Covid-19 lockdown: Maruti May sales at 18,539 units

NEW DELHI: Maruti Suzuki India Limited--the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer--sold 18,539 units in May having resumed production in a phased manner at two of its units last month after easing of lockdown curbs.

Sales are not comparable on a year-on-year basis as operations were suspended due to the lockdown to contain the spread of covid-19. But to put in perspective, last year in May the company sold 1,34,641 units.

"Maruti Suzuki posted total sales of 18,539 units in May 2020 (including 13,865 units in domestic market and sales of 23 units to other OEM). The company resumed its manufacturing operations...from May 12th at its Manesar facility and from May 18th at its Gurugram facility," the company said in a statement on Monday.

Some of Maruti’s showrooms have also reopened, while complying with Centre and state guidelines, across cities and the remaining will resume operations in due course if they are not located in containment zones or restricted by local authorities, the company added.

The New Delhi-based car maker exported 4,651 units following resumption of port operations at Mundra and Mumbai port.

Automobile manufactures, like others, had shut don their factories and showrooms from March 22 following the lockdown announced by the Union and state governments.

Maruti has been utilizing around 20% of its installed production capacity as the safety measures taken at the plant have made manufacturing process cumbersome. Also, lack of demand and high inventories with dealers has forced the company to limit vehicle production. The company plans to gradually increase its production capacity in the next six months.