Maruti Suzuki
Hijacked Indian Roads

Alright, let’s rewind to the 70s. India back then was totally different. Hardly anyone owned a car. The ones that were there? Big, boxy Ambassadors and Premier Padminis that only government officers or super-rich people had. And even if you booked one, you’d be waiting for years. Not kidding.

Now here comes Sanjay Gandhi, a guy with a bold idea. He thought, “Why should owning a car be such a luxury? Let’s make something small and affordable for the common Indian.” And bam — that’s how Maruti Udyog Limited was born in 1981.

Problem was, India didn’t really know how to make cars properly back then. Enter Suzuki, a Japanese company, also small-time globally, but they saw potential in this crazy idea. They shook hands, signed a deal, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Fast forward to today, and guess what? Maruti Suzuki isn’t just around — it owns Indian roads. From massive highways to tiny gallis where you can barely fit two bikes, there’s always a Maruti somewhere.

They sell over 1.8 million cars every year. And here’s a fun stat — out of every 100 cars sold in India, 42 are Marutis. That’s not just market share, that’s a car mafia.

You know what’s funny? Ask anyone why they bought a Maruti and the answer’s always simple:

• It’s affordable
• Gives amazing mileage
• Easy to repair anywhere
• Cheap and easy-to-find parts
• Service centres literally everywhere

Even if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere at 2 AM, some roadside mechanic will know how to fix a Maruti. It’s basically the people’s car.

So their first big launch was the Maruti 800 in 1983. Small, simple, and so cute it became India’s sweetheart overnight. It was the car your uncle bought after getting a promotion, the one your parents learned driving on, and the one you squeezed into for those family road trips.

After that, they brought in the Omni (remember the kidnap van memes?), then Zen, Esteem, WagonR, and the legendary Swift. Every 5-6 years, they’d drop a new model and people would go crazy.

When global brands like Hyundai, Ford, and Honda came in the 90s, people thought Maruti would be history. But nope — they fought back, launching cooler, better cars without losing that price advantage.

Let’s not act like Maruti didn’t flex a little:

• Sold over 2.5 million Maruti 800s before retiring it
• Holds a mad 42% market share even today
• Over 1.8 million cars sold in 2024
• 4000+ showrooms and 1 lakh+ service points — nobody else even close
• Won so many 'Car of the Year' awards they probably lost count

You can’t talk about Maruti without mentioning their insane network. Big cities, small towns, hill stations, deserts — you’ll find a Maruti showroom and a service centre.

They made Nexa for their fancier cars and kept Maruti Arena for regular ones. Plus, True Value for second-hand car deals. Basically, once you enter the Maruti universe, you don’t need to leave.

People think Maruti only sells new cars, but nah — they do way more:

• Used car business (True Value)
• Driving schools to teach people how to drive properly
• Car loans and finance options
• Focus on CNG cars (because petrol and diesel prices are a joke now)
• Now working on electric cars

They quietly kept adding all these things over the years while everyone else chased luxury cars.

Maruti’s oldest and best buddy is, of course, Suzuki. But in recent years, they’ve teamed up with Toyota too. Some Maruti models are basically Toyotas with a different badge and price tag now.

Also, they work with a bunch of tech companies for cool features and use social media influencers, YouTubers, and auto bloggers to stay in the limelight.

Not everything was perfect though:

• In the 2000s, their cars started looking old-school while Hyundai launched good-looking stuff
• Hyundai and Tata began eating into their market share.
• Workers at their Manesar plant went on strike
• They were super late to the SUV party
• Almost slept through the electric car revolution

They didn’t give up though:

• Launched hits like Swift, Ertiga, Brezza
• Sorted labour issues
• Finally entered the SUV game (a bit late, but hey)
• Announced their first electric car for 2025

Slow but steady — like that old Maruti 800 climbing a hill in third gear.

Even a traditional brand like Maruti knew the internet was where the action’s at:

• Started doing fun Instagram reels and YouTube ads
• Live-streamed car launches
• Focused on regional content — Bhojpuri, Tamil, Punjabi, you name it
• Made apps where you can book test drives and service slots

They didn’t sit and watch the world go digital. They joined in.