PM Modi-led govt’s 12 years in power are ‘transformational for industry’: Maruti Suzuki chairman

New Delhi: Chairman R C Bhargava on Thursday hailed the Narendra Modi-led government’s economic and industrial policies, a day after he became the country’s longest continuously serving elected prime minister.

In a post on X, Bhargava said the past 12 years have been “transformational for industry”, and have created more opportunities for Indian companies to access global markets and expand bilateral trade.

Pointing to developments in the automobile sector, Bhargava noted that Maruti Suzuki’s annual vehicle exports had increased from about 1,00,000 units in 2013-14 to around 4,50,000 units in 2025-26. He also said India has emerged as the world’s third-largest car manufacturing nation.

“The close link between industrial growth, competitiveness and the growth of employment and wealth in the country was first recognised, and measures taken to remove past obstacles, after Mr. Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014,” Bhargava said.

The Maruti Suzuki India chairman linked the government initiatives targeting rural development and prosperity to the rise in the share of cars sold by the company in rural areas.

“The share of MSIL cars sold in rural areas increased from 32 per cent to 52 per cent, a truly remarkable transformation resulting from government policies,” he shared.

Bhargava observed that under the Narendra Modi-led government, the infrastructure programme was sharply intensified and helped reduce logistic costs.

“India is increasingly becoming a preferred destination for supply chains moving out of China,” he stated.

The Maruti Suzuki India chairman said a series of reforms undertaken since 2014 had improved India’s competitiveness, reduced costs for businesses and strengthened the country’s position in global manufacturing and supply chains.

“The result has been more opportunities for Indian industry to access foreign markets and increase bilateral trade. Truly, these 12 years have been transformational for industry, and we look with great confidence to the future, under his leadership,” Bhargava said.

The Maruti Suzuki chairman said the government recognised the link between industrial growth, employment generation and wealth creation, and took steps to improve the ease of doing business, remove legal impediments to growth, reform the tax structure and accelerate the adoption of digital technology.

He said these measures helped eliminate wasteful costs, save time and enhance the competitiveness of Indian goods.

Bhargava also highlighted the government’s infrastructure push, saying it had helped reduce logistics costs while making India an increasingly attractive destination for global supply chains looking to diversify beyond China.

The Maruti Suzuki India chairman also praised Modi’s efforts to strengthen India’s standing globally, saying the prime minister had built trust and confidence among foreign countries, opening up new opportunities for Indian businesses in overseas markets.