Suzuki's India subsidiary Next Bharat Ventures holds third Next Billion Forum in Bengaluru
Suzuki's Indian subsidiary Next Bharat Ventures held its third Next Billion Forum in Bengaluru on 28 August 2026, gathering about 300 leaders around India's development goals for 2047.
- approximately 1.4 billion
- approximately 0.4 billion
- 20
- approximately 1.9 million
What Happened
Next Bharat Ventures IFSC Private Limited (NBV), Suzuki Motor Corporation's wholly owned subsidiary in India, held the Next Billion Forum 2026 in Bengaluru, India, on 28 August 2026. The forum's theme was "Viksit Bharat (Developed India)", tied to the 100th anniversary of India's independence in 2047. This year's event was the third installment since 2024. It brought together leaders from industry, government and academia in India and Japan for discussions and networking aimed at creating sustainable business for the "next billion people" and making social impact. Approximately 300 people attended.
NBV is founded as Suzuki's wholly owned subsidiary in India to help solve social issues through business, and the Next Billion Forum holds its first installment.
The third Next Billion Forum is held in Bengaluru under the theme "Viksit Bharat (Developed India)".
Target year of India's 100th anniversary of independence, the milestone the forum theme looks toward.
- Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog and former G20 Sherpa
- Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace
- Yusuke Nakano, Mayor of Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka
- Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director and President of Suzuki Motor Corporation
- Hideaki Domichi, former ambassador of Japan to India and Outside Director of Suzuki
- Vipul Jindal, Managing Director and CEO of NBV
Vipul Jindal presented an Impact Report highlighting NBV's achievements to date and the impact of its investment and business support activities. NBV has invested in and supported 20 companies operating in sectors including food processing, agriculture and financial inclusion, contributing to improved livelihoods and increased incomes for approximately 1.9 million people. One portfolio company, Blackfrog Technologies, provides the portable vaccine refrigerator "Emvolio", which supports better healthcare access by enabling safe and reliable vaccine delivery in rural and remote areas. In a fireside chat, Jindal and Pawan Kumar Chandana shared their experiences of growing their businesses while overcoming challenges such as fundraising, talent acquisition and regulatory hurdles during the startup phase, and the difficulties of putting a startup on a sustainable growth trajectory. A panel discussion moderated by Amitabh Kant featured four companies supported by NBV, covering social challenges including women's empowerment and urban-rural disparities in the adoption of healthcare and technologies; Kant said that for India to achieve sustainable growth by 2047, employment creation and entrepreneurship in rural areas are essential alongside economic growth.
approximately 1.9 million
Reached through NBV's investment in and support of 20 companies in sectors such as food processing, agriculture and financial inclusion.
“We are truly honored to contribute to India's growth together with all of you. Suzuki has built and grown its business alongside India for a long time. Based on this experience, we believe that supporting impact entrepreneurs leads to both solving social issues and achieving sustainable economic growth. We will continue to fully support them and contribute to realizing prosperity for "next billion" through co-creation connecting India and Japan.”
“India's future will not be shaped by just a handful of unicorn companies. We believe that a lot of "elephant companies" that create jobs in local communities and continuously improve people's lives will be a driving force for the growth of next phase. For this reason, we have supported entrepreneurs who are committed to solving social challenges. Going forward, we will continue to take on the challenge of building a better future for India by contributing to improved livelihoods and sustainable growth through investments driven not by conventional industry or sector boundaries, but by "the issues that need to be addressed."”
Previously from Suzuki Motor Corporation
Suzuki has also been active on other India-related fronts. It said it would reshuffle its quality, manufacturing and India operations in an organization and personnel change on 1 October 2026, creating new divisions, renaming inspection units and reassigning senior managers. Earlier in September 2026, Suzuki Motorcycle India reported that its domestic two-wheeler volume rose 13% year on year in August while total sales including exports increased 6%.
- Suzuki to reshuffle quality, manufacturing and India operations in October organization and personnel change
- Suzuki India’s Two-Wheeler Business Gains Domestic Momentum Before Festive Season
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Suzuki Motor Corporation's official releases.
Why this matters
The forum shows how a major automaker is extending beyond vehicle sales into venture investing in India, a market of about 1.4 billion people where Suzuki says it has already connected roughly 0.4 billion through mobility. The impact figures presented — 20 supported companies reaching about 1.9 million people — indicate what that strategy has produced so far.
Terms in This Story
- impact entrepreneur
- An entrepreneur whose business aims to solve social problems while also generating revenue and growth.
- Viksit Bharat
- A Hindi phrase meaning "Developed India", used as a goal or theme for the country's development.
- elephant companies
- According to the forum's definition, a company deeply rooted in its local community and engaged in sustainable, grounded business.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.