As the auto industry embraces greater digitalisation, cybersecurity becomes equally important, Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the 66th annual convention of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) here, he said, “It is encouraging to see that organisations are continuously strengthening their cybersecurity systems by investing in advanced technologies. Having said that, even hackers are evolving their technology and becoming more sophisticated with each passing day. So, we have to ensure that we stay one step ahead of them.”
‘Be prepared’
He said organisations cannot rule out the chances of a cyber incident. “In view of this, we must be prepared with a robust contingency plan that enables us to resume business operations within the shortest possible time and minimise any potential disruption,” Takeuchi said.
While the industry may not be able to anticipate every risk, it can continuously improve its ability to prepare, adapt, and respond, he said. By focusing on deep localisation, people, collective learning, and technology, the industry would be able to emerge stronger in the coming times, he added.
In the recent years, major automobile manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Suzuki Motorcycle India have faced cyber attacks that disrupted their operations.
The attack began around August 31, 2025, forcing Tata Motors-owned JLR to shut down major internal IT and manufacturing systems, including its plants in the UK, Slovakia, Brazil, and India. The assembly lines of the plants were frozen for five weeks and the company began controlled restart only in late October that year.
Similarly, in 2023, Suzuki Motorcycle India was forced to stop operations at its plants owing to cyber attack on its systems, and had a production loss of over 20,000 units.
‘Identify risks early’
The government’s initiatives, such as the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme and the India Semiconductor Mission, are already creating opportunities to build capabilities in critical areas and reduce strategic dependencies, said Takeuchi.
Highlighting about the auto industry, he said the next decade must help the industry become stronger. “The objective is not to predict every disruption. That is impossible. [But we should] identify risks early enough to take counter measures,” he added.