Nissan India takes over Maruti Suzuki to claim the second spot in exports

Maruti Suzuki recently lost its second position in the export arena to Nissan Motors India. It is cited by industry experts that Suzuki cars are losing out to competition worldwide which led to a fall in the company’s exports numbers. 

Hyundai still retains the crown of the highest exporter of cars from India, in the new order of rankings; Hyundai is followed by Nissan India and then Maruti Suzuki. Nissan’s current models, the Micra and Sunny sedan outsell Suzuki’s top sellers like the A-Star, Alto and Dzire.

In the last fiscal, Nissan India shipped 1.16 lakh vehicles showing a growth of 18 per cent. In comparison Maruti Suzuki exported 1.01 lakh units losing 16 per cent in overall exports, whereas the export leader, Hyundai, shipped 2.33 lakh made in India vehicles to the overseas markets.

"Hyundai has established the Indian market as the major export hub and a centre of excellence for compact cars. We have been the largest exporter from India for the past decade and have been sending 'made in India' cars to over 120 countries. India serves as the major source for models like Eon, Santro, i10, Grand, Accent and i20 and serves as a major production base out of the seven plants Hyundai operates out of South Korea," said Rakesh Srivastava senior vice president (marketing & sales) of Hyundai Motor India.

This is a big blow for Maruti Suzuki as about 10 years ago it lost the title of the market leader in exports to Hyundai. While Hyundai has been at the helm ever since it took over Maruti, this time Nissan has beaten it to second place. But while Suzuki cars have seen a fall in demand overseas, its Indian arm is still in the lead with the company boasting an enviable market share of more than 40 per cent.

Source: ET