Maruti Suzuki India Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to encourage and support startups to develop technology-driven solutions in the automobile manufacturing and mobility space.

Startups recognised by DPIIT under the ‘Startup India’ initiative will have the opportunity to participate in Maruti Suzuki’s innovation programmes, the Japanese carmaker said in a statement.

Upon selection, startups will benefit from expert mentorship, industry insights, and access to Maruti Suzuki’s extensive network and infrastructure, it said, Additionally, startups will get a platform to connect to incubators, accelerators, and investors to showcase their solutions.

“India is home to a vibrant and growing startup ecosystem. Through this partnership with DPIIT, we will be able to further accelerate our efforts to support promising startups to create technology-led solutions in the automobile manufacturing and mobility space. This collaboration is a step forward in our commitment to the Government’s ‘Startup India’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives,” said Rahul Bharti, Senior Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, said, "Maruti Suzuki’s legacy of innovation, scale, and deep industry knowledge makes it a vital partner for India’s startup ecosystem. This MoU is a step towards creating a robust platform for startups to transform ideas into market-ready mobility and manufacturing solutions, reinforcing India’s leadership in next-gen industrial innovation."

Highlighting the significance of this collaboration, Md. Alam Ansari, Deputy Director, Startup India, DPIIT, stated, "Our partnership with Maruti Suzuki reflects DPIIT’s commitment to nurturing high-impact startup engagement in the mobility and manufacturing space. We look forward to enabling startups with the support they need to succeed at scale, both in India and globally."

To spur innovation in the automotive space, Maruti Suzuki said it has built multiple programmes 1) Accelerator, 2) Incubation, 3) Mobility Challenge and 4) Nurture - that provide the right direction and support to startups in developing solutions that help solve business and societal problems. In the journey of 6 years, over 5,220 startups have been screened, around 150 startups were engaged and 28 of these startups have been onboarded as partners delivering value to our business.

On Monday, Maruti Suzuki opened its 5,500th service touchpoint in Udaipur. The Japanese carmaker’s service stations are spread across 2,764 cities. “One of the key factors most customers consider when purchasing a new car is the availability of a proximate and convenient service workshop, one that offers genuine and reliable service at a reasonable price, giving them total peace of mind,” said Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki. “In FY 2024-25, we added 460 new service touchpoints, which is more than one every single day. We plan to continue these efforts and aim to add around 500 new service touchpoints during this financial year, of which we have already set up 91 touchpoints,” Takeuchi added.