Suzuki Motor Corporation will invest ₹70,000 crore in India over the next five to six years to expand production, introduce new models, and defend its market share in the world’s third-largest car market, company president Toshihiro Suzuki announced on Tuesday during the inaugural ceremony of the electric SUV e-Vitara.
The Japanese automaker has already invested over ₹1 lakh crore in India, generating more than 11 lakh direct jobs across the value chain. Under the new plan, Maruti Suzuki will manufacture the e-Vitara exclusively at its Suzuki Motor Gujarat (SMG) facility and export it to over 100 countries. The domestic launch timeline remains undecided.
Gujarat Plant to Anchor EV Push
Suzuki will invest ₹3,200 crore by FY26 to set up an EV production line at the 640-acre Gujarat facility, which currently has three plants with a combined capacity of 7.5 lakh units annually. The plant is expected to become one of the world’s largest automobile manufacturing hubs, with a planned capacity of 10 lakh units.
The first batch of e-Vitara exports will be shipped via Pipavav port to European destinations including the UK, Germany, Norway, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Austria, and Belgium. The company targets exporting 50,000 to 1,00,000 EVs annually, but is cautious about domestic volumes due to the high cost of importing batteries.
Commitment to India’s Green Mobility Goals
“We chose this facility to manufacture the e-VITARA, our first BEV, and make it a global production hub for this model. We will export this ‘Made-in-India BEV’ to over 100 countries, including Japan and Europe,” Toshihiro Suzuki said, calling the day “of historical importance” for the group and expressing gratitude for the Prime Minister’s support.
Suzuki said the company is committed to supporting India’s sustainable mobility vision, noting that India is its largest market by sales and revenue. He also highlighted the company’s achievement of starting production of India’s first lithium-ion battery and cell with electrode-level localisation for hybrid vehicles — with only raw materials and some semiconductor parts imported from Japan — calling it “a big salute to Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
The automaker will pursue a multi-powertrain approach, combining electric, strong hybrid, ethanol flex fuel, and compressed biogas technologies to achieve carbon neutrality.