Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently opened the first car in-plant railway siding project of Maruti Suzuki India at its Hansalpur plant in Gujarat. During his visit to Gujarat, Modi also marked the beginning of railway projects valued at ₹85,000 crore, introducing 10 new Vande Bharat trains.
Maruti Suzuki aims to utilize India’s extensive railway network to transport new cars from its factories to dealers, aligning with the government’s push for clean mobility solutions and cost reduction. The company, along with its joint venture partners, invested over ₹1,081 crore to create the in-plant railway siding in Gujarat.
India’s largest carmaker intends to establish similar facilities in Manesar and Kharkhoda, both located in Haryana. With a goal to double annual production capacity to 4 million vehicles by 2030, Maruti Suzuki plans to significantly increase the share of new cars shipped by railways, currently at around 21%.
Rahul Bharti, Maruti Suzuki’s executive officer for corporate affairs, highlighted the company’s focus on green logistics, emphasizing their commitment to transporting more vehicles via railways in the coming years. Currently, over a fifth of all passenger vehicles produced in India are transported by railways, a substantial increase from 4.5% in FY18.
Apart from cost advantages, railways provide the convenience of efficiently transporting multiple batches of vehicles while contributing to sustainability goals. Additionally, railway transportation allows automakers to reach distant destinations in a shorter time compared to road transport.
