Some business diversifications are the result of well-thought of strategies, excel models, and years of planning, but others can come out of nowhere through some more fortuitous circumstances.
Japanese automaker Sukuzi has developed a line of pre-packaged Indian food after realizing that Indian food made for the approximately 200 Indian engineers at its Hamamatsu facility was a hit with its Japanese employees. Suzuki felt that this food deserved a wider audience in Japan, and partnered with Torizen, a 150-year-old local restaurant to launch a new food brand in Japan. Suzuki developed recipes including chickpea masala (chole masala), moong dal, and daikon sambar. Launched in 2025, Suzuki has already sold 100,000 packets in three months, and the Indian line of pre-packaged food has emerged as one of the company’s most surprising success stories this year.
The roots of the idea lay in Suzuki’s Hamamatsu facility. To help the more than 200 Indian engineers who work there, the company had initially introduced Indian curries on its menu. The curries ended up so popular with even its Japanese staff that Suzuki hit upon an idea. It decided to create pre-packaged versions of these curries, and sell them in Japan.
After months of taste testing, Suzuki created a menu that captured authentic Indian flavours while also appealing to Japanese palates. Suzuki has proudly retained its carmaker roots with the curries. The curry packets feature Suzuki’s cars and bikes such as the Swify and Jimny. They are sold under the Suzuki Cafeteria Indian Vegetarian Curry brand, and each pack is priced at ¥918 (around Rs 500). The initial line-up includes four varieties, Daikon Radish Sambar, Tomato Lentil Curry, Chickpea Masala and Moong Dal Green Curry, and Suzuki plans to introduce 14 more flavours soon.
Suzuki already has a big Indian connection. It is the parent company of Maruti Suzuki, the biggest carmaker in India. Suzuki also makes industrial equipment such as marine engines, power products, and specialized machines, but a line of pre-packaged Indian food does feel out of place in its overall portfolio mix. But with over 100,000 sales in 3 months, the 115-year-old Suzuki might have found an interesting new diversification play, largely thanks to the Indian engineers working in its Japanese offices.