Suzuki starts flex-fuel race in India as Modi pushes homegrown energy

Business trendsGovernment aims to use ethanol blends to cut reliance on Middle East oil importsNitin Gadkari, India's minister of roads, center, and Hardeep Singh Puri, the petroleum minister, right, at the debut event for Maruti Suzuki's Wagon R. (Maruti Suzuki)TAKANORI OKABEAugust 6, 2026 07:18 JSTMUMBAI -- Japan's Suzuki Motor was the first automaker to release a mass-market flex-fuel car in India. Now, others are following suit as the government seeks to reduce dependence on crude oil imports through support for biofuels.