Maruti Suzuki seeks partnerships to secure supply chain

Maruti Suzuki is open to forming partnerships with auto part makers to secure its future supply chain and maintain its leadership position.

According to Maruti Suzuki chairman R C Bhargava, partnering with suppliers in its early years contributed significantly to Maruti's success in India, where it has a 43 percent share of the car market.

The partnerships also helped establish a supply chain for combustion engine cars.

With rising demand for more technology in automobiles and a shift to 'greener' powertrains such as electric and hybrid, automotive supply chains around the world are changing and require significant investments to keep up.

However, the company has yet to identify specific areas for an alliance.

Maruti Suzuki has around 20 joint ventures with its suppliers.

Maruti, which is majority-owned by Suzuki Motor of Japan, dominates India's car market with its small, low-cost vehicles. However, the company faces increasing competition as buyers shift to larger vehicles such as SUVs and regulators demand more safety features, driving up costs.