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Suzuki to Start Collaboration with Rural Development
and Research Institute GIAN

- Aim to create products and services which contribute to
problem-solving and development of rural India-

Suzuki Motor Corporation (hereinafter “Suzuki”) has signed an agreement to collaborate with Gujarat Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (Headquarters: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, President: Prof. Bakul Dholakia, hereinafter "GIAN") in India. We aim to create products and services that contribute to problem-solving and development of rural India.

Established in 1997 with the cooperation of the state of Gujarat and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad with the aim of fostering a culture of innovation in rural areas, GIAN is an Indian research institute and NGO specializing in solving rural problems. They collaborate with many Indian universities and international organizations (UNICEF, UNESCO, UNDP, etc.). They also have a network and knowledge of grassroots innovation that maximizes the value of ideas generated from grassroots activities.

Through this collaboration, we will conduct market research, prototype development, and demonstration experiments while receiving proposals and expert advice from GIAN. By doing so, we hope to develop products and services that contribute to solving the problems of rural life and revitalizing rural areas, and create new businesses.

At the signing ceremony of the agreement held in Ahmedabad on 20 December, Kinji Saito, Director & Senior Managing Officer, said, "We believe that building a cooperative relationship with GIAN will help us learn more deeply about India. We will develop and provide products and services that are truly needed by people in rural India."

GIAN website: http://gian.org/