path to 50% market share represents a reversal of recent trends. Maruti's share had declined in preceding years as competitors captured growing demand for larger SUVs and premium vehicles while the small car segment stagnated. The company's share dipped as rivals like Hyundai, Tata Motors, and Mahindra gained ground in higher-margin categories.
However, Bhargava argues that the small car decline was never about changing preferences but rather affordability constraints. With approximately 70% of Maruti's production in the 18% GST category, the tax reduction directly addresses the company's core strength, creating a structural tailwind.
"The retail sales of vehicles in this 18% category are likely to grow faster than the sale of vehicles in the 40% GST category," Bhargava stated, describing a product mix shift that inherently benefits Maruti given its portfolio composition.
The company currently holds 350,000 bookings, with 250,000—more than 71%—in the 18% GST category. This order book composition suggests sustained retail share gains in coming months as these bookings convert to deliveries.
Geographic demand patterns also favor Maruti's market share ambitions. Executive Director Partho Banerjee reported that bookings in tier 2, tier 3, and rural markets grew 65% in the 18% GST segment, compared to 50% in top 100 cities. Maruti's extensive 500-touchpoint expansion into up-country markets over the past 18 months positions it to capitalize on this rural surge better than competitors with more urban-centric distribution.
President Hisashi Takeuchi of Suzuki Motor Corporation confirmed that several new models are in development for launch over the next five years, providing product ammunition for the market share push. "President, Suzuki has already announced several new models that are being prepared and will be launched," Bhargava noted.
The company has also enhanced manufacturing flexibility to respond to changing demand patterns. "Earlier on, we were not flexible in our production lines. We now have far greater flexibility than ever before, and we will now be able to produce the vehicles which customers demand," Bhargava stated.
Capacity expansion supports the growth strategy. The first line at Kharkhoda is fully operational, with the second line commissioning in early next fiscal year. A fifth plant decision is imminent, backed by a ₹70,000 crore investment plan through 2030-31.
However, reaching 50% market share faces challenges. Competitors are unlikely to cede ground without response, potentially developing their own small car offerings or adjusting pricing strategies. Additionally, the market share gains depend on sustained small car growth rather than temporary pent-up demand.
Bhargava acknowledged uncertainty about long-term growth rates. "This will, over the long term, accelerate the growth, which was taking place in the past, which was actually too very low. And we should now see much higher growth. How high? I'm not going to put my neck out," he said cautiously.
The chairman expects the industry to record approximately 6% growth in the second half of the fiscal year, a significant improvement from 1.44% degrowth in the first half. If Maruti captures disproportionate share of this growth through its small car strength, the path to 50% becomes more plausible.
"The beneficiaries of the small car sales now of course are limited," Bhargava observed, noting that few competitors have maintained strong positions in the segment. "I think many car makers will now realise what the nature of the Indian car market is. I expect some of them at least to revise their product mix."
Whether those revisions come quickly enough to prevent Maruti's market share consolidation remains an open question. The company's first-mover advantage in ramping small car production—evidenced by production teams working multiple Sundays—provides a window to establish retail share gains before competitors can respond effectively.
Ultimately, the 50% market share target represents more than numerical achievement. It reflects a strategic bet that India remains fundamentally a small car market—a bet that the post-GST data increasingly validates, potentially vindicating Maruti's decades-long commitment to mass-market affordable mobility even as industry sentiment had shifted toward premiumization.