Osamu Suzuki, who ignited Indian automobile industry passes away at 94: Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation

NEW DELHI: Osamu Suzuki, the man who took a risk and bet on India when no one else believed in having a viable automobile company in the country, has died at the age of 94, according to information shared by Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation on Friday.

He passed away on December 25 due to malignant lymphoma, the company said.

Suzuki, who took the risk of partnering with the then Indian government to form a joint venture with Maruti Udyog Ltd in 1981, at a time when India was still a closed economy under a license regime, is widely regarded as the man who spurred the automotive industry in the country.

Maruti Udyog Ltd later on became Maruti Suzuki India Ltd subsequent to the government completing its exit in 2007 with Suzuki Motor Corporation holding a majority stake. Osamu Suzuki was the Director and Honorary Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

"Without his vision and foresight, his willingness to take a risk that no one else was willing to take, his deep and abiding love for India, and his immense capabilities as a teacher, I believe the Indian automobile industry could not have become the powerhouse that it has become," Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) Chairman, R C Bhargava said on the passing of Suzuki.