Maruti ships 5.85 lakh cars by rail in 2025

Maruti Suzuki India has set a new benchmark in green logistics by dispatching a record 5.85 lakh vehicles through railways in 2025, marking an 18 per cent increase over the previous year. The company said the sharp rise reflects its sustained push to shift vehicle transportation from road to rail, helping cut carbon emissions, reduce fuel consumption and ease highway congestion.

The country’s largest carmaker noted that the share of railways in its outbound logistics has expanded significantly over the past decade. From just 5.1 per cent in 2016, rail-based dispatches now account for 26 per cent of total vehicle movements in 2025, highlighting a major structural change in its supply chain strategy.

Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said the year saw two major milestones in the company’s green logistics journey. These included the inauguration of India’s largest automobile in-plant railway siding at its Manesar facility and the first-ever dispatch of passenger vehicles by rail to the Kashmir Valley, crossing the Chenab river via the world’s highest railway arch bridge.

The company has set a medium-term target to raise the share of rail-based dispatches to 35 per cent by FY 2030-31. This, it said, aligns with India’s broader net-zero emission goal by 2070.

Since FY 2014-15, Maruti Suzuki has transported more than 28 lakh vehicles by rail from 22 dispatch points, servicing over 600 cities across the country through a hub-and-spoke model. At present, the company operates over 45 flexi deck rakes, each capable of carrying about 260 vehicles per trip.