Maruti Suzuki India plans to localise battery production and other critical components over the next few years as part of efforts to strengthen the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem in the country.
The country’s
largest carmaker, which is set to launch its first electric model, the e VITARA, in the domestic market next year, said localisation will be rolled out in a phased manner. “Right now we are importing the batteries, but yes, we do have a plan for localisation. It is very much on the cards over the next few years,” Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales) at Maruti Suzuki India, told reporters.
Banerjee said EV adoption in India will accelerate only when consumers are confident enough to buy electric cars as their primary household vehicle. He noted that early EV launches and customer experiences have created concerns, particularly around driving range. “Today, most customers buying EVs are using them as a secondary vehicle. It’s not the primary car,” he said, adding that the lack of public charging infrastructure discourages buyers from choosing EVs over internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
By FY30, Maruti Suzuki plans to have five EV models in its portfolio. Banerjee said industry estimates had earlier pegged overall passenger vehicle volumes at 5.5–6 million units by then, with EV penetration of 13–15 percent. However, he noted that these projections were made before GST 2.0, and the company will reassess the market outlook next financial year amid reports of slowing EV penetration.
He identified driving range, inadequate public charging infrastructure, after-sales service challenges and concerns around resale value as the biggest hurdles to EV adoption. To address these, Maruti Suzuki plans to operate 1,500 EV-enabled workshops across 1,100 cities and has already set up 2,000 charging points. The company will also introduce assured buyback and subscription schemes to support resale value.
Maruti Suzuki has already begun exporting the e VITARA, shipping 10,000 units to 26 markets. The automaker aims to roll out multiple electric models across body styles and plans to set up around 1 lakh charging stations by 2030 in partnership with dealers and charging point operators, as it targets leadership in India’s EV segment.
