The company will absorb the additional cost of Rs 5,000-10,000 which will go into upgradation of the two models. MUL said it would also meet the Euro-II compliance deadline of April 1, 2000.

While the Esteem and Zen diesel models are Euro-I compliant, the company is working to make the Omni and Gypsy meet the norms at the earliest, a company statement says.

MUL managing director RSSLN Bhaskarudu, while welcoming the SC judgment, said his company was fully equipped with both the technology and components required to comply with the Euro-I emission norms. "Keeping in view the interests of our customers and the large number of pending bookings, we have decided to absorb the entire cost ourselves," he said. The company claimed to possess adequate technology for conforming to the Euro-II norms. "We are well onour way to meeting the Euro-II norms by April 1, 2000, and investments of Rs 600 crore have already been made," said Bhaskarudu.

Bhaskarudu said the court's decision to leave out CNG vehicles from the purview of its April 29 order was welcome, and Maruti has been pro-actively encouraging the use of CNG in its vehicles. "We recently launched CNG-driven cabs in Delhi and most of our dealers in the capital are equipped to fit and maintain CNG kits," he said.The company, however, said that it was awaiting clarification on the issue of apportioning vehicles between the 21 regional transport officers in the National Capital Region.

MUL sources said that the company will have its board meeting "very soon". The meeting, which was scheduled for May 11, is expected to take place next week, the sources said.