Maruti Suzuki Outlines SUV Expansion Plans Amid Battery Recycling Push

Maruti Suzuki India announced plans to introduce seven new sport utility vehicles over the next five to six years to consolidate its market leadership. The company also accelerated its manufacturing footprint expansion by adding 500,000 units of annual capacity during fiscal year 2026-27, anticipating that India's total passenger car market will reach between 6.1 million and 6.3 million units annually by the end of the decade.

Concurrently, the automaker implemented a price revision across its passenger vehicle lineup effective August 2026, raising ex-showroom prices by up to Rs. 30,000 depending on the model and variant. Management attributed these upward adjustments directly to sustained inflationary pressures and escalating input costs across raw material supply chains, signaling margin protection measures amidst fierce market competition.

Parallel to traditional vehicle expansion, India is rapidly scaling a localized battery recycling and storage ecosystem to support clean mobility goals. NITI Aayog estimates that the country will generate approximately 128 GWh of battery waste by 2030, making end-of-life recycling vital for recovering critical minerals while major industrial players construct large-scale domestic cell manufacturing facilities.