Former Chairman of Maruti Suzuki Osamu Suzuki passes away, wrote the story of 'Maruti 800' in India

New Delhi: Osamu Suzuki, former chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation, has died at the age of 94. The company announced on December 25 that he died of lymphoma. Osamu Suzuki will be remembered for his leadership in expanding the company's network and global reach. Especially Suzuki's partnership with the Indian company Maruti was implemented during his tenure. Osamu Suzuki Osamu led Suzuki Motor for nearly 40 years.

During this period he was also the President of the company twice. Under his guidance, Suzuki Motor formed partnerships with General Motors and Volkswagen, and expanded its presence in North America and Europe. Osamu Suzuki was born on January 30, 1930 in Gero, Japan. In 1958, he married the Suzuki family and became a part of this business family.

Added wife's surname to his name

Osamu added his wife's name to his surname and thus began the transformational journey of Suzuki Motor Corporation. At the time of his marriage he was a bank employee, and his wife Shoko was the granddaughter of Michio Suzuki, the founder of Suzuki Motor, a loom manufacturing company established in 1909. Suzuki's entry in India, Maruti 800 reached every home. Osamu Suzuki's biggest decision was Suzuki's entry in the Indian market. In 1982, Suzuki Motor partnered with Maruti Udyog Private Limited and launched the Maruti 800 in 1983. This car became extremely popular in the Indian market and remained the country's best-selling car for several decades.

After this partnership, Maruti Suzuki is on the path to becoming the largest car manufacturer in India. Had to face many challenges. Many challenges also came during the tenure of Osamu Suzuki. He faced a fuel-economy testing scandal in Japan, which led to his resignation as CEO in 2016. After this he took on the role of advisor and remained the chairman of the company till 2021. Suzuki's name in the world, started partnership with Toyota. Under his leadership, Suzuki Motor was successful in creating a strong identity not only in cars but also in the two-wheeler industry.

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Partnership with Volkswagen

Osamu partnered with companies such as General Motors and Volkswagen, although these partnerships were later ended due to disputes. In 2019 they launched a new partnership with Toyota. Osamu Suzuki had this to say about his leadership style, “If I listened to everyone, things would go a lot slower. Never stop, otherwise you will lose.”His death is a great loss to the automotive industry and he will always be remembered for his global expansion and the company's success in India.