Maruti Suzuki India ended 2019 with a drop of 12.3 per cent in its annual sales. The fall, the steepest in almost a decade, came on the back of poor economic growth and a slowdown in overall consumption. India’s economy grew at an anaemic 4.5 per cent in the September quarter, the lowest in five years.

Entering 2020, Maruti is optimistic, even as it remains cautious of the disruptions expected in the next couple of months, ahead of the implementation of BS-VI and high cost of ownership, said a top executive of the company.

Shares of automobile companies gained on Monday after Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) increased its production in November. At 10:30 AM, the S&P BSE Auto index climbed 1.5 per cent as compared to a flat benchmark S&P BSE Sensex and was the top gainer among BSE sectoral indices.

Among individual stocks, Maruti Suzuki India, Tata Motors, and Motherson Sumi rose over 2 per cent each. Eicher Motors, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra & Mahindra, TVS Motor, Hero MotoCorp were all up in the range of 1-2 per cent, while Bajaj-Auto was also trading higher.

Even as automobile sales have hit a record low, the country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, on Tuesday announced a price hike across models from January. Others are likely to follow suit as they gear up to liquidate the stock ahead of rolling out new models in 2020.

Rising input cost, along with the transition of auto firms from BSIV to the more expensive BSVI models, has prompted the industry to hike prices, analysts pointed out.

The country's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday said it will increase prices of its vehicles from January to offset rising input costs.

Over the past year, the cost of company's vehicles has been impacted adversely due to increase in various input costs, Maruti Suzuki India said in a regulatory filing.

The Japanese automaker issued the warning after it reported a slump in quarterly profit this week on tumbling sales at its Indian unit, Maruti Suzuki, which accounts for half the number of cars sold in India.

In the joint venture -- Maruti Suzuki Toyotsu India Pvt Ltd (MSTI) -- Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) will have 50 per cent share, while Toyota Tsusho Group companies -- Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Toyota Tsusho India Pvt Ltd -- will hold the remaining stake.

MSIL’s retail sales were slightly positive during the festive period, which is a good sign. However, the management said it needs to see if the turnaround sustains as the average `26,000/vehicle discount (was ~`17,000) helped demand.

The efforts were focused on community development, road safety, and skill development. These are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) corresponding to good health and well-being,

The company produced a total of 1,32,199 units in September as against 1,60,219 units during the same month last year, Maruti Suzuki said in a regulatory filing.