LIC has approved Maruti Suzuki’s Rs. 68 crore shares bought, insurer’s stake in automaker crosses 5%

State insurer and India’s largest institutional investor, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) bought 51,750 shares of automaker Maruti Suzuki on June 3, effectively taking its stake in India’s largest carmaker above the 5% ownership threshold.

In an exchange filing, LIC announced that it had bought the shares through a market purchase, with Maruti Suzuki’s previous closing price on the NSE at Rs. 13,064 at about Rs. 67.61 crore will be. Before the transaction, LIC held 1.57 crore shares or 4.989% stake in the automaker. After the latest purchase, LIC holds 5.006% stake in Maruti Suzuki.

Shares of Maruti Suzuki have fallen about 3% in a month and about 22% so far in 2026. Over the long term, the automaker’s shares rose 8% in one year, 36% in three years and nearly 81% in five years.

Maruti Suzuki launched India’s first flex-fuel car

Maruti Suzuki on Thursday launched India’s first flex-fuel passenger car. Speaking at the launch event, Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said the introduction of the flex-fuel Wagon R marks more than just the launch of a new vehicle and represents “a new chapter in India’s energy journey”.

Speaking about India’s dependence on imported crude oil, Takeuchi said the country needs “cleaner, affordable, scalable and energy solutions based on India’s own strengths. India has two national objectives: first, to reduce dependence on imported crude oil. Second, to reduce carbon emissions. Flex-fuel goes both ways. It is cleaner and cleaner.”

LIC has invested about Rs. 18,500 crore (nearly $2 billion) worth of shares were bought, with markets collapsing on several headwinds including the Iran-US war, AI-led disruption and more concerns. The state-run insurer during Q4 FY26 saw Maruti Suzuki’s Rs. 1,374 crore shares were bought.

LIC shares, meanwhile, fell more than 3% in a week and more than 7% in 2026. The stock fell 17% in one year, but gained more than 33% in three years.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki commits to green energy initiatives by FY31 at Rs. 925 crore will be invested

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