Maruti Suzuki bags single largest order for Gypsy from Indian Army: Report

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. | Automobiles - Passenger Cars | Automobiles | BSE: 532500 | NSE: MARUTI

08 Dec 2014 Evaluate

Maruti Suzuki India has reportedly bagged single largest order of over 4,000 units of its sports utility vehicle, the Gypsy, from the Indian Army. The rate at which vehicles are being supplied to the army is different from the sale price in the domestic market. However, as the Gypsy’s ex-showroom price is Rs 5.42-5.96 lakh in this city, the order should be Rs 216-238 crore.

Cumulatively, Maruti Suzuki has manufactured close to 140,000 Gypsys for India and 22 per cent of these have been procured by the army. However, the specifications of those made for the army differ from the variants available for sale in the home market. The Gypsys supplied to the army are equipped with black-out convoy lights, which emit a green ray during black-outs. The vehicles also have towing hooks and special hooks for mounting of weapons.

Of the latest order of a little over 4,000 vehicles, Maruti dispatched 2,100 units over the past two months. The rest will be made in the next four to five months. In the previous order, the army had procured around 1,100 Gypsys.

The Gypsy comes with a 1,298cc petrol engine. With customer preference shifting in favour of diesel in recent years, particularly in the utility vehicle segment, sales of the Gypsy for civilian use have been limited in recent years. A little over 90 per cent of the sales have been to the security forces in recent years.