Suzuki manufactured vehicles in India in a JV under the brand Maruti - the JV was called Maruti Suzuki - manufactured, not assembled. Later Suzuki bought out the stake and it is now only Suzuki motors but Maruti retains a brand equity and is still used by Suzuki themselves at times. The A-star was designed in India, the Swift was partially designed in India - the Swift DZire - the Swift sedan which looks horrible - was also designed in India
Main Thing!
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'Maruti', like Pak Steel, Volkswagen etc., was a made-in-India political baby ... Sanjay Gandhi's 'Ppl.'s Car'... Not! It was expensive for a true blue ppl.'s car.
Suzuki & Gov. of India had a "Yaaron-Ke-Yaar' relationship. That's what they were for 20yrs. and counting. In US biz school, the case study would say that Suzuki and GoI had a sweet-heart deal.
Gov. of India (GoI) put some very smart Civil Servant types, Engineers, Patent Lawyers and other experts ... AT PUBLIC COST ... to nurture this 'ppl.'s car'. They roped in Suzuki. Suzuki was slelected on meritorius small engine technology AND the fact that it was a new Co. looking for growth and virgin markets at the time. The GoI threw money, cheap land, favorable policy, top talent etc. at the Suzuki-Maruti combine. However, under the political label of 'Ppl.'s Car', it was business as usual. Joint venture, licencisng and branding. Hota hai ... w/o too much hanky-panky ...
$ 1/2 Billion ... :hehe: ... that's Indian Rs. 2500 Cr., or Pak Rs. 4999 Cr. (approx.), ... that's what the GoI gov. babus of the Industry Ministry or whatever eventually sold the ... hehe ... 'Maruti' brand for ... back to ... hehe ... soo-soo-kee (Suzuki) ... 20 yrs. later.
Not bad!
The moolah went back to the ministry, no doubt to the in-house 'Maruti-Suzuki' caucus or account, and on to the public purse, no need for too much hanky-panky, ... not to mention a nice, pioneering career (what a job!) ... that's the story of the Maruti brand ... see how far 1 can ride political patronage.
No matter who you are, even the GoI, if someone hands over $ 1/2 Billion for a brand name like ... 'Maruti', basically money for nothing, or things .. pssst ... not to be talked about like favouratism ... then 1 would 'bend' and 'massage' and continue to set GoI policy to favour the business no? Indian gov. .. read Congress Party, like China, US, France, Russia ... is among the biggest biz. conglomerates of the world meri jaan ... waddya know?
Ambani's -among the richest in the world, Moser Baer-among top 3 cd and digital products Co. globally, Airtel- among biggest telco's, Mittal-steel, world # 1, Munjal's-bikes, again worlds biggest, Jindals-steel, on their way to world's ... 1 Tata was at the inauguration of the Congress 1oo yrs. or more ago, original Gandhi was shot on Birla's house, Bajaj sponsored Congress too, Bajaj-top 10 bike Co. in the world ... what kind of hand is behind ... the Conress hand!
Running the country ... hehe ... is only side business. A lot more gazzillionaires are in the making right now ... Congress is in.
Hot tip re: Pak: Pak should do biz with Congress run India, Pak will save so much ... all Indian products are now much better ... and Pak terrain, Pak markets, Pak economy is soooo compatible re: Indian products. Biz. is biz. Why get ripped off by all kind of yahoos ... Indian products are tested, robust and made for ... apne log. See the price of political instability in Pak ... Pak ppl. are used to nominally (nobody sells top-of-the-line stuff for Pak prices in Pak) better quality products, usually at double the Indian price .. with recent Globalisation of Indian products ... 1 gets better quality at 1/2 price ... beleive me ... I have nothing personal against Pak. .. my family lived in Clifton, Karachi ... originally from Lucknow ... via Delhi!
India-Pak must do MFN treaty, or at least legitimise, legalise Dubai route for trade. Good for public ... India need Pak gas, cement, stones etc. too ...