New Delhi: Maruti Udyog has started a marketing drive in villages and has entered into an understanding with regional rural banks for car finance to push sales.

The company said it''s rural drive is already showing results as it has already sold 2,700 cars and generated about 20,000 enquiries through the rural scheme that was started in April.

Interestingly even in the rural hinterland, of the cars sold under the scheme 50 per cent were Alto while about 23 per cent were M800.

The company''s success in penetrating rural India was based on its ability to rope in regional rural banks as partners and for financing help from the company''s existing umbrella of car financiers including Mahindra Finance and Magnum.

Besides approaching the banks, MUL has also been innovating its rural sales strategy by asking dealers to appoint rural sales executives (RSEs) to build and maintain relationship with potential customers.