India Car Exports Rise 36% in Jan 2026 as Maruti Suzuki Leads

India’s Car Exports Soar in January 2026 as Maruti Suzuki Leads the Market

In January 2026, India’s car export market started the year with strong growth. Manufacturers exported 77,666 passenger vehicles to global markets, marking a huge jump compared to 57,026 units exported in January 2025. Overall exports grew by 36.19 percent year on year, showing rising global demand for vehicles made in India. Maruti Suzuki played a major role in this performance and continued to lead the export charts by a wide margin.

Maruti Suzuki Remains The Export Leader

Maruti Suzuki continued to dominate car exports from India. The company shipped 50,716 vehicles in January 2026, recording an impressive growth of 89.37% compared to the same period last year. This means Maruti Suzuki accounted for nearly two thirds of India’s total passenger vehicle exports during the month.

The company exported 18 different models across international markets. Popular models such as the Maruti Suzuki Fronx, Maruti Suzuki Jimny, and Maruti Suzuki Swift continued to drive export volumes. The newly introduced Maruti Suzuki e Vitara also made its first appearance in export markets.

Top Exported Cars from India in January 2026

The following models recorded strong overseas demand during January 2026. Maruti Suzuki models occupied most positions in the top export list, highlighting the company’s strong global presence.

Performance Of Other Car Manufacturers

While Maruti Suzuki remained the clear leader, other manufacturers also reported notable export performance:

Hyundai Motor India retained second position with exports of 14,030 units, registering a growth of 20.95% compared to last year. Tata Motors recorded a strong 251% increase in exports, although from a smaller base. Kia, Renault and Citroen also reported healthy growth during the month. Toyota Kirloskar Motor maintained stable export numbers at around 3,250 units.

However, some brands faced challenges, as exports from Nissan Motor India declined by nearly 36%, while Honda Cars India saw exports fall sharply by almost 85%. Mahindra and Volkswagen also reported lower export numbers, mainly due to changing global demand and ongoing product updates.

Key Model Highlights

Several individual models showed strong export momentum in January 2026. Exports of the Maruti Jimny grew by an impressive 307%, showing rising global interest in compact off road SUVs. The Maruti Dzire also recorded exceptional growth, increasing from just 22 units last year to 3,839 units this January. The Maruti e Vitara entered export markets for the first time with shipments of 2,940 units.

In contrast, exports of the Honda Elevate dropped sharply by more than 92% compared to its strong performance last year.

What These Export Numbers Indicating 

The January 2026 export figures show that India is strengthening its position as a global automobile manufacturing hub. The overall 36% growth highlights increasing international demand for vehicles produced in the country.

Compact cars and SUVs such as the Fronx and Jimny continue to perform well because of their efficiency and practicality. The addition of electric models like the e Vitara also marks an important step as India expands into EV exports.

At the same time, declining exports for some brands show how global demand continues to change based on product cycles and market conditions. Overall, the strong start to 2026 suggests that India’s role in global car exports will continue to grow in the coming months.