800 to SX4 – quite a journey! [Image source]
Sanjay Gandhi is perhaps more infamous than he is known for good deeds. But one that truly stands out as the nation’s pride, the now ubiquitous Maruti car, has been his initiative.
He however did not live to see Maruti’s giant stride in decades after his demise. To put in perspective Mauti’s phenomenal success, I believe it’ll be difficult to find a person among urban Indian populace who hasn’t one time or other hasn’t owned a Maruti.
And now Maruti is no more owned by government. On May 9, its residual ownership of just above 10% has passed on to private hands for a princely sum of Rs.2360 crore.
That’s not bad, considering how the company once almost went broke and had to be nursed back to health. It hasn’t looked back since, having sold 6.05 million cars till a month back of which the 800 numbers more than 2.6 million.
Today, as the country’s economy scales new highs, carmakers are having a field day. Maruti’s latest launch, SX4 in place of Baleno is a beauty to watch, and as they say, it’s the largest car in its class.
But as Maruti is forging ahead with upscale models, its position as the cheapest carmaker is set to see a new occupant, the Tata Motors, when the latter starts manufacturing Rs.1 lakh cars from its Singur plant from next year.
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