Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director and President of Suzuki Motor Corporation, visited Maruti Suzuki’s skill development and road safety institutes in Haryana after the inauguration of the company’s Kharkhoda vehicle manufacturing facility by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Japan H.E. Sanae Takaichi at the India–Japan Joint Economic Forum in New Delhi.
The visit brought Suzuki Motor Corporation and Maruti Suzuki India Limited’s senior leadership to two key institutes managed by the company under its corporate social responsibility initiatives: the Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM) in Manesar and the Institute of Driving and Traffic Research (IDTR) in Bahadurgarh.
Suzuki was accompanied by Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, along with senior management. At JIM Manesar, the leadership interacted with students and reviewed the training ecosystem designed to equip young talent with industry-relevant technical expertise.
The institute focuses on Japanese manufacturing practices, quality, safety, discipline and continuous improvement — values that tend to sound simple on paper but require rather more than a neatly arranged toolbox to master.
Later, the delegation visited IDTR Bahadurgarh, one of Maruti Suzuki’s driving training institutes. The company said IDTRs play an important role in promoting safer driving practices and improving road safety awareness among a wide range of drivers.
During the visit, Toshihiro Suzuki said, “It was the greatest possible honour for Suzuki in India when both the Hon’ble Prime Ministers of India and Japan inaugurated our Kharkhoda plant yesterday. This places even more responsibility on us to recommit and rededicate ourselves to Viksit Bharat. The foundation of this is human development. I immediately decided to visit today our institutes for road safety – IDTR in Bahadurgarh – and for skill development – JIM in Manesar.”
Maruti Suzuki said its focus on skill development and road safety is aligned with national priorities such as Make in India, Skill India and Viksit Bharat @2047. The company has positioned these initiatives as part of a broader effort to support India’s manufacturing growth through trained manpower and safer mobility practices.
The Japan-India Institutes for Manufacturing are part of a flagship skill development initiative aimed at offering vocational training aligned with advanced manufacturing requirements. The programme reflects collaboration between the Governments of India and Japan to promote skill development and excellence in manufacturing.
Maruti Suzuki has established four JIMs in India, located at Mehsana and Gandhinagar in Gujarat, and Manesar and Sonipat in Haryana.
Recognised by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT), India, and accredited by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan, the institutes follow the Dual System of Training. This combines classroom instruction with industry exposure.
Students undergo seven months of paid industry training every year, giving them practical experience along with “Earn while you learn” opportunities. The institutes provide training in advanced manufacturing techniques, efficient shop-floor practices based on Japanese manufacturing principles, and soft skills aimed at improving employability.
Maruti Suzuki has also set up eight IDTRs in collaboration with six state governments to strengthen driving training and education. These centres are equipped with advanced test tracks, driving simulators and structured courses for learners, traffic violators and professional drivers.
The courses cover light and heavy motor vehicle drivers, two-wheeler and three-wheeler operators, forklift handlers and earth-moving equipment operators. Since inception, the IDTRs have trained more than 55.23 lakh drivers, including commercial drivers, police officers, corporate staff, students and tribal youth.
The visits to JIM Manesar and IDTR Bahadurgarh underline Maruti Suzuki’s effort to link industrial expansion with human development — a reminder that new factories may build vehicles, but trained people and safer roads are what keep the wheels turning.
