For Indira Gandhi, the idea was not only to give India its first people’s car but also to ensure that her late son’s dream was fulfilled

India’s former Prime Minister, the late Indira Gandhi, was known to be a staunch lady who never liked the idea of backing down. Whether it was political battles or personal struggles, she stood tall and took all the hits that came her way. Therefore, a lot has been written about her, whether positive or negative, and credit has been given to her for some of her works, whereas she is still criticised by a bunch for some of her decisions.

However, on her birthday this November, we wish to promote one of the works that isn’t talked about much, i.e., how the former PM of India gave the nation its first people’s car – the Maruti 800.

Sanjay Gandhi’s dream

(Credit- The Economic Times)

India had been assembling cars even before gaining independence in 1947, and after independence, several Indian companies ventured into car manufacturing. However, most of those models were too expensive and were out of ordinary people’s reach. That’s when Sanjay Gandhi, Indira Gandhi’s younger son, who had an interest in cars, decided to give India its first people’s car.

Maruti Motors Limited & a mess

Politics was part of the game, and nepotism had existed forever. When the government invited tenders to create India’s first people’s car, several companies submitted bids. However, Sanjay Gandhi secured the contract, which led to the formation of Maruti Motors Limited in 1971. For the record, 297 acres of land in Gurugram were provided for the factory by evicting 15,000 farmers.

(Credit- Bhaskar English)

Sanjay Gandhi had also announced that the car would cost merely INR 8,000, but by the time the car reached the production stage, its cost had increased to INR 16,500. Still, the car was cheaper by over INR 10,000 compared to other Indian models. However, the last nail in the coffin was the fact that by 1976, only 21 cars were produced. In short, Sanjay had vision but not the mettle to make the plan work efficiently.

A mother’s takeover

(Credit- Financial Express)

In 1977, Indira Gandhi lost the election but kept defending her son’s actions who eventually passed away in a plane crash in 1980. The same year, Indira Gandhi returned to power and ordered the government, through legislation, to take control of her late son’s Maruti Motors Limited.

Roping Suzuki in

Indira Gandhi appointed Arun Nehru to review her late son’s plan and asked Nehru to revive the factory and production line. Nehra sprang into action, realising that the dream could be turned into a reality only with the help of a foreign friend. With Gandhi’s approval, a partnership between Maruti and Suzuki was established, leading to the official formation of Maruti Suzuki.

(Credit- NDTV)

Finally, in December 1983, PM Indira Gandhi handed over the keys of India’s first Maruti 800 to a Delhi-based Mr Harpal Singh, gifting the nation its first people’s car while turning her late son’s dream into a reality.

Today, if India has turned into one of the biggest automobile markets in the world, remember that the late PM played a role that is not discussed enough.