Former Suzuki Motor Corporation Chairman, Osamu Suzuki has been awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. This honour has been awarded in recognition of Osamu Suzuki's outstanding contribution to the field of trade and industry. The formal ceremony took place at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on 28th April 2025.

The award was received by Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director and President, Suzuki Motor Corporation, on behalf of his father. Osamu joined Suzuki in 1958 and served several management roles before becoming president in 1978. The former president came across an article about the Indian government looking for an automaker partner. A meeting set up in 1982 paved the way for Suzuki to enter India with the Japanese auto giant acquiring a 26 per cent stake in the state-owned car manufacturer Maruti Udyog.

Maruti Suzuki started operating in the country with a one-lakh unit annual capacity in 1983. Under the leadership of Senior Suzuki San, the manufacturer achieved a cumulative automobile production of 30 million units by 2024. Additionally, the car maker also started exporting from India in the 1980s, surpassing three million units cumulatively.

Today, Maruti Suzuki is synonymous with the Indian automotive industry. While the initial Marutis came with waiting periods stretching into years, the automaker rolled out a whopping two million cars in 2024 alone. Maruti Suzuki contributes to about 43 per cent of total passenger vehicle exports from India.

(Also read: Maruti calls for small car revival to drive auto growth, banks on exports for near-term gains)

On receiving this award, Mr. Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director and President of Suzuki Motor Corporation, said, “My sincere gratitude to the Honourable President of India and the Government of India for awarding the prestigious Padma Vibhushan to my father, Mr. Osamu Suzuki, former Chairman, Suzuki Motor Corporation. I have just received this high-level award on his behalf, and I am deeply honoured. I believe he is, from heaven, looking back fondly on the 45 years he spent with India, his second home."

He also added, “This award goes not only to my father, but also to all the people who have worked at Suzuki, Maruti Suzuki and all our business partners, who have supported us in this journey. My father must be feeling very proud today. I am also feeling extremely proud to receive this award. All the employees at Suzuki and Maruti Suzuki and our business partners must be feeling proud of this recognition. This award also expresses thanks to the `love of Indian people towards Suzuki’. This award belongs to all of you."

(Also read: Osamu Suzuki, former Chairman, who brought Suzuki Motor to India, passes away)

About Osamu Suzuki

Born Osamu Matsuda, he married into the Suzuki family, taking his wife’s surname, as is the norm in Japanese customs where there are no male heirs to the family business. A former bank employee, Osamu joined Suzuki in 1958 and served several management roles before becoming president in 1978. Under his leadership, Suzuki would go on to launch the Alto minicar in Japan in 1979, which was an instant success, ushering in a new era for the automaker and resurrecting the domestic minicar market in Japan.

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