Maruti Suzuki’s Green Initiative of transporting vehicles via the Indian Railway has helped save over 1.8 lakh tons of CO2e emission and more than 630 lakh liters of fuel
Maruti Suzuki has long utilized Indian Railways for vehicle transportation as part of its green initiatives. This approach has significantly contributed to reducing both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. To date, the company has implemented several measures to enhance these sustainability efforts and its dispatch numbers have steadily grown over the past decade to 24 lakh (2.4 million) vehicles.
A Decade of Maruti’s Green Initiative
Maruti Suzuki has seen a substantial increase in the share of vehicles dispatched via railways, going from 5% in 2014-15 to 21.5% in 2023-24. This figure that stood at 65,700 units in 2014-15 increased to 4,47,750 units in 2023-24 and then on to 5,18,157 units in 2024-25. This is about one-fourth of the company’s total dispatches. Maruti now has plans to increase its rail dispatches to 35% by FY 2030-31.
Transporting vehicles via Indian Railways further strengthens the company’s Green Initiative. Maruti has saved over 1.8 lakh tons of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) emission and more than 630 lakh (63 million) liters of fuel. This mode of transport has also helped to alleviate highway congestion to a great extent.
The company currently transports vehicles to over 20 hubs via the Indian Railways. From then on, it is dispatched to over 600 cities across the country. The two ports of Mundra and Pipavav, from where the company conducts its exports are also served via the railways.
Speaking on the milestone, Mr. Hisashi Takeuchi, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, “Reducing carbon emissions is a top priority for us, both in our products and in our operations. Maruti Suzuki was the first company in India to obtain an Automobile-Freight-Train-Operator license, in 2013. Since then, we have dispatched nearly 24 lakh vehicles through rail mode. By FY 2030-31, we plan to increase the share of vehicle dispatches through railways to 35%.”
24 Lakh Vehicle Dispatches by Rail Since FY15
Maruti Suzuki was the first company in India to obtain an Automobile-Freight-Train-Operator license, in 2013. Since then, its vehicle dispatches through railways have grown by nearly 8 times. It was in 2024 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first in-plant railway siding at the Maruti Suzuki plant in Gujarat. The company also has plans to set up similar railway sidings at Manesar and Kharkhoda plants in Haryana.
The company currently operates over 40 flexi deck rakes with a capacity of transporting around 300 vehicles per trip. The company plans even more efficient optimization and is in the process of implementing automated routes, order batching, and intelligent fleet management which will go even further to further reduce fuel consumption and enhance vehicle efficiency.
Parallel to increased rail transportation, the company has also significantly improved its solar power capacity. It aims to reach 319MWp by FY2030-31, backed by an investment of over INR 925 crore. The target is to have 85% of electricity consumption via renewable sources by FY2030-31.
