The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, has posthumously conferred Padma Vibhushan, one of the highest civilian awards, to Late Osamu Suzuki, Former Chairman, Suzuki Motor Corporation and Former Director & Honorary Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India, in a formal conferment ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on 28 April 2025.

The Padma Vibushan was conferred to Osamu Suzuki for his outstanding contribution in the field of trade and industry. The award was accepted by Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director and President, Suzuki Motor Corporation on behalf of his late father.

Toshihiro Suzuki, said, “My sincere gratitude to the Honourable President of India and the Government of India for awarding the prestigious Padma Vibhushan to my father, Osamu Suzuki, Former Chairman, Suzuki Motor Corporation. I have just received this high-level award on his behalf, and I am deeply honoured. I believe he is, from heaven, looking back fondly on the 45 years he spent with India, his second home.”

“This award goes not only to my father, but also to all the people who have worked at Suzuki, Maruti Suzuki and all our business partners, who have supported us in this journey. My father must be feeling very proud today. I am also feeling extremely proud to receive this award. All the employees at Suzuki and Maruti Suzuki and our business partners must be feeling proud of this recognition. This award also expresses thanks to the ‘love of Indian people towards Suzuki’. This award belongs to all of you.”

“We, at Team Suzuki, will carry forward the commitment of Osamu Suzuki with the same passion to bring inclusive and sustainable mobility solutions that will be loved by the people of India,” he added.

Osamu Suzuki played a key role in driving the Indian automotive industry, especially the passenger vehicle segment. Under his leadership, Maruti Suzuki began manufacturing passenger vehicles with around 100,000 units per annum capacity in 1983.

The company is now one of the largest passenger vehicle manufacturers not just in India, but globally.  It was last year that the company reached a cumulative production milestone of 30 million units, an annual production of 2 million units and exporting over 3 million units cumulatively today.

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US-headquartered vehicle cockpit and technology company Visteon Corporation has announced the appointment of Gary Hicok to its board of directors, effective 1 July 2026, who is also set to serve on the company’s Technology Committee.

Hicok has nearly 25 years of experience at Nvidia, where he served as Senior Vice President and led the company's automotive, mobile (Tegra) and PC core logic businesses and directed Xbox chip development. He was also involved in developing infrastructure for AI platforms, robotics and real-time computing.

Before his tenure at Nvidia, he held senior positions at Trident Microsystems, Cirrus Logic and VLSI Technology, focusing on PC audio, 3D graphics and system-on-chip (SoC) architectures. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University and holds 40 U.S. patents.

Francis Scricco, Chair of Visteon's Board, said, "We are delighted to welcome Gary Hicok to Visteon's board of directors. Gary brings a unique combination of automotive, semiconductor and systems leadership experience gained over decades at the forefront of technology innovation. His leadership in building NVIDIA's automotive business and advancing complex computing platforms will provide valuable perspective as Visteon continues to accelerate innovation for software-defined vehicles and next-generation cockpit solutions."

Hicok stated, "Visteon's leadership in digital cockpit technologies, software-defined architectures and AI-enhanced solutions provides a strong foundation for growth. Beyond automotive applications, the company's AI and software capabilities have the potential to address opportunities across a range of intelligent, connected systems markets. I am excited to join the board and contribute to Visteon's continued innovation, growth and value creation."

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Flying Flea, the newly established urban electric mobility brand from Royal Enfield, has officially commenced retail deliveries of its debut electric motorcycle, the FF.C6, in Bengaluru. Alongside the vehicle rollout, the brand has introduced an integrated connected ownership ecosystem and a localised service framework.

The FF.C6 is available in two colour configurations – Storm Black and Flea Green. Flying Flea is utilising a city-by-city rollout strategy, establishing its initial commercial footprint in Bengaluru before expanding to other markets.

The vehicle is positioned with two distinct ownership pricing structures – INR 279,000 (ex-showroom) for the complete motorcycle and the integrated battery pack infrastructure. It can be had as Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) Tier at INR 199,000, which lowers the initial acquisition cost by unbundling the battery pack from the vehicle chassis, allowing owners to pay for energy utilisation separately.

To support the product rollout, Flying Flea has deployed a decentralised hub-and-spoke service network across Bengaluru to manage both routine maintenance and specialised technical repairs. The Primary Hub located in BTM Layout has a specialised facility that is equipped to handle complex electrical diagnostics, battery health management and advanced technical support.

The spoke centres will act as distributors across various sectors of the city. These touchpoints are optimised for high-throughput routine service, software recalibrations and minor wear-and-tear maintenance.

Flying Flea is leveraging Royal Enfield's existing corporate footprint by establishing dedicated ‘shop-in-shop’ formats inside operational Royal Enfield showrooms and service bays. This integration grants the new brand immediate scaling advantages and extensive service reach.

Additionally, all FF.C6 units are backed by a standard 24x7 Roadside Assistance (RSA) program to provide continuous emergency support to riders.

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Fleetguard Filters Pvt. Ltd. (FFPL) marked a major milestone on 10 June 2026 in Pune by completing 1,500 free mobile medical health camps. Over the past four years, this corporate social responsibility initiative has expanded preventive healthcare access across Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Nashik in partnership with the Samarth Yuva Foundation.

The programme has delivered doorstep medical care and health awareness to underserved communities, resulting in over 500,000 free health screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar and complete blood counts. Additionally, the camps have provided 3,500 mammography screenings, eye check-ups, more than 100,000 reading spectacles and dental care services benefiting over 50,000 individuals.

A special event titled Service and Dedication was held in Pune, gathering healthcare professionals, volunteers and community members. Recognised as a notable regional outreach effort, the initiative promotes early diagnosis and regular check-ups. FFPL continues to prioritise healthcare, education and community development through its CSR programmes to create sustainable social impact.

Niranjan Kirloskar, Managing Director, Fleetguard Filters Pvt. Ltd., said, “At Fleetguard Filters, we believe that access to quality healthcare is fundamental to building stronger and healthier communities. Through our CSR initiatives, we strive to create meaningful and lasting impact in the communities we serve. The milestone of 1,500 free mobile medical health camps reflects the power of collaboration and sustained commitment towards improving healthcare accessibility for underserved sections of society. We remain committed to supporting initiatives that contribute to healthier and more resilient communities.”

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Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has launched a new brand campaign ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, featuring its brand ambassadors Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues. The campaign builds on the success of the earlier men’s World Cup initiative titled ‘Deewane India ka Deewana Humsafar’ but presents a distinct narrative focused on celebrating the rising support and admiration for women’s cricket in India.

The campaign directly challenges the traditional label of cricket as a gentleman’s game with the bold message that the ‘gentle’ has been removed from the sport. Through strong visuals, it highlights the determination, skill and barrier-breaking performances of women cricketers, showing how their passion is transforming the game and deepening India’s love for cricket.

As a Premier Partner of the ICC, HMIL plans to engage fans during the tournament with curated digital content and targeted outreach. These efforts aim to amplify the excitement of the Women’s T20 World Cup, bring fans closer to the action and strengthen Hyundai’s emotional connection with cricket enthusiasts.

Virat Khullar, Head – Marketing, Hyundai Motor India Limited, said, “At Hyundai, we believe sport has the power to unite communities, inspire dreams and create meaningful connections. The overwhelming response to our ‘Deewane India Ka Deewana Humsafar’ campaign reaffirmed the deep emotional bond between cricket and its fans. With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, we are proud to celebrate a new chapter of this passion by recognising the growing influence of women’s cricket and the millions of fans who continue to champion the game. This campaign aims to celebrate that shift and spotlight the incredible journeys of players like Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, who continue to break stereotypes and inspire millions. As a proud partner of the ICC, Hyundai remains committed to supporting this new era of cricket and standing alongside the champions who embody the true spirit of ‘Deewangi’.”

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