Because even the country’s largest carmaker knows innovation doesn’t always come from inside a factory – sometimes it comes from a garage with Wi-Fi.
New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India Limited has onboarded five promising deep-tech startups to co-create next-generation technology solutions across its business operations, further strengthening its push towards smarter manufacturing, safer workplaces and future-ready mobility.
The five startups – AugurAI, Aatral, Zen Mobility, Indus Vision and Proxgy – have been selected from the 4th Cohort of the Maruti Suzuki Incubation Program (MSIP), run in collaboration with NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore’s incubation hub.
In simple terms, Maruti Suzuki is now teaming up with AI brains, IoT wizards and electric mobility specialists to ensure that its factories become more precise, its employees safer, and its last-mile logistics more electric than ever.
What are these startups doing?
The selected startups are working on Proof-of-Concept (PoC) projects covering:
- AI-based visual inspection systems for high-precision manufacturing
- IoT-enabled workplace safety solutions to prevent accidents
- Electric mobility platforms for sustainable last-mile logistics
Basically, while cars are still being built on assembly lines, a lot of the real action is now happening in code, sensors and algorithms.
What Maruti Suzuki says
Commenting on the initiative, Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said:
“In an increasingly complex operating landscape defined by evolving consumer preferences, an expanding product portfolio, nearly 100 export markets and a growing focus on sustainability, technology has become a strategic enabler. Embedding new-age intelligent technologies across business functions is critical for long-term agile growth.”
He added that the latest cohort is helping Maruti Suzuki achieve higher manufacturing precision, sustainable mobility for aftermarket logistics, and enhanced employee safety.
NSRCEL’s role
Anand Sri Ganesh, CEO, NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore, highlighted the importance of industry-startup collaboration:
“Our association with Maruti Suzuki is helping bridge the gap between cutting-edge innovation and real-world application. Startups get access to complex business problems, and corporates get fresh, disruptive thinking.”
Maruti Suzuki’s innovation engine
Maruti Suzuki has quietly built one of India’s largest corporate innovation ecosystems:
- 6,400+ startups screened over 7 years
- 220+ startups engaged
- 32 startups already onboarded as long-term partners
Its innovation programs include:
- Maruti Suzuki Accelerator (2019) – Open innovation for mobility tech
- Maruti Suzuki Incubation Program (2020) – Nurturing early-stage mobility startups
- Mobility Challenge (2021) – Platform for growth-stage startups
- Nurture (2023) – Pre-incubation for early ideas
The bigger picture
As the automotive industry shifts from engines to algorithms, Maruti Suzuki’s strategy is clear: don’t just build cars, build ecosystems. By partnering with startups working on AI, IoT and electric logistics, the company is future-proofing itself for an era where software will matter as much as steel.
Or as one might say: the next big upgrade in your Maruti may not be under the bonnet – it might be in the backend cloud.
Details of the startups and project areas:
| Startup | Solution |
| AugurAI | AI-based visual inspection for defect identification in complex components to ensure higher precision manufacturing |
| Aatral | Eliminate visual defects through AI‑assisted inspection and 3D digital validation, enabling suppliers to manufacture and supply zero‑defect components to the company |
| Zen Mobility | For promoting use of electric mobility in logistics to make it more efficient and sustainable, especially for last‑mile delivery of spare parts and accessories |
| Indus Vision | AI-powered visual inspection of finished vehicles to ensure higher-quality output and minimize human-error |
| Proxgy | Enhance employee safety on the shopfloor through advanced IoT and smart wearables that monitor conditions in real time and alert employees before an incident happens. For crane‑lifting areas, the AI system spots unsafe situations early and can automatically alert workers or stop the crane to prevent accidents. |
