Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday flagged off e-VITARA, Maruti Suzuki’s first global strategic battery electric vehicle (BEV), from the company’s manufacturing facility in Hansalpur, Ahmedabad.
The Made-in-India BEVs will be exported to more than 100 countries, including advanced markets such as Europe and Japan.
“With this milestone, India will now serve as Suzuki’s global manufacturing hub for electric vehicles,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
PM Modi also inaugurated the TDS Lithium-Ion Battery plant in Hansalpur, a joint venture between Toshiba, Denso and Suzuki. The facility will manufacture hybrid battery electrodes, ensuring that over 80% of the battery value is produced within India.
“Together, these landmark initiatives underscore India’s emergence as a global hub for green mobility while advancing the Prime Minister’s vision of Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” the PMO added.
In a post on X earlier in the day, PM Modi wrote: “Today is a special day in India’s quest for self-reliance and being a hub for green mobility. At the programme in Hansalpur, e-VITARA will be flagged off. This Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) is made in India and will be exported to over a hundred nations. In a big boost to our battery ecosystem, production of hybrid battery electrodes will also commence at a plant in Gujarat.”
Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest carmaker, first showcased the e-VITARA in January 2025 at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo. The company, which has an annual production capacity of 2.6 million units across four plants in India, exported 3.32 lakh vehicles and sold 19.01 lakh units in the domestic market in FY25. Commercial production of the e-VITARA commenced today at the Hansalpur facility.
Later in the day, the Prime Minister is scheduled to dedicate projects worth nearly ₹1,400 crore, including the ₹530 crore doubling of the 65 km Mahesana–Palanpur railway line.