Giving a shot in the arm for India’s attempts to emerge as a global manufacturing destination, Toshihiro Suzuki, President, Suzuki Motor Corporation, today said his company will make India its global hub for the production of electric and hybrid vehicles.
India is already one of Suzuki’s largest production bases for internal combustion engine-based cars, and a key node for exporting to markets such as the Middle East and Africa.
“India will be a global production hub for Suzuki electric vehicles…India will also be the export hub for hybrid vehicles,” said Toshihiro Suzuki, President, Suzuki Motor Corporation, addressing the media ahead of Thursday's Bharat Mobility Show in New Delhi.
On Friday, at the Bharat Mobility Show 2025, Suzuki Motor will unveil the E-Vitara from the passenger vehicle side and the electric scooter E-Access from the motorcycle division.
“First, we will export this vehicle to Europe, then Japan; we would like to leverage India's scale and export to the world…These BEVs represent global models and India will be the production hub for these vehicles,” he added.
While the electric vehicle market globally is witnessing a slowing adoption, given the low base, there is a potential for growth in India. Suzuki said, "Globally, as you mentioned, the EV market is sluggish, the sales are sluggish, but I think in India, there is a potential that EV sales are going to grow."
He also said India offered scale benefits like no other country. “For Suzuki, the scale in India is our strength and we will fully leverage this advantage to supply high quality and appealing products across various regions such as Europe, Japan, the Middle East and Africa, Central and South America and Asian countries," he added.
In the calendar year 2024, Maruti Suzuki exported over 3.25 lakh vehicles, the highest ever in the company’s history. The company has guided for a long-term plan of exporting 7.5 lakh units by FY-31 – which is more than double its current base.
Maruti Suzuki exports vehicles to over 70 countries. With an expansion of its portfolio, the company will further expand its footprint in Europe, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia, said Suzuki.
The India-made Suzuki Fronx has been very well received in Japan. He informed the media that the model has a waiting of three months, and the order book has a capacity of 15,000 units.
Suzuki said the company will contribute towards the government’s Make in India agenda and actively expand its business operations in India.
“Regarding four wheeler production capacity, we plan to sequentially augment our present production capacity to reach four million units."
In its vision statement, Suzuki Motor Corporation had guided for launching half a dozen electric vehicles in India, which will be shipped to all parts of the world.