Maruti flexes its muscles to protect CNG turf

Why read this story?

Editor's note: India’s No.1 carmaker is in a tearing hurry to fill a hole. A hole left by the discontinuation of its diesel car business. And, it’s doing it the only way it knows—ramping up sales of its compressed natural gas, or CNG, line of vehicles. By the looks of it, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, is well on its way too. In the financial year gone by, it sold over 150,000 CNG-powered cars, a 45% jump over the previous year. It now holds a whopping 80% share of the market. CNG cars accounted for 12% of its sales, as compared to just 1.5% a decade ago, when Maruti first introduced CNG cars into its portfolio.  The numbers also come as vindication of Maruti’s decision in 2019 to dump its diesel line of cars, seen as more polluting, and bet on CNG at a time when petrol prices began rising. Maruti’s CNG play has forced others to sit up and take note. Hyundai Motor India Ltd, currently the only other Indian manufacturer of CNG passenger cars, has added two new models to its …