The big daddy of the Indian auto industry, Maruti Suzuki, celebrated its 25th anniversary on December 14. Maruti’s Chairman R. C. Bhargava said that the company had achieved the aim it had set for itself 25 years ago by changing the face of personal transportation in India, and is now looking to be a ‘global player in every sense’ – from research and development and designing cars to manufacturing.
The first Maruti 800 rolled out from the company’s Gurgaon plant on December 14, 1983. Since then, Maruti has sold over 70 lakh cars and 12 models. The company, to this date, and in the face of all competition, remains the most popular automaker in India with a 54.8 per cent share in the passenger car market. The Maruti Alto, which overtook the Maruti 800 in sales a few years back, is now the largest selling car in the country.
