Maruti Suzuki invites startups under 6th cohort of MAIL initiative

According to the carmaker, the winning startups will get an opportunity to undertake a paid Proof of Concept (PoC) with the Company. These selected startups will be closely mentored by industry experts in the domestic and international startup ecosystem. The participating startups will be provided with an opportunity to turn their innovative ideas into practical and disruptive solutions, and showcase their entrepreneurial capabilities.

Kenichi Ayukawa, managing director & CEO, MSIL said, "As a key stakeholder, we are committed to nurture and promote a culture of innovation in this dynamic industry. In the last two years, we have had an encouraging experience through the MAIL initiative. Already 25 startups are engaged with us and 13 Proof of Concepts have been enabled. Several of these are successfully bringing value to the business of the automobile industry."

"The sixth cohort will help to expand the initiative further and strengthen the culture of innovation, as we co-create solutions for our customers, business and the industry," he added. The carmaker launched its MAIL programme in January 2019 to identify and bring together startups with innovative and cutting-edge solutions, and further collaborate to co-create technology led solutions in mobility and automobile space.

Maruti Suzuki has partnered with GHV Accelerator, an Indo Japanese early stage seed fund, to identify and address the early-stage startups with innovative and customer oriented solutions. The potential of the applicants is analyzed, necessary support and guidance is provided for their growth as a part of a 3 month acceleration period, the company statement said.