Maruti Suzuki, the largest car manufacturer in India has plans to increase its focus on the rural markets in India with the aim of tapping first time buyers in the rural regions. The move by the carmaker is also considered as a tactical measure to offset the pent-up demand in the urban markets.
Commenting on the carmaker’s strategy, Mr. Mayank Pareek Chief Operating Officer Maruti Suzuki India stated that automaker targets doubling its reach to the total number of villages to 2,00,000 from the current 94,000 within the fiscal 2014-15.
The rural markets contributed to more than 31 percent of the carmaker’s domestic sales in the fiscal 2013-14 in comparison to 3.7 percent in 2008-09, added Mr. Pareek.
Maruti Suzuki has penetrated into the rural markets thus enabling an arrested fall in its market share during the low sales period.