In a recent interview with Lakshya Rana of Zee News, Partho Banerjee, senior executive officer, marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, shared insights into the evolving preferences of Indian car buyers, GST 2.0 impact on the industry, introduction of 1.5 liter turbo petrol, EV charging infrastructure, and more.
When asked about how customer choices have changed in the last five years, Banerjee, said, “Indian consumers have become far more demanding. Earlier, mileage was the top priority for most buyers, but now it has become a basic expectation. Today, customers look for design, advanced features, and an overall enhanced driving experience.”
Talking about the brand’s new model, the Victoris SUV, aimed at Gen Z buyers, Banerjee mentioned that Maruti Suzuki’s engineering team continuously works on new technologies and keeps introducing upgrades based on customer feedback.
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When asked whether Maruti plans to introduce more powerful turbo engines, such as a 1.5-litre turbo option for performance enthusiasts, he hinted that the company regularly reviews such possibilities and introduces new developments at a right time.
He said, “Our engineering team works tirelessly to introduce groundbreaking technologies, and time to time, based on the feedback of the customers, we keep on introducing new things.”
On the future of the Indian car market, Partho Banerjee explained that before the GST 2.0 reforms, Maruti expected the auto industry to reach between 5.5 to 6 million units by 2030. However, he added that the company is now in a “wait and watch” mode to see how the reforms impact overall growth.
Discussing the small car segment, Banerjee said that affordability has been a challenge in recent years because new safety and emission regulations increased costs. However, with GST 2.0, reduced income tax, and lower repo rates, he expects a positive turnaround for small car sales, especially as affordability improves for customers upgrading from two-wheelers to four-wheelers.
He said, “The customers who were trying to upgrade from two wheeler to four wheeler, affordability was a challenge. So we feel now with this GST 2.0 reform, along with it, the rebate given on the income tax this year and the reduction in the repo rate, things should change.”
Speaking about electric vehicles, he said that Maruti Suzuki is committed to developing a strong EV ecosystem in India. The company is currently working on building the required infrastructure before launching its first electric car, ensuring a complete ecosystem is in place.
Finally, on India’s adaptation to global automobile trends, he said that Indian vehicles are now at par with international standards. Models like the Maruti Victoris are equipped with modern features and meet global benchmarks in terms of safety and emissions.
“There’s hardly any difference left between global and Indian automotive standards today,” he concluded.
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