new delhi maruti suzuki managing director kenichi ayukawa expects the indian automotive market to pick up only after general elections this year the company which has recorded flat sales through the past eight months said finding potential customers is an important issuedemand has become slow compared to the past few years that is true how we are going to find potential customers that is a very important issue it takes timewe expect after elections once again it the market will come up ayukawa told etpassenger vehicle sales in the domestic market declined for the sixth time this january with weak consumer sentiments tightening liquidity after the ilfs crisis and increased insurance costs hampering purchases advt maruti suzuki itself said post the launch of the new wagonr the company expects wholesale volumes to grow 5 in the fourth quarter however the sluggish market environment has meant the companys volumes have grown by 11 and 09 in january and february respectivelymaruti suzuki has already revised downwards its fiscal year volumes growth target to 8 against its initial target of doubledigit growthterming 2019 a very complicated year ayukawa said the transition to bsvi emission standards will bring with it its own production and inventory management challenges the company has plans to halt production of bsiv compliant vehicles by the end of the calendar yearelaborating on the governments drive to go green ayukawa said there should be a collaborative approach utilising electric hybrid cng technologies to reduce oil consumption and address environmental concerni think we cannot focus so much on one way to reduce oil consumption and environmental concern to achieve that objective various approaches are available electric is one approach hybrid another and then cng informed ayukawahe said reducing cost of electric vehicles is not easy and cost reduction itself is dependent on volumes and market demand some players have started ev business but it is not so much easy that is everybodys condition meanwhile maruti suzuki is testing the electric version of wagonr it built inhouse but expects technology for newer vehicles from toyota going ahead advt even though right now we start by supplying some of our products to them but in future we are getting some products from them and those kinds of collaboration will be developed stepbystep eventually both sides will be making gains that is the purpose of this kind of alignment also globally the auto industry is quickly changing toyota side they have very advanced technology etc may be we can learn through this kind of alliance ayukawa saidseparately ayukawa said maruti suzuki is looking to move out of gurugram but is likely to remain in haryana as most of the companys workers are from the area he declined to disclose a timeline for the project of course areawise area gurugram is already mature and we have got to develop further more that is truebut we have to consider at any time our employeesthey are working in the area and that is an important issue ayukawa