Suzuki asks India suppliers to shorten production week in push for quality, sources say

Suzuki Motor has instructed its Indian suppliers to reduce production to one day per week for maintenance, aiming to enhance quality and reduce unscheduled stoppages as it prepares to increase output, according to two sources. This directive is a first for Suzuki in India and comes as Maruti Suzuki, its domestic unit, plans to double annual production to 4 million cars by 2030 from 2.4 million currently.

Suzuki, which considers India its largest market and a crucial manufacturing hub, is turning to risk management and quality control to bolster its position in the Indian car market, where rivals like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have recently introduced feature-rich vehicles. Maruti Suzuki aims to launch new models in the lead-up to 2030 to regain market share, and the production increase is crucial for achieving this goal.

In August, Suzuki's President Toshihiro Suzuki met with Indian suppliers, urging them to plan production according to a six-day schedule. Suppliers are now required to sign agreements confirming that production lines do not operate all seven days, with the goal of reducing machinery use to 20 hours a day, 6 days a week by September 2027.

This change would allow machines 4 hours of downtime each night and a full day for maintenance. Suzuki's push for increased production efficiency and a new powertrain and safety technology in India by 2030 could potentially cost suppliers, especially as commodity and raw material prices continue to rise. Suppliers will need to invest in additional capacity to compensate for the downtime, which could involve building new plants and machinery.