Maruti Suzuki is planning to set up biogas plants at all its facilities including Manesar, Gurgaon, Gujarat and Kharkoda as India's No. 1 car maker transitions to using green energy for production.
This was stated by Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) chairman R.C. Bhargava in an online interaction with the media last week. "We are looking into biogas plants," he said.
Parent company Suzuki Motor Corporation is also studying the opportunity of starting a biogas plant with Amul in Gujarat, said MSIL managing director and CEO Hishahi Takeuchi
"We aim to use agricultural waste as well as in-house waste from our factories to change our energy use in our factories."
Bhargava said: "We use a lot of gas for firing our gas turbines, our paint shops. Currently, we have to depend on imported CNG which is quite costly. With biogas, it will be a lot cheaper in the longer run and being a carbon-negative energy source, it will reduce the carbon economy."
Used cars
Used car ownership across the country has witnessed an increase of 45 per cent in 2022 over 2021.
According to a used car start-up, hatchbacks make up 62 per cent of the sales, while sedans and SUVs contribute 19 per cent each.
City-wise, Calcutta has posted a 93 per cent increase in pre-owned car sales in H1, 2023 (first half, January to June 2023) over last year, said Gajendra Jangid, co-founder of Cars24, a platform for used car business, started in 2015.
The surge in purchases in the city is driven by strategic government investments in road infrastructure, said Jangid.
The Centre's decision to allot Rs 812.50 crore for the NH-116B Widening-cum-Strengthening project in Bengal has further improved connectivity.
Factors such as cost-effectiveness, convenience and improved accessibility have driven individual purchases, said Jangid.
"This upward trajectory is a reflection of the changing attitudes towards car ownership and the recognition of the value provided by the pre-owned car market," he added
Jeep sales
Jeep India sales have dipped 50 per cent in the first seven months this calendar year.
The marquee brand, with products such as the Jeep Compass, the Meridien, Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, sold 13,500 units in 2022.
Stellantis which owns the brand is trying to revive Jeep's fortunes by introducing a new diesel powertrain transmission for its largest-selling SUV, the Compass next month, said Aditya Jairaj, deputy managing director of Stellantis India and head Jeep India.
Asked if Jeep was looking to bring in a product below the Compass, Jairaj said: "We are present in a price band of Rs 21 lakh to Rs 70 lakh and we have four products. What we need to focus on is maximising our presence in that band."
