Maruti Suzuki brings five more startups into its innovation fold to scale next-generation technologies
Maruti Suzuki India Limited has onboarded five early-stage startups as part of its continuing push to embed new-age technologies across core business functions, spanning manufacturing, logistics, quality assurance and workplace safety.
The latest cohort—AugurAI, Aatral, Zen Mobility, Indus Vision and Proxgy—has been selected from the fourth edition of the Maruti Suzuki Incubation Program (MSIP), which the carmaker runs in partnership with NSRCEL, the incubation and entrepreneurship hub of Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
According to Maruti Suzuki, the initiative reflects a broader strategy to stay ahead of the technology curve by co-creating solutions with startups that can be deployed at scale across its operations. The focus areas include improving manufacturing precision, strengthening quality outcomes, enhancing employee safety, enabling sustainable logistics and elevating the overall customer experience.
Technology as a strategic enabler
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said the operating environment for the company is becoming increasingly complex, shaped by evolving consumer expectations, a growing product and powertrain portfolio, and regulatory diversity across nearly 100 export markets.
In this context, he noted, technology has moved beyond a support function to become a strategic enabler. Embedding intelligent, data-driven solutions across business functions is critical to maintaining operational excellence, navigating scale and complexity, and sustaining long-term, agile growth. He added that the current set of startups is already helping the company push for higher precision in manufacturing, promote sustainable last-mile logistics for aftermarket parts, and strengthen workplace safety.
From the incubation partner’s perspective, Anand Sri Ganesh, CEO of NSRCEL, said the collaboration with Maruti Suzuki is helping bridge the gap between cutting-edge innovation and real-world application. By exposing startups to complex industrial use cases and deep automotive domain expertise, the programme accelerates their ability to refine ideas and scale them into deployable solutions.
What the startups are working on
Each of the five startups has been onboarded for a clearly defined problem statement aligned with Maruti Suzuki’s operational priorities:
– AugurAI is deploying AI-based visual inspection systems to identify defects in complex components, aimed at improving precision in manufacturing.
– Aatral is working on AI-assisted inspection and 3D digital validation to help suppliers eliminate visual defects and deliver zero-defect components.
– Zen Mobility is supporting the use of electric vehicles in logistics, particularly for sustainable and efficient last-mile delivery of spare parts and accessories.
– Indus Vision is focused on AI-powered visual inspection of finished vehicles to enhance quality and reduce human error.
– Proxgy is developing IoT-enabled smart wearables and AI systems to improve shopfloor safety, including real-time monitoring and early warning mechanisms in high-risk areas such as crane-lifting zones.
A maturing startup engagement model
Maruti Suzuki’s engagement with startups has evolved steadily over the past seven years. During this period, the company has screened around 6,400 startups, engaged with more than 220, and formally onboarded 32 as partners delivering tangible business value.
This engagement spans multiple programmes, including the Maruti Suzuki Accelerator (launched in 2019 to foster open innovation), the Incubation Program (started in 2020 to nurture technology-led mobility startups), the Mobility Challenge (launched in 2021 for growth-stage ventures), and Nurture, a pre-incubation initiative introduced in 2023.
With the latest additions, Maruti Suzuki is signalling that startup-led innovation is no longer peripheral but central to how it approaches manufacturing excellence, safety, sustainability and future-ready mobility at scale.