Japan’s Suzuki Motor Chairman Osamu Suzuki on Thursday visited two of its India plants — a two-wheeler manufacturing facility and a car plant in Gurgaon. This is his first trip to India after Maruti’s Manesar plant witnessed unprecedented violence that left a senior officer dead while 500 officials were injured when a mob attacked the plant. He visited these two plants amidst heavy security.
Suzuki is on a week-long visit to India and is leaving for Gujarat on Friday to hold talks with Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
Suzuki visited MSI’s plant and Suzuki Motorcycle’s facility in Gurgaon under police protection and addressed about 200 senior managers, but avoided going to Manesar.
Sources said Suzuki met the top management of Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) but whether or not he will visit the Manesar plant is not being disclosed. Suzuki was accompanied by Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi. MSI is subsidiary of Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp (SMC) .
According to a source, Suzuki said, “This is a very very sad incident and it was not Union versus management. It was a criminal act and it cannot be excused. A thorough and proper action is needed. A strict action has to be taken.”
During his stay in India, Suzuki is also expected to meet Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and is slated to attend the annual general meeting of MSI on August 28.