India must invite component makers first before OEMs: R C Bhargava

Foreign investment will come readily if the supply chain already exists, says Maruti Suzuki chairman

It has been 40 years since Suzuki, the Japanese small carmaker, signed an agreement with the Indian government for a joint venture. The government exited Maruti Suzuki, the joint venture, in 2002. R C Bhargava, who as chairman of Maruti Suzuki has led the company in its journey to transform India’s automobile sector, talks to Surajeet Das Gupta about the lessons from that experience for today’s manufacturing sector.

Here are edited excerpts from the interview.

The story of Maruti Suzuki is well known. What lessons one can replicate as the country pushes manufacturing once again through 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'?