Back in 1982, when Japanese automakers suzuki Having signed a joint venture with a newly state-owned Maruti Udyog, neither party could predict the future they would build and the kind of success this partnership would bring. In the past 40 years, not only have maruti suzuki Have become a household name in the country, they have changed the face of mobility on Indian roads. During these 40 years, the company has been able to beat its competitors and top sales charts time and again.
“In many ways, these 40 years and this partnership have resulted in things happening that were absolutely unimaginable 40 years ago. This surprised most people who were around when we started. Not in India alone, I think the people of Japan were equally surprised by what happened in India. They did not expect this to happen.”
these words were RC Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki and a veteran of the automotive industry who has been with the company for the last 40 years. He added, “Mr. Suzuki once told me that when he decided to partner with India, he was the only person in favor of it.”
This statement makes you wonder what the current state of the Indian automotive industry would have been if this decision had not been made all those years ago. However, this is not the only time when a small decision has heralded the heyday for the company. A similar thing happened in 2011 when the company was looking to expand its operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi He was instrumental in giving Suzuki another platform to grow and flourish.
This connection from a decade ago fits perfectly with the present when the Prime Minister was invited as the chief guest for Suzuki’s 40th anniversary celebrations in India. RC Bhargava said, “For an event like this, 40 years anniversary of Suzuki (in India), the Prime Minister, who is so busy and has so many things to attend, still needs to attend this meeting. It is something we are very proud of.”
We have always got his (Narendra Modi) support. Our entry in Gujarat and Suzuki Gujarat Had Modi not been the Chief Minister at that time, there would not have been a plant here. He is actually responsible for this to happen and after this a lot of things are happening in Gujarat.
Explaining the reason for expressing gratitude to RC Bhargava, former Chief Minister of Gujarat, RC Bhargava said, “When Mr Modi was in Gujarat, a lot of industrial activities took place in the state.” At that time the company had a plant in Manesar, Haryana, but was looking to expand its operations. While initially he had no particular state in mind, he decided to go with Gujarat for two reasons. “There was a fact that the state administration at that time seemed to be the most industry-friendly administration anywhere in the country. So people were coming to Gujarat, things were happening and we understood that things are happening fast. Acquiring land and facilities from a state can be a daunting task and can be a long stretch. The people of Maruti Suzuki saw the state of Gujarat promoting relatively easy business setting up, making it fertile ground for their new facility.
RC Bhargava continued, “The other thing was that Gujarat was close to the port from where we were exporting the cars. Exports have always been an important part of our operations, though not in very large quantities, but still, it was very important to us in many ways.” Naturally, producing vehicles closer to the port would save on logistics costs and This was another factor that played in favor of the state.
RC Bhargava said that the company was astonished to see a government that was looking after the problems of the industries and taking proactive steps to remove the hurdles in the way. This was something he had not seen before with other administrations. “Suddenly we found that there was a government here which was saying that manufacturing development was the key to India’s progress.”
He also praised the prime minister and other ministers under him for their vocal support for the private sector and the fact that the manufacturing sector has to be developed to create more job opportunities for the public. “All these things made us think that India is changing, India is again different and there is hope for the future.”
Suzuki Motor Gujarat plant has been tasked to manufacture flagship models like Baleno, Swift and DZire. Along with this, the plant also looks after the construction of power plants. The facility is owned by Suzuki and supplies vehicles to Maruti Suzuki at no additional cost. It recently reached a milestone of producing 2 million units in less than six years. Thanks to policy reforms and other industry-focused initiatives PM ModiThe company has been successful in achieving such a feat.
Maruti Suzuki was one such brand that brought the dream of owning a car for the common man closer to reality. They have ruled the market and entry level segment over the years with successful products like the original Maruti 800, Zen, Alto and Wagon R. While that specific segment may lack volumes, Maruti Suzuki has expanded its portfolio with larger vehicles and a premium dealership network under Nexa. RC Bhargava is confident that the company will continue to perform well in the years to come and will be ready to deliver what the customers want.
“In many ways, these 40 years and this partnership have resulted in things happening that were absolutely unimaginable 40 years ago. This surprised most people who were around when we started. Not in India alone, I think the people of Japan were equally surprised by what happened in India. They did not expect this to happen.”
these words were RC Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki and a veteran of the automotive industry who has been with the company for the last 40 years. He added, “Mr. Suzuki once told me that when he decided to partner with India, he was the only person in favor of it.”
This statement makes you wonder what the current state of the Indian automotive industry would have been if this decision had not been made all those years ago. However, this is not the only time when a small decision has heralded the heyday for the company. A similar thing happened in 2011 when the company was looking to expand its operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi He was instrumental in giving Suzuki another platform to grow and flourish.
This connection from a decade ago fits perfectly with the present when the Prime Minister was invited as the chief guest for Suzuki’s 40th anniversary celebrations in India. RC Bhargava said, “For an event like this, 40 years anniversary of Suzuki (in India), the Prime Minister, who is so busy and has so many things to attend, still needs to attend this meeting. It is something we are very proud of.”
We have always got his (Narendra Modi) support. Our entry in Gujarat and Suzuki Gujarat Had Modi not been the Chief Minister at that time, there would not have been a plant here. He is actually responsible for this to happen and after this a lot of things are happening in Gujarat.
Explaining the reason for expressing gratitude to RC Bhargava, former Chief Minister of Gujarat, RC Bhargava said, “When Mr Modi was in Gujarat, a lot of industrial activities took place in the state.” At that time the company had a plant in Manesar, Haryana, but was looking to expand its operations. While initially he had no particular state in mind, he decided to go with Gujarat for two reasons. “There was a fact that the state administration at that time seemed to be the most industry-friendly administration anywhere in the country. So people were coming to Gujarat, things were happening and we understood that things are happening fast. Acquiring land and facilities from a state can be a daunting task and can be a long stretch. The people of Maruti Suzuki saw the state of Gujarat promoting relatively easy business setting up, making it fertile ground for their new facility.
RC Bhargava continued, “The other thing was that Gujarat was close to the port from where we were exporting the cars. Exports have always been an important part of our operations, though not in very large quantities, but still, it was very important to us in many ways.” Naturally, producing vehicles closer to the port would save on logistics costs and This was another factor that played in favor of the state.
RC Bhargava said that the company was astonished to see a government that was looking after the problems of the industries and taking proactive steps to remove the hurdles in the way. This was something he had not seen before with other administrations. “Suddenly we found that there was a government here which was saying that manufacturing development was the key to India’s progress.”
He also praised the prime minister and other ministers under him for their vocal support for the private sector and the fact that the manufacturing sector has to be developed to create more job opportunities for the public. “All these things made us think that India is changing, India is again different and there is hope for the future.”
Suzuki Motor Gujarat plant has been tasked to manufacture flagship models like Baleno, Swift and DZire. Along with this, the plant also looks after the construction of power plants. The facility is owned by Suzuki and supplies vehicles to Maruti Suzuki at no additional cost. It recently reached a milestone of producing 2 million units in less than six years. Thanks to policy reforms and other industry-focused initiatives PM ModiThe company has been successful in achieving such a feat.
Maruti Suzuki was one such brand that brought the dream of owning a car for the common man closer to reality. They have ruled the market and entry level segment over the years with successful products like the original Maruti 800, Zen, Alto and Wagon R. While that specific segment may lack volumes, Maruti Suzuki has expanded its portfolio with larger vehicles and a premium dealership network under Nexa. RC Bhargava is confident that the company will continue to perform well in the years to come and will be ready to deliver what the customers want.