Maruti Suzuki adds new partners for battery recycling, other business solutions

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) has announced collaborations with five emerging startups to develop innovative solutions focused on operational efficiency, enhanced customer experience and sustainable recycling of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The partnerships form part of the fifth cohort of the company’s Maruti Suzuki Incubation Program (MSIP).

Hisashi Takeuchi, CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “At Maruti Suzuki, we have been actively working with startups to co-create innovative and practical solutions to address real business challenges. We are delighted to collaborate with five more startups. One of these startups, MiniMines, will support us in safely recycling end-of-life batteries. The other four startups will help improve customer engagement and drive efficiency across our business operations.”

The selected startups—MiniMines, Easework AI, Sarvam AI, Siftly, and CodeMate AI—will work on diverse technology-driven applications aligned with Maruti Suzuki’s business priorities. The incubation initiative is conducted in association with the Nadathur S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.

Among the selected firms, MiniMines will focus on developing environmentally responsible methods for recycling end-of-life lithium-ion batteries, enabling the recovery of valuable materials. Easework AI aims to streamline procurement processes for indirect consumables—such as maintenance supplies and office materials—through agentic artificial intelligence systems capable of operating with minimal human intervention.

Sarvam AI will deploy generative AI tools with multilingual capabilities to improve customer engagement across various touchpoints. Siftly will leverage similar technologies to strengthen brand visibility, while CodeMate AI will contribute to accelerating software development processes within the company.

Over the past seven years, Maruti Suzuki has evaluated nearly 7,400 startups, engaged with over 250, and formally partnered with 38.