Maruti to mentor five startups under its Mobility and Automobile Innovation Lab (MAIL) Program

Maruti Suzuki is going to collaborate with five startups that had undergone an acceleration program that lasted for three months in which they were mentored and trained by the domain experts both from India as well as abroad and will be given access to Maruti Suzuki's facilities and data so as to fine-tune their respective business models, as per the company's statement.

Maruti Suzuki, the top car brand of India that makes one in every two cars in the country, had announced a mentorship program for the five startups in the automotive space as a part of its Mobility & Automobile Innovation Lab (MAIL) program. The MAIL is an initiative of auto major Maruti Suzuki that aims to identify and collaborate with the various startups with their innovative and cutting-edge technology for the automobile sector. The MAIL program also focuses on creating an ecosystem in India and create new technologies for the Indian automobile industry and majorly improving the experience of driving on the Indian roads.

The Maruti Suzuki spokesperson added that after a presentation being done on Demo Day in New Delhi, the top three startups selected include SenseGiz, Xane, and Eyedentify. SenseGiz was the winner followed by Xane and Eyedentify. These startups have been rewarded sponsorship for the development of the proof-of-concept (PoC) with the company, Maruti Suzuki. They will also be collaborating with Maruti Suzuki on a paid project. The other two startups Enmovil and Docketrun will also be assisted in developing their proof-of-concept, the company said.

“Our main aim is to work with these startups and enhance the scalability of the solutions. These intelligent solutions will help to better the customer experience, among various others," as per Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa, the managing director of Maruti Suzuki India. He also added, 

"The Indian automobile industry is currently at a crucial juncture. There are several problems and disturbances that are taking place in the automobile and mobility space."

This initiative will help to create value additions in the various areas such as in the area of logistics, Internet of Things (IoT)-based safety and monitoring, and plug-and-play solutions, as per the company.

These startups had been given complete access to Maruti Suzuki's testbed and facilities were provided so as to understand the current scenario and suggest rational and doable solutions to fit the company's business requirements.