Maruti The Preferred Vehicle Of Malayalis

Maruti Suzuki enjoys a market share of 53 per cent in Kerala which is higher than what the brand enjoys in any other state in India.

With a whopping 53 per cent market share in Kerala, the highest it has in any Indian State, Maruti literally owns the roads in ‘God’s Own Country.’ Last fiscal, all the five top selling models in Kerala came from the Maruti stable. Malayalis are way too loyal to the brand which sells in excess of one lakh vehicles annually in the State. Post yet another spectacular Onam sale season, Destination Kerala caught up with R S Kalsi, Executive Director - Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki to ask him what makes Maruti Suzuki rock in Kerala.

How has been the Onam sale season for Maruti?

August and September is a reasonable measure of the festive season as Onam was in August last year and this year it was in September. The market was very buoyant. Customer enquiries have grown by 9 per cent and bookings during this festive period (Chingam) were up by 23 per cent. Sales also have grown 4 per cent as compared to previous year. Last year we sold 25,800 vehicles.

How critical is the Kerala market vis-a-vis national performance and South India regional market performance?

Kerala is definitely an important market for Maruti Suzuki as 8.2 per cent of the sales are from Kerala. We have been selling one lakh-plus vehicles in the last couple of years. Moreover, we also enjoy the highest market share of 53 per cent, higher than any other state in India. 32 per cent of the South Zone’s sales are from Kerala. The South Zone, which comprises five states has grown by 11.7 per cent in the last fiscal and continues to grow by 14.6 per cent in the current fiscal. Close to 30 per cent of Maruti’s sales are in South.

Which are the models performing well in Kerala?