VIDEO: Maruti Suzuki Positions Digitisation and AI as Core to Its Long-Term Strategy

Maruti Suzuki India Limited is placing digitisation at the centre of its corporate strategy, with the company's product planning division working to convert large volumes of data into operational decisions, build resilience into its supply chains, and develop vehicles that integrate digital experiences comparable to consumer technology devices.

Sandeep Raina, Executive Officer (Product Planning) at Maruti Suzuki, outlined the company's approach in a conversation with journalist Prerna Lidhoo, describing data management as both a challenge and a source of competitive advantage. "Managing data complexity is both a challenge and an opportunity," Raina said, pointing to the scale at which the company now collects and processes information across its operations.

Data Privacy and the Digital Pipeline

As Maruti Suzuki expands its digital infrastructure, Raina identified data privacy as a priority within its processes. The company's operations generate data across manufacturing, supply chain logistics, and customer-facing systems, raising questions about governance and protection that the company says it is actively addressing.

The emphasis on data protection reflects a broader shift in the Indian automotive sector, where regulatory frameworks around digital data are evolving. India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, passed in 2023, places new obligations on companies handling personal data, a development that has prompted automotive manufacturers to review how they collect and store customer information.

Supply Chain Realignment

Raina also addressed the restructuring of Maruti Suzuki's supply chains, describing agility as a requirement in a period of global uncertainty. The company, which relies on a network of domestic and international suppliers, has faced disruptions in recent years stemming from semiconductor shortages and shifting trade conditions.

Maruti Suzuki's supply chain exposure is significant given its production volumes. The company sold over 2.1 million vehicles in the domestic market in the financial year ending March 2024, making it the market leader in India with a share of approximately 41 percent. Disruptions at any point in its supplier network carry consequences at scale, which Raina cited as a reason for building adaptive systems rather than fixed procurement models.

AI in Manufacturing

On the factory floor, Raina said artificial intelligence is functioning as an enabler in manufacturing and production processes. The application of AI in automotive manufacturing has accelerated globally, with use cases ranging from quality control through machine vision to predictive maintenance and production scheduling.

Maruti Suzuki operates multiple manufacturing facilities in Haryana, including its plants at Gurugram and Manesar, as well as a newer facility in Kharkhoda. Integrating AI tools across these operations requires what Raina described as a reskilling of the workforce to handle the convergence of software and hardware systems — a challenge the company is working through as it upgrades its production capabilities.

Vehicles as Digital Platforms

A recurring theme in Raina's remarks was the expectation that cars must now deliver experiences that feel as seamless as smartphones. This reflects a direction being pursued across the global automotive industry, where vehicles are increasingly defined by their software capabilities rather than solely by mechanical performance.

Maruti Suzuki, which has historically competed on affordability and reliability in the mass-market segment, is navigating this shift in a market where connected features and digital interfaces are becoming factors in consumer purchase decisions, particularly among younger buyers.

Multi-Pathway Approach to Future Mobility

Raina described Maruti Suzuki's approach to future mobility as following multiple pathways simultaneously rather than committing to a single technology direction. This positions the company alongside a number of global manufacturers that are pursuing hybrid, compressed natural gas (CNG), ethanol-blended fuel, and battery electric options in parallel, rather than transitioning exclusively to electric vehicles on a fixed timeline.

Maruti Suzuki has been slower than some competitors to introduce battery electric vehicles in India, a position that has drawn scrutiny. The company has maintained that infrastructure readiness and consumer price sensitivity in its core market segments require a more phased transition. Its first mass-market electric vehicle, the e Vitara, is expected to reach buyers in 2025.

Industry Context

The conversation between Raina and Lidhoo forms part of a broader discussion within India's automotive sector about how traditional manufacturers are responding to structural shifts driven by electrification, connectivity, and changing consumer behaviour.

India is now the third-largest automotive market in the world by volume, and its trajectory over the next decade is expected to be shaped significantly by how companies like Maruti Suzuki manage the transition from combustion-engine manufacturing to digitally integrated, software-defined vehicles — while sustaining the cost structures that have made them dominant in a price-sensitive market.

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