Maruti Suzuki’s Studied Silence Prior to its EV Journey: Gamble or Smart Strategy?

Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest passenger vehicle maker, commences sales of its maiden Electric Vehicle (EV) model, the eVitara SUV, today. It comes 7 years after the launch of the first mainstream electric passenger car in India's recent history, the Tata Tigor EV, and six years after the first electric SUV - the Hyundai Kona. The gap is far higher — 25 years — if one counts India’s first commercial electric car, the Reva, but that was in a different era. So for Maruti Suzuki in 2026, Is it a case of being behind the curve, or strategically (or fashionably) late to the EV party?

The OEM says it was more of a studied silence. "The industry whispered about our silence. I would like to say that we were trying to address the customer's concerns. We built the EV ecosystem to systematically take care of every barrier to EV adaptation," said Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer - Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki, during a media conference call. 

Focus on Fundamentals

Public charging infrastructure, resale value, after-sales service, and product range were the key themes that were top-of-mind for the team working on Maruti Suzuki's  EV roadmap and strategy. The company claims to now have India's largest EV charging network with 14,000 stations, as well as 1,500 workshops and 1.5 lakh technicians to address any service concerns of its EV customers.     

With an attractive entry price of ₹10.99 lakh (under the battery subscription model for the variant with a 49kWh pack), Maruti Suzuki has made an aggressive move. This is in line with the company’s philosophy and strong focus on providing affordable mobility. 

Head over heart, or both? 

The eVitara debuts in an era when advanced and futuristic technology features and striking or unconventional designs seem to be becoming a language to connect with customers in the EV space. So will Maruti Suzuki's tried and tested strategy of offering affordability and practicality above anything else still work? The eVitara’s market performance in the coming months will answer that question.

Gaurav Vangaal, Associate Director, S&P Mobility, observes that the evolving electric PV industry is broadly playing in two ways. One group is driven more by economics, and the other bets on high technology quotient and striking designs. "Maruti Suzuki always plays the simple economy and practicality card. The same approach may not wow customers in the EV marketplace, but then its loyal customer base, and a network of over 5,000 dealerships and sales & service touchpoints may balance the scale in its EV journey," he tells ACKO Drive.

For a successful journey in the emerging EV space, the ecosystem is still evolving and that may be a bigger factor in the purchasing decision of a large base of customers. Maruti Suzuki is betting on that. "We feel it is not the product but an overall package that makes the difference," says Banerjee.

Maruti Suzuki also plans to have an “eVitara club” for the first 100 or so customers of its new EV. They will be a select group of people who have been with the company on its journey over the past 40 years, as partners or customers. 

Indian EV industry poised for an "exponential leap"

The Indian electric passenger vehicle industry touched nearly 2,00,000 units last year. EV penetration has been at around 4-5% for the past year or two. Banerjee says "we think it is the time this (EV) market will take an exponential leap".

Will Maruti Suzuki be responsible for a significant part of this potential growth? Irrespective of its position in the EV market, its entry will quite likely boost customer confidence in this emerging technology. As for its late entry, Vangaal also points out the fact that Maruti Suzuki was also late to other categories such as B-segment hatchbacks, sub-4 metre sedans and SUVs, and compact SUVs, but has been successful there. 

Now however, the test for Maruti Suzuki will be a first-of-its-kind, as the EV industry is still in its infancy, as opposed to these other segments in the ICE vehicle market. A new phase starts for Maruti Suzuki this month, 45 years after it started its journey in India as Maruti Udyog — a joint venture between the Indian Government and Suzuki Motor Corporation.