The company has achieved sales growth of about 20 per cent during the five month period April-August 1999 with 1,57,419 units as against 1,32,046 units sold during the corresponding period of previous year.

Maruti Udyog also clocked the all time high monthly sales for the Maruti 800 in August by selling 18,735 units as against the previous best of 18,537 units achieved in January 1997.

In August, Maruti also achieved the highest ever monthly sales of Omni and Zen. The company sold 7,767 units of Omni as against 7,503 sold last month and 7,971 units of Zen as against the previous best of 7,881 units sold in July 1999.

During the April-August period, the sales of Maruti 800 increased by about 16 per cent, at 82,568 units as against 71,312 units last year. The sale of Omni grew by about 40per cent, from 24,433 units last year to 34,184 units this year. Sales of Zen during the five month period grew by about 19 per cent, from 28,087 last year to 33,388 this year, said a company statement.

In the first four months (April-July), Maruti's sales have increased 15.7 per cent as against over 36 per cent growth in the overall market.

Maruti Udyog has projected a 20 per cent sales growth during the current financial year, to touch 400,000 vehicles as against 333,000 units old last year, riding on the back of new models as well as expanded capacity.

The company expects the turnover to rise to about Rs 9,000 crore as against Rs 8,118 crore in 1998-99 which is expected to cross the Rs 10,000 crore mark in 2000-01. Profit in the current fiscal is expected to be lower in view of proposed investments in new models and capacity expansion.

In the short term, the growth push will come from increased production of Maruti 800, Omni and Zen as the company's new plant attains full capacityutilisation.

The Maruti 800 would continue to remain the entry-level car by virtue of being the `cheapest'. The company may introduce other models in the 800cc segment, priced higher than the Maruti 800.