Maruti Suzuki India Limited has achieved a historic milestone in sustainable logistics, dispatching a record 5.85 lakh vehicles via the Indian Railways during the calendar year 2025. This figure marks a significant 18% growth compared to 2024, reinforcing the automaker’s position as a leader in “Green Logistics.”
The shift to rail-based transportation is a core pillar of Maruti Suzuki’s strategy to reduce its carbon footprint. By moving over half a million cars via tracks instead of roads, the company successfully:
- Avoided 87,904 metric tonnes of $CO_2$ equivalent emissions.
- Saved over 68.7 million litres of fuel.
- Reduced road congestion across major national corridors.
Since 2016, the share of rail transport in Maruti Suzuki’s outbound logistics has skyrocketed from a mere 5.1% to approximately 26% in 2025. In absolute terms, rail-based volumes have expanded over 7.5 times in less than a decade.
Two landmark achievements defined the company’s logistics success in 2025. In June, the company commissioned India’s largest automobile in-plant railway siding at its Manesar facility, which has an annual capacity of 4.5 lakh units. Together with the existing Gujarat plant siding, these direct factory-to-rail links accounted for 53% of the company’s total rail volumes this year.
Furthermore, October 2025 saw a historic first: Maruti Suzuki dispatched vehicles to the Kashmir Valley via rail, utilizing the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River.
MD & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi has outlined an ambitious roadmap to increase the share of rail-based dispatches to 35% by FY 2030-31. This initiative aligns with the Government of India’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
Maruti Suzuki, which became the first Indian carmaker to obtain an Automobile Freight Train Operator (AFTO) license in 2013, currently operates over 45 flexi-deck rakes, each capable of transporting approximately 260 to 300 vehicles per trip to over 600 cities nationwide.
Key Highlights:
- Record Volume: Dispatched 5.85 lakh vehicles via rail in CY 2025, an 18% year-on-year increase.
- Green Impact: Saved 68.7 million litres of fuel and offset nearly 88,000 tonnes of $CO_2$.
- Infrastructure Lead: Direct in-plant sidings at Manesar and Gujarat now handle 53% of total rail dispatches.
- Future Goal: Aiming for 35% rail share in total logistics by FY 2030-31.
