Homegrown automaker said the effort supports the use of technology-led solutions to improve operational efficiency, manufacturing accuracy, quality, workplace safety, customer experience, and the development of safer and smarter products.
The selected startups are AugurAI, Aatral, Zen Mobility, Indus Vision, and Proxgy. They were chosen from the fourth cohort of the Maruti Suzuki Incubation Program (MSIP), which is run in partnership with the Nadathur S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
Each startup has been awarded a paid proof-of-concept project. The projects focus on manufacturing precision, quality control, workplace safety, and sustainable logistics.
- AugurAI will deploy AI-based visual inspection systems to detect defects in automotive components and finished vehicles.
- Aatral will implement AI-powered vision systems to strengthen defect detection and production precision.
- Indus Vision will work on vision-based quality inspection of completed vehicles.
- Proxgy will introduce IoT-enabled wearables and monitoring systems to improve employee safety on the shop floor.
- Zen Mobility will develop electric vehicle solutions for the last-mile delivery of spare parts and accessories.
Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “The startups onboarded this time are helping us achieve even higher levels of precision in manufacturing; sustainable mobility for last mile delivery of aftermarket parts; and enhanced safety for employees at the workplace.”
Anand Sri Ganesh, CEO of NSRCEL, said, “Together, we are building an ecosystem where early-stage ventures can refine bold ideas and scale them into impactful solutions.”
Maruti Suzuki said it has developed multiple innovation platforms to support startups working on business challenges. Over seven years, the company has screened around 6,400 startups, engaged more than 220, and onboarded 32 as partners delivering value to its operations.
Its programs include the Maruti Suzuki Accelerator, launched in January 2019 to promote open innovation in automobile manufacturing and mobility, and the Maruti Suzuki Incubation Program, started in August 2020 to nurture technology-enabled mobility startups with support from NSRCEL through mentorship and access to IIM Bangalore’s ecosystem.
The Mobility Challenge was launched in June 2021 to help growth-stage startups showcase mobility solutions, and Nurture was introduced in 2023 as a pre-incubation program for early-stage startups.
