Osamu Suzuki’s visionary leadership made cars accessible to millions: SIAM President

Late Osamu Suzuki’s visionary leadership made cars accessible to millions, forging an enduring bond between Japan and India, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) President Shailesh Chandra said on Friday. In a condolence message on behalf of the Indian automobile industry, Chandra, who is also Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd, said, “His commitment to localisation, investment, and innovation leaves a lasting legacy.”

He further said, “His visionary leadership made cars accessible to millions, forging an enduring bond between Japan and India.”

Suzuki died at the age of 94 on December 25 due to malignant lymphoma, according to information shared by Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation on Friday.

In a post on X, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra paid “tribute to a gentleman who was instrumental in the democratisation of passenger cars in India”.

“I only met him once, but the memory of that meeting is indelibly printed in my mind. What struck me most about him was his air of supreme self-confidence. It never spilled over into arrogance,” he said, recollecting a meeting with Suzuki.

Mahindra further wrote, “I suppose because that confidence came from having worked tirelessly to build his company as a legitimate competitor to the behemoths of Japan, and then to sustain its value proposition. Humility comes from always being conscious of the fragility of success.”