Osamu Suzuki, former Chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation, passed away on 25 December, 2024, in Japan. Late Osamu Suzuki brought to India the Japanese concepts of manufacturing that not only led to high competitiveness but also resulted in creating more equitable, inclusive and cohesive society. Indeed, these concepts hold immense relevance for India even today. It is only fitting that Suzuki Motor Corporation and Maruti Suzuki India Limited have chosen to establish Osamu Suzuki Centre of Excellence (OSCOE) in India. The centre will be located in Gujarat and Haryana.
Osamu Suzuki, who was conferred Padma Vibhushan posthumously early this year, headed Suzuki Motor Corp for over 40 years and revolutionised India’s car market with the introduction of the popular Maruti 800 car. A former bank employee, Osamu Suzuki got his break in the automotive business after his marriage to Shoko Suzuki, granddaughter of Michio Suzuki, who founded Suzuki Motor’s predecessor company in 1909. Osamu Suzuki took his wife’s surname, in accordance with the Japanese custom when there are no male heirs.
His entry into India turned out to be a game-changer. That was the time when the Indian car market was saddled with Ambassador and Fiat cars. That really drove up the demand for the Maruti 800 small cars. The waiting lists of customers stretched for as long as up to three years with the car selling at a premium in the second-hand market. Suzuki Motor agreed to set up a venture with the Indian government outside New Delhi and acquired a 26 per cent stake in the state-owned car-maker Maruti Udyog in 1982. In December 1983, the venture rolled out the Maruti 800 small car which was an instant hit.
Maruti, now a unit of Suzuki Motor, quickly became the biggest car manufacturer in India and still commands a dominant share of the market. Osamu Suzuki’s more than 28 years as president made him the longest-serving head of a global auto-maker. After stepping down in 2000, he became Suzuki Motor’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He came back as president at the age of 78 in December 2008, when Suzuki Motor was expecting its first profit decline in eight years amid the global recession to lead from the front. Suzuki then passed on the presidency to his son in June 2015 and took over as Chairman and CEO, but then resigned as CEO over an embarrassing fuel-economy misstatement. Suzuki was known to fly economy class even during his old age as part of his frugal lifestyle.
