Maruti Suzuki Selects 5 Startups To Boost Innovation in Mobility

Maruti Suzuki has joined hands with five shortlisted startups under its Mobility & Automobile Innovation Lab (MAIL) program. After an extensive selection process, five startups—Enmovil, Docketrun, Eyedentify, Xane and SenseGiz—were selected to present their solutions at the Demo Day in New Delhi. Three out of the selected five startups also got an opportunity to collaborate on a paid project with Maruti Suzuki. 

After being shortlisted, the five startups were subject to an acceleration program spanning over three months. During this time, they were guided by various mentors from India and abroad. The five startups were also given access to Maruti Suzuki’s facilities and test bed. Sensegiz emerged as the winner after the presentation with Xane and Eyedentify following in second and third place respectively. 

Maruti Suzuki has stated that it will fund these startups’ ideas until they reach the proof of concept stage. Their concepts might even go into production soon. The five startups showcased ideas involving logistics, artificial intelligence, plug and play solutions, as well as IoT. 

Here’s what the release says:  

New Delhi, 14 October 2019: Maruti Suzuki India Limited has selected five startups for Proof ofConcept (PoC) under its Mobility & Automobile Innovation Lab (MAIL) program. This will help accelerate these concepts towards real-time applications. MAIL is an initiative by Maruti Suzuki to identify and bring together startups with innovative and cutting-edge solutions, to collaborate for open innovation in mobility and automobile space. Through an extensive exercise involving call for applications, thorough screening and pitch sessions, five startups namely Enmovil, Docketrun, Eyedentify, Xane and SenseGiz, were selected for cohort 1.

These 5 startups presented their solutions at the Demo Day organized in New Delhi.Maruti Suzuki India Limited MD & CEO, Mr Kenichi Ayukawa (fifth from right), along with the five startups selected under theMobility & Automobile Innovation Lab (MAIL) program.Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki IndiaLimited said, “Indian automobile industry is at a crucial juncture. Several disruptions are taking place in the automobile and mobility space. Since inception Maruti Suzuki has strived to offer products and services that are ahead of regulations and match the needs of the evolving Indian customers, while retaining the interests of our stakeholders. We are optimistic that partnering with these startups, we will enter into a new era of mobility and automobile solutions.” He added, “Our aim is to now work along with these startups and enhance scalability of the solutions.These intelligent solutions will help enhance customer experience, among others.”

Post selection into the first cohort, all the 5 startups underwent an extensive 3 months long acceleration program. Here, they were mentored by various experts from both domestic as well as international startup ecosystem. Concurrently, they received guidance from domain experts at Maruti Suzuki. The startups were given access to Maruti Suzuki’s test bed and facilities to understand the current scenario and suggest solutions to fit business needs.

After the presentations on the Demo Day, Sensegiz was announced as the winner, followed by Xane and Eyedentify. Two more startups, Enmovil and Docketrun were also engaged for the next round. The top three startups- SenseGiz, Xane and Eyedentify get an opportunity to undertake a paid Proof Of-Concept with Maruti Suzuki for an actual business use. The initiative will help create value additions in the areas of logistics, IoT based safety and monitoring, and plug and play solutions.