By 2026, India’s automobile sector must contribute 12% of GDP: Maruti chief

The Indian automobile industry can contribute over 12 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and generate around 6.5 crore additional jobs over the next decade, said Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) Chief Kenichi Ayukawa.

“Our vision is that over the next decade, the Indian automobile sector must contribute in excess of 12 per cent of the country’s GDP. We (auto industry) want to create nearly 65 million additional jobs by 2026,” Ayukawa said here at the sidelines of an event here.

The Indian automobile industry is contributing 7.1 per cent to the GDP right now and around 3.2 crore people are employed directly and indirectly by the sector, he said, adding that in the last 10 years, the total investment made by the automobile industry has been to the tune of $35 billion.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers’ (SIAM) CSR conclave, Ayukawa said, “Our responsibility towards the communities where we are operating also increases. It’s our duty to develop a sustainable, mutually beneficial and inclusive socio-economic ecosystem.”

He said that in order to grow, the industry has to focus on areas such as congestion, air pollution, global warming and road accidents and that would happen only if the industry creates safe, efficient and environment-friendly vehicles.

Ayukawa also sought government’s support on licensing norms and enforcement of road safety rules in the country as ‘without robust licensing norms and enforcement, efforts of the industry in driving training falls short’. “Now the time has come when we all get together as one entity to draft and implement an ‘Industry Social Responsibility Plan’ so that we can have a bigger positive impact,” he added.

Meanwhile, SIAM said that it was working towards supporting sustainable development of the Indian automobile industry.

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