From 800 to Vitara Brezza, Maruti Suzuki touches record 20 million production

Maruti Suzuki becomes the first car manufacturer in India to reach the milestone.

New Delhi: Remember the time when Maruti 800 was the king of cars in India? Remember when the Omni was a household name and the Gypsy conquered the length and breadth of India? Every one of these car models, alongwith the latest offerings from Maruti Suzuki, have helped the company touch a record 20 million production mark in the country.

Maruti Suzuki announced the record on Monday and said it had reached the landmark at its Gurugram and Manesar plants. It becomes the country's first car-maker to touch the figure and took 34 years and six months to be here.

And it has been a long journey indeed.

Production first started for the company in December of 1983 and the one million mark was reached in March of 1994. The five million mark was reached in April of 2005 while the figure doubled in March of 2011. It took all of seven years from here for the company to go from 10 million to 20 million and now has 16 models for the domestic market. Vehicles manufactured here are also exported to markets abroad to over 100 countries including Japan and many across Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Speaking on the occasion, Kenichi Ayukawa, MD and CEO, said that the milestone reflects the trust that the company enjoys among its customers. "The 20 million production milestone is a testimony of trust in brand Maruti Suzuki. For over three decades, Maruti Suzuki has worked to listen and meet the evolving customer aspirations with contemporary products of global quality," he said.

From here, the company is looking to only grow. The launch of the facelift Ciaz - one of the most popular sedans in the country - is expected in August while the facelift Ertiga too would be launched later in the year.