Maruti Suzuki to expand hybrid products portfolio

Automobile major Maruti Suzuki on Thursday said it will continue to introduce more hybrid products, as concerns over vehicular pollution rise in the country.

"As a market leader and a responsible corporate citizen, we are fully sensitive to our duty towards the environment," Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki India said in his address to the shareholders in the company's Annual Report for 2015-16.

"We were the first ones to launch mild hybrid products with reasonably good volumes. This process of hybridisation will be expanded further in the next few years."

Currently, the automobile manufacturer offers passenger cars with factory-fitted CNG engines.

Ayukawa pointed out that the company is committed to invest in appropriate technologies and changes required to meet advanced emission regulation in the country.

Further, R.C. Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki India said that investors are "losing confidence" as diesel cars have been blamed as the root cause of air pollution, specially in the national capital region (NCR).

"Investors are losing confidence, and customers are unsure of what to do," Bhargava said in the Annual Report.

According to Bhargava, western remedies that are being enforced in India might not make any significant difference to the air quality, but will adversely impact the growth of the industry and creation of jobs.

"IIT Kanpur has recently done a study of the sources of pollution in the NCR (national capital region) and found that cars are not a significant contributor to PM (particulate matter) 2.5," Bhargava said.

"Yet, going by what has been happening, cars and especially diesel cars, are being treated as the main villain for our polluted air. However, finding the correct solution to any problem requires that the root cause of the problem is correctly diagnosed."

The company elaborated that dust and PM (particulate matter) 2.5 are the major cause of pollution in the NCR.

"In the west, dust has never been a pollutant of significance, but NOX (nitrogen oxide) is the main concern. However, we seem to be applying the western remedies for pollution to our problem, though the cause is entirely different," he said.

"The positive factor is that the Government recognises the dangers of the situation, and is taking a firm stand in favour of growth, while dealing with the real pollution problem."

--IANS

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