Auto sector major, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MSIL) has reported a fall of 63.6 per cent in net profit in the quarter till December 2011.

Maruti Suzuki’s profit as high interest rates and increasing fuel costs affected the demand for cars in the country. The company, in which 54.2 per cent is held by Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp, recorded a fall of 28 per cent in the December quarter because of a fall in small sales and labour unrest faced by the company.

The country’s largest auto maker said that profit fell to Rs 205.6 crore in profit while its sales fell to Rs. 7,663.6 crore. The company posted a net profit of Rs 565.17 crore for the corresponding period last financial year, it said in a statement.

The company blamed the fall on the falling value of the Indian rupee in recent months for the steep fall in earnings. The company had increased prices of its models to compensate for the increased cost of imports due to devaluation of the rupee.

Maruti Suzuki’s shares fell 1.1 percent to Rs. 1,090.95 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) at the time of recording.