Maruti Suzuki announces support to 5 automotive start-ups

Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest selling carmaker, has decided to support start-ups for Proof of Concept (PoC) under its Mobility & Automobile Innovation Lab (MAIL) programme. The Indo-Japanese company believes investments in these companies will help accelerate these concepts towards real world applications. The selected start-ups include Enmovil, Docketrun, Eyedentify, Xane and SenseGiz and were selected at Demo Day organized in New Delhi.

Undergoing an extensive exercise involving call for applications, thorough screening and pitch sessions. After this extensive selection process, these 5 start-ups underwent an extensive 3 months long acceleration programme. During this step, they were coached by various experts, both from domestic as well as international start-up ecosystems. They even were introduced to Maruti Suzuki’s vast test bed and facilities to understand the current scenario and suggest solutions to fit into a typical Indian business environment.

Speaking about Maruti’s MAIL initiative, Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, “Indian automobile industry is at a crucial juncture. Several disruptions are taking place in the automobile and mobility space. Since inception Maruti Suzuki has strived to offer products and services that are ahead of regulations and match the needs of the evolving Indian customers, while retaining the interests of our stakeholders. We are optimistic that partnering with these start-ups, we will enter into a new era of mobility and automobile solutions. Our aim is to now work along with these start-ups and enhance scalability of the solutions. These intelligent solutions will help enhance customer experience, among others.”

Maruti Suzuki is also the leading manufacturer of BS-VI engines well before the deadline of April 1, 2020. Within 6 months since the first introduction of a BS-VI compliant Maruti Suzuki powered car, the company has retailed over 2 lakh BS-VI cars. Their BS-VI compliant fleet includes Alto 800, Baleno, WagonR (1.2 L), Swift, Dzire, Ertiga and the recently launched XL6 and S-Presso.

In the month od September 2019, Maruti Suzuki retailed 1,22,640 units including 2,952 units of domestic OEM sales and 7,188 units of exports. That’s a drop of 24.4% from last year’s sales in the same month.