Overview
- Speaking at ACMA on September 12, Hisashi Takeuchi said the “next many decades belong to India” and urged predictable, stable policy to anchor long-term manufacturing growth.
- He cited India’s large workforce and $4 trillion economy, highlighted government support through PLI and Make in India, and pressed for deeper localisation and sustained R&D to move suppliers up the value chain.
- He framed recent supply-chain shocks as a chance for India to position itself as a trusted, resilient manufacturing base rather than a setback.
- He pointed to Maruti Suzuki’s e‑VITARA production in Gujarat—flagged off for exports to over 100 countries—as evidence of India’s expanding EV manufacturing footprint.
- He cautioned that about 30% of component exports go to the US, with roughly half now facing a 25% duty and the rest 50%, and noted a wide discrepancy in reported FY24–25 export totals that remains unresolved.