Maruti Suzuki reports first-ever quarterly loss on Indian lockdown

South Asian nation's vehicle sales plunge 80% as pandemic stings

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A Maruti Suzuki showroom in New Delhi. The pandemic has throttled production and sales. © Reuters

AKIRA HAYAKAWA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- India's leading automaker Maruti Suzuki on Wednesday posted a 2.67 billion rupee ($35.7 million) net loss for the quarter ended in June, its first red ink since going public in 2003.

The dubious milestone owes entirely to the novel coronavirus, which forced India to impose a two-month lockdown this spring. Quarterly sales plunged 72% on the year to 54.29 billion rupees.

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