New Delhi, Apr 20 (IANS): Automobile major Maruti Suzuki India transported more than 1.8 lakh vehicles in 2020-21 using Indian Railways, the company said on Tuesday.

Accordingly, this was the highest-ever railway despatch by the company through the railways, as against nearly 88,000 units in 2016-17.

The FY21 figures represent nearly 13 per cent of the total sales in the same period.

In the past 5-years, Maruti Suzuki India transported over 7.2 lakh vehicles using Indian Railways.

According to the company, the increased focus on using railways has helped the company offset over 3,200 MT of CO2 emissions, cumulatively.

"The transportation of finished vehicles via railways has many tangible benefits. It is a clean, environment friendly mode of transportation," said Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India said.

"It reduces congestion on highways and there is more space available to other vehicles. Therefore, as a conscious effort at Maruti Suzuki, we have taken important steps to enhance vehicle transportation via railways."