For the Apr–Nov 2025 period, total car exports stood at 3.04 lakh units, up from 2.71 lakh units in the year-ago period, while UV exports rose sharply to 2.88 lakh units from 2.22 lakh units a year earlier.As India experiences a utility vehicle (UV) boom, with more buyers—including first-time owners—choosing SUVs, MPVs and MUVs, the shift is increasingly visible in exports as well. The country is moving beyond its long-standing small-car identity to emerge as a manufacturing base for higher-value vehicles such as SUVs, with UV exports set to outpace passenger car volumes. In a key inflection point, utility vehicle exports surpassed passenger car shipments in Nov, a gap that is expected to widen as momentum builds in the coming months. Cars traditionally dominated India’s automobile export basket until a couple of years ago. In FY24, total car exports stood at 4.3 lakh units, while UV exports were significantly lower at 2.3 lakh units.
However, November marked a turning point, with India-built UVs surpassing shipments of made-in-India cars (across all segments). Total UV exports stood at 42,993 units, compared with passenger car exports of 40,519 units—marking the first-ever instance of exports tilting in favour of utility vehicles.
For the Apr–Nov 2025 period, total car exports stood at 3.04 lakh units, up from 2.71 lakh units in the year-ago period, while UV exports rose sharply to 2.88 lakh units from 2.22 lakh units a year earlier.
Given the current momentum, total UV exports are likely to surpass car exports in the coming months, with FY26 expected to become the first fiscal year to formally witness this shift.
Maruti Suzuki contributes over 47 per cent of all passenger vehicles exported from India, including cars, UVs and vans. Currently, Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai dominate passenger car exports, together accounting for about 81 per cent of total car shipments in the current fiscal. In the UV segment, Maruti Suzuki is well ahead of competitors, with Nissan, Toyota and Hyundai emerging as other key players. In fact, Maruti’s total UV export volumes are almost equal to the combined UV exports of all other manufacturers.
A Maruti Suzuki spokesperson said compactness continues to be a defining trait across body styles—whether hatchbacks, sedans or SUVs—as compact vehicles are inherently more fuel-efficient and emit lower levels of CO₂.
While India-built EV exports are also rising, sub-4-metre SUVs accounted for about 62 per cent of total UV exports. Additionally, eight of the top 10 passenger vehicles exported from India are small or compact models measuring under four metres in length, the spokesperson added.
In FY26 (Apr–Nov 2025), Maruti exported 2.83 lakh units, followed by Hyundai, which shipped 1.32 lakh units, while Nissan held the third position with about 52,000 shipments.
