Osamu Suzuki: The man who put India's automobile industry in top gear

Osamu Suzuki was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2007 by the Indian government for his contribution in developing the country's economy through the automobile sector

In April 1982, when Osamu Suzuki, then President of Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indian government company Maruti Udyog Limited to manufacture an 800 cc car (which later became the iconic Maruti 800), a carry van, and a pick-up truck, even the Japanese Embassy in Delhi was reportedly not in favour of the deal.

 

“Generally, Japanese companies invested in foreign companies after they saw successful investments being made by bigger Japanese firms. SMC, at that time, was hardly a leader. India’s political closeness to the erstwhile USSR and the strong socialist thinking in industrial