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Maruti Suzuki adds swivel seat to WagonR to boost accessible mobility
NEW DELHI: Maruti Suzuki has introduced a swivel seat option for the WagonR, marking a rare push to make inclusive mobility mainstream in India’s mass car segment.
The new feature, designed for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, allows easier ingress and egress and can be ordered as a retrofit kit at Maruti Suzuki Arena dealerships. It can be fitted to new WagonR models or installed in existing vehicles without altering the car’s original structure.
The pilot programme has been rolled out across more than 200 dealerships in 11 cities and will be expanded based on customer response. With the WagonR among India’s top-selling cars, the company is betting that accessibility features can find scale beyond niche segments.
The initiative aligns with Suzuki Motor Corporation’s global philosophy of ‘by your side’ and with the United Nations’ sustainable development goal of reducing inequality. Maruti Suzuki said the move reflects its commitment to human-centric and socially responsive mobility solutions.
“Swivel seat will make daily travel more convenient for senior citizens and persons with disabilities,” said Maruti Suzuki India managing director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi. By offering the feature on a high-volume model, he said, the company aims to extend the ‘joy of mobility’ to a wider audience with dignity and independence.
The swivel seat has been developed in collaboration with Bengaluru-based startup Trueassist Technology under Maruti Suzuki’s incubation programme with Nsrcel at IIM Bangalore. The kit offers fast installation of about an hour, does not replace the original OEM seat and comes with a three-year warranty against manufacturing defects.
The system has been tested and certified by the Automotive Research Association of India and meets applicable safety standards, according to the company.
By embedding assistive technology into a mainstream hatchback, Maruti Suzuki is positioning accessibility not as an add-on, but as a core feature of mass mobility.
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Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
