Osamu Suzuki, the long-time leader of Suzuki Motor, who turned the Japanese mini-vehicle maker into a global player with a huge dominance in the Indian car market, has died at the age of 95.
As stated, Osamu Suzuki was at the head of the company for more than 40 years, in the position of president, chairman and executive director of the company, and retired from the board of directors in June 2021 when he was 90 years old, reports the agency Kyodo.
Under his leadership, the company focused on the production of mini-vehicles in Japan and compact cars in developing economies such as India and Southeast Asian countries, but also in Hungary. This strategy was significantly different compared to other Japanese car manufacturers who primarily wanted to strengthen their presence in the American and Chinese markets, but it brought very good results, he says. Tanjug.
According to the Japan External Trade Organization, the Suzuki subsidiary controlled 41.7 percent of the car market in India in fiscal 2023, while second-placed South Korean rival Hyundai had to settle for a far more modest 14.6 percent.
When Suzuki took over the company in 1978, its sales revenue amounted to about 300 billion yen, or approximately 1.82 billion euros, and in fiscal year 2006 it was even ten times higher and exceeded three trillion yen for the first time.
Osamu Suzuki handed over the position of company president to his son Toshihiro in 2015, who thus continued the family tradition in the automotive industry.
Source: Tanjug / Kyodo
Photo: Autoblog.rs Archive / Suzuki
Source: autoblog.rs
