Maruti Suzuki Operating With Just 3 Days of Dealer Stock: Partho Banerjee

Maruti Suzuki is running with limited inventory at dealerships as most vehicles remain in transit. Senior Executive Officer Partho Banerjee said effective physical stock at dealer outlets is around three days, despite a higher network stock figure. Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer (Marketing and Sales) at Maruti Suzuki, said “We are operating at 10 days network stock out of which 6 to 7 days are related to vehicles in transit. So, effectively, the physical stock which we have at dealerships is only of 3 days.”

The limited dealer stock is linked to production constraints and strong order inflows. Banerjee said the company has been unable to build inventory at factories, with vehicles being dispatched immediately after production.

Maruti Suzuki reported that it did not have dispatchable factory stock during December and January, despite extended production schedules, including work on weekends and holidays.

The company is also carrying a higher-than-normal order backlog. Banerjee stated that pending bookings stand at around 1.75 lakh units, exceeding the typical one-month booking level. To manage waiting periods, Maruti Suzuki said it is adjusting production across models and segments rather than prioritising inventory build-up at dealerships. In January Maruti Suzuki got close to 2,75 lakh bookings averaging around 9,000 to 10,000 bookings every day.

According to the company, production planning is being used to balance demand across entry-level cars, utility vehicles and mid-SUVs. Banerjee said this approach is intended to prevent excessive waiting periods in any single segment, even if it leads to fluctuations in wholesale numbers month to month. The company indicated that production constraints are expected to continue for the next few months, until additional capacity becomes operational.