Rural India buys more Maruti cars than big cities, 200th Nexa Studio opened

Maruti Suzuki India is stepping up its focus on smaller towns and rural regions with the expansion of its Nexa Studio retail network. The carmaker today inaugurated its 200th Nexa Studio outlet, building onto its rapid rollout since the concept was introduced in August 2024.

What are Nexa Studios?

Nexa Studio outlets are compact versions of regular Nexa showrooms and are designed mainly for tier-two and tier-three cities. The idea is to bring a more premium retail experience to customers in smaller locations. In just 18 months, the company has opened 200 studios across 173 districts, and around 42,000 customers have already taken delivery of vehicles through these outlets. The company plans to expand the network further, targeting about 600 to 700 Nexa Studio outlets by 2031.

Sales through the Studio network currently account for around 8–10 percent of MSIL’s total volumes, and this share is expected to rise to nearly 25 percent by 2031 as the network continues to expand.

All Nexa Studios are EV-ready and will support upcoming electric models, including the newly-launched e-Vitara.

Rural markets now contribute to over 50% of MSIL sales

Rural markets now account for a larger share of the company’s sales than before. Rural contribution has increased from about 38 percent in 2019–20 to around 52 percent in 2025–26 (till January). The trend is visible in SUVs as well, where rural contribution has grown from roughly 37 percent to 47 percent over the same period.

The company describes areas outside the top 100 cities as emerging markets, where demand is steadily catching up with urban regions. Monthly per capita spending in these areas stands at about Rs 4,122 compared with Rs 6,996 in cities.

The studios will retail Nexa range vehicles such as the Baleno, Fronx, Grand Vitara, XL6, Jimny, Ignis, Invicto, alongside the maiden EV offering, e-Vitara.