Rail Logistics Becomes a Core Pillar of Maruti Suzuki’s Growth Strategy

Maruti Suzuki India Limited has achieved a major logistics milestone by dispatching a record 5.85 lakh vehicles by rail in calendar year 2025, marking an 18% increase over 2024. The achievement highlights the automaker’s accelerating shift toward rail-based logistics as part of its long-term sustainability and efficiency strategy.

Over the past decade, rail has moved from being a marginal transport option to a central component of Maruti Suzuki’s outbound vehicle logistics.

Rail Share Rises Fivefold in a Decade

Maruti Suzuki revealed that the share of rail in its outbound logistics has surged from just 5.1% in 2016 to nearly 26% in 2025. This transition has delivered multiple benefits, including lower carbon emissions, reduced road congestion, and a decline in fuel consumption, helping ease India’s dependence on oil imports.

The company has consistently promoted rail as a greener, more scalable alternative to road transport, aligning its logistics operations with national sustainability goals.

Leadership Emphasises Green Logistics Milestones

Commenting on the record performance, Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said 2025 marked a defining year for the company’s green logistics journey.

He highlighted two landmark developments during the year:

• The inauguration of India’s largest in-plant automobile railway siding at the Manesar facility
• The first-ever rail dispatch of passenger vehicles to the Kashmir Valley, crossing the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River

These milestones, he noted, demonstrate Maruti Suzuki’s commitment to innovation in sustainable logistics.

Ambitious Target: 35% Rail Dispatch by FY 2030–31

Looking ahead, Maruti Suzuki has set an ambitious goal to increase rail-based vehicle dispatches to 35% by FY 2030–31. This target supports India’s broader ambition of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.

The company has adopted a comprehensive “Circular Mobility” approach, focusing on reducing emissions across the entire vehicle lifecycle from design and manufacturing to logistics operations and end-of-life vehicle management.

A Decade-Long Commitment to Rail Transport

Maruti Suzuki’s shift to rail is the result of sustained investment over more than a decade. The company became India’s first automobile manufacturer to obtain an Automobile-Freight-Train-Operator (AFTO) licence in 2013, allowing it to directly manage rail-based vehicle transportation.

Since FY 2014–15, the automaker has transported over 28 lakh vehicles by rail from 22 dispatch points, serving more than 600 cities across the country through a hub-and-spoke logistics model.

Expanding Rail Infrastructure and Capacity

Currently, Maruti Suzuki operates over 45 flexi-deck rakes, each capable of carrying around 260 vehicles per trip. In 2025, 53% of total rail dispatches originated from in-plant railway sidings at its Gujarat and Manesar manufacturing facilities.

This growing reliance on plant-level rail infrastructure underscores the company’s focus on integrating sustainability directly into its manufacturing and distribution network.

A Model for Sustainable Auto Logistics in India

Maruti Suzuki’s record rail dispatch in 2025 reflects more than just operational efficiency. It signals a structural shift in how India’s largest carmaker approaches logistics, sustainability, and long-term growth.

As environmental concerns and infrastructure constraints intensify, Maruti Suzuki’s rail-first logistics strategy could serve as a blueprint for the broader automotive industry, balancing scale, efficiency, and environmental responsibility.