Maruti to supply 4,141 Gypsy SUVs to Indian Army

MSI, which sells various popular models in the country including the Swift and DZire, markets about 12 lakh vehicles per annum with a turnover close to Rs 45,000 crore.

                    Country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India has got an order from the Indian Army to supply 4,141 units of its sports utility vehicle Gypsy. "The company has received an order for supply of 4,141 Gypsy vehicles from the Indian Army in the ordinary course of business," Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a filing to the BSE. Over the last 30 years or so, the company, from time to time, has been supplying Gypsy to the Army and other para security forces, it added. The company, however, did not disclose the financial details of the order. MSI, which sells various popular models in the country including the Swift and DZire, markets about 12 lakh vehicles per annum with a turnover close to Rs 45,000 crore.

 "Keeping in view such a large scale of operations of the company, this particular order is around 0.34 percent of the total number of vehicles sold by the company in a year," MSI said. The latest order came after almost a two-year gap due to the austerity drive initiated by the government in mid-2012. Sales of Gypsy, which has 1,298 cc petrol engine, has been limited for civilian use in recent years. A little over 90 percent of the sales have been to the security forces in recent years. Maruti Suzuki shares closed at Rs 3,321.05 apiece, down 0.34 percent, on the BSE.

 Maruti Suzuki stock price

 On December 11, 2014, at 13:54 hrs Maruti Suzuki India was quoting at Rs 3334.75, up Rs 13.70, or 0.41 percent. The 52-week high of the share was Rs 3434.00 and the 52-week low was Rs 1541.25. The company's trailing 12-month (TTM) EPS was at Rs 102.82 per share as per the quarter ended September 2014. The stock's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio was 32.43. The latest book value of the company is Rs 694.45 per share. At current value, the price-to-book value of the company is 4.80.