Maruti Q4 PAT down 18%

The country's largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki India, on friday reported 18.33 per cent decline in its net profit after tax for the quarter ended March 31, 2009, at Rs 243.13 crore (Rs 2.43 billion) as against Rs 297.68 crore (Rs 2.98 billion) in the same period previous year.

The net sales, however, increased by 32.45 per cent at Rs 6,308.35 crore (Rs 63.08 billion) in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal compared to Rs 4,762.91 crore (Rs 47.63 billion) in the corresponding period of 2007-08, Maruti Suzuki India said in a statement.

For 2008-09 financial year, MSI's audited consolidated net profit plunged by 31.42 per cent to Rs 1,227.45 crore (Rs 12.27 billion) as against Rs 1,789.87 crore (Rs 17.89 billion) in 2007-08.

The audited consolidated net sales of FY'09, however, rose by 14.09 per cent at Rs 20,557.94 crore (Rs 205.58 billion), while the same stood at Rs 18,020.83 crore (Rs 180.21 billion) in FY'08, MSI said.