Maruti sales increase 22 per cent in March

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSI) posted a 21.87 % increase to 85,669 vehicles from 70,296 a year earlier, the company said in a statement on Thursday. In the financial year ended March 31, Maruti's sales increased 3.6 per cent to 7,92,167 from 7,64,842 a year earlier. MSI's total passenger-car sales moved northward by 13.58 per cent to 72,461 units against 63,799 units last year.  For the fiscal 2008-09, the NCR-based auto maker posted a rise of 1.45 per cent in its total sales in the domestic market at 7,22,144 units as compared to 7,11,818 units in the year-ago period. Exports jumped by 32.06 per cent at 70,023 units in FY'09 as against 53,024 units in FY'08. Its total passenger car sales rose marginally to 7,14,655 units last fiscal, from 7,07,897 units in the previous fiscal.

Maruti, the largest auto manufacturer and second largest auto manufacturer of India, is planning to launch its premium hatchback model Maruti Ritz in second week of May.