Milestone for Maruti Suzuki’s Green Logistics
Maruti Suzuki India Limited celebrated a significant logistics milestone on Friday: it has dispatched one million vehicles through its own in‑plant railway terminals. The achievement, reached in just over three years, underscores the automaker’s commitment to sustainable supply‑chain practices.
### How the Sidings Work
The company operates two dedicated railway sidings – one at its Hansalpur plant in Gujarat (opened March 2023) and another at the Manesar plant in Haryana (opened June 2025). These sidings allow finished cars to be loaded directly onto freight trains within the manufacturing premises, eliminating the need for trucks to haul vehicles to a nearby railway station before they enter the national rail network.
### Current Performance and Future Targets
In the current financial year, 70 % of Maruti Suzuki’s rail‑based dispatches come from the Hansalpur and Manesar sidings. The automaker has set a mid‑term target of raising this share to 35 % by FY31 (2030‑31). To support this goal, the company plans to add a third siding at its new Kharkhoda facility.
As of 31 August, the company’s rail‑based shipments have surpassed 300,000 units, bringing the cumulative total to 10 lakh vehicles. Of these, 7.9 lakh were moved from Gujarat and 2.1 lakh from Haryana.
### Environmental and Operational Benefits
Maruti Suzuki’s CEO, Hisashi Takeuchi, highlighted that the in‑plant sidings are part of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and demonstrate how integrated multimodal infrastructure can deliver operational efficiencies and environmental benefits. The shift from road to rail has:
- Reduced greenhouse‑gas emissions by avoiding truck‑based transport. - Cut fuel consumption across the supply chain. - Eased road congestion around the manufacturing sites.
The company’s rail‑based dispatch share has grown from 5 % in FY 2014‑15 to 26.5 % in FY 2025‑26, illustrating a steady trend toward greener logistics.
Why This Matters
Maruti Suzuki is the only passenger‑vehicle manufacturer in India to operate in‑plant railway sidings, setting a benchmark for the industry. The milestone demonstrates that large‑scale automotive production can integrate rail logistics without compromising delivery timelines. Moreover, the environmental gains align with India’s broader climate commitments and the automotive sector’s decarbonisation agenda.
Context
The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan aims to create a seamless, multimodal transport network across India. Maruti Suzuki’s sidings are a concrete example of how private industry can collaborate with national infrastructure initiatives to achieve sustainability goals.
What to Watch
- **Expansion to Kharkhoda**: The new siding at Kharkhoda will be crucial for reaching the 35 % rail‑dispatch target. - **Performance Metrics**: Future reports will likely detail how the share of rail shipments evolves each fiscal year. - **Industry Adoption**: Other automakers may follow suit, potentially reshaping logistics practices across the sector.
Maruti Suzuki’s progress offers a roadmap for balancing production efficiency with environmental stewardship in India’s fast‑growing automotive market.