Auto Giants Turn to Exports as Domestic Car Sales Decline
With demand for passenger cars slowing down in the country, major auto companies seem to be looking at exports to boost their growth in FY26.
Maruti Suzuki reported a 5 per cent decline in total domestic sales in May to 148,858 units. However, its exports rose sharply by 80 per cent to 31,219 units in May 2025 from 17,367 units in the same period last year. For the fiscal so far, the company’s exports are up 50 per cent to 59,130 units, helping offset a marginal dip in domestic volumes.
This supported Maruti Suzuki’s overall sales of 180,077 units in May 2025, marking a 3.2 per cent increase from 174,551 units a year earlier. The Mini segment (Alto, S-Presso) saw a steep year-on-year decline of 31.5 per cent, selling 6,776 units compared to 9,902 units in May 2024. The Compact segment — which includes Baleno, Swift, WagonR, Dzire, Celerio, and Ignis — fell 9.6 per cent to 61,502 units from 68,206 units last year. These two segments contributed most to the decline in domestic sales.
Hyundai Motor India reported an 11% drop in domestic sales in May, selling 43,861 cars, while its exports grew by 3% to 14,840 units. The company explained that May included their regular week-long maintenance shutdown at the Chennai plant, which affected the supply of some key models. Tarun Garg, the company’s COO, said export growth has remained strong and reflects their belief in the “Make in India, Made for the World” approach. From January to May 2025, Hyundai’s domestic sales fell by 7%, but exports increased by 13% to 69,340 units, according to a source.
Honda Cars India recorded total sales of 5,985 units in May 2025, including domestic sales of 3,950 units and exports of 2,035 units.
“In view of the prevailing market conditions and subdued consumer sentiment, we continued to strategically moderate our dispatches in May to maintain optimal inventory levels across our network, while remaining optimistic about improved retail performance in the coming months supported by forecasts of a better monsoon,” said Kunal Behl, vice president, marketing and sales, Honda Cars India.
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