Dr. Tapan Sahoo on scaling innovation, turning AI pilots into real-world impact, preparing for agentic AI, securing connected vehicles, and empowering CIOs in traditional industries to lead boldly.
As India’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki has long been synonymous with accessible mobility and engineering excellence. But in today’s hyperconnected, software-defined era, the company is aggressively reinventing itself—not just as an automaker, but as a leader in mobility and technology innovation. At the heart of this transformation lies a bold digital enterprise vision powered by AI, open innovation, and customer-centric design.
In an exclusive interaction with Jatinder Singh, Executive Editor at CIO&Leader, and Sachin Mhashilkar, COO and Associate Publisher – B2B Tech at 9.9 Group, Dr. Tapan Sahoo, Executive Officer – Digital Enterprise at Maruti Suzuki, discusses how the New Delhi headquartered company is reimagining business models and customer experiences through deep tech and ecosystem collaboration.
With over three decades of experience spanning vehicle engineering, product development, and program management, Dr. Sahoo now leads the automaker’s digital transformation agenda—anchored in AI/ML, AR/VR, Industry X.0, and open innovation platforms like the Maruti Innovation Gym. In this wide-ranging conversation, he shares insights on building innovation at scale, navigating AI’s pilot-to-production challenges, preparing for agentic AI, strengthening cybersecurity in connected vehicles, and what it takes for CIOs in traditional industries to lead with impact.
CIO&Leader: The Maruti Innovation Gym has emerged as a flagship initiative in your open innovation journey. What inspired its creation, and how is it enabling Maruti Suzuki to tap into external ecosystems and drive scalable digital transformation?
Dr. Tapan Sahoo: The Maruti Suzuki Innovation Gym was conceptualized with a clear vision to create a structured and sustainable approach to open innovation within Maruti Suzuki. We wanted to create a space—not just physical but also intellectual—where innovation could thrive through collaboration with startups, academia, and industry partners.
The primary goal was to tap into external innovation and integrate it with our internal capabilities to solve real business challenges. To achieve this, we launched several strategic initiatives under the Innovation Gym umbrella. These include the Nurture Program, which is our gateway to engaging with early-stage startups; our own incubation and acceleration programs; the Maruti Mobility Challenge to crowdsource new ideas; and our dedicated Innovation Fund to financially back promising technologies.
We have also formed deep partnerships with leading academic institutions such as IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta, and with ecosystem enablers like T-Hub and NASSCOM. Our model is systematic: we invite startups working on advanced technologies like AI, ML, IoT, EV charging, drones, and micromobility to apply. After a rigorous evaluation process, shortlisted startups are onboarded for paid pilot projects. If the PoCs prove successful in business terms, we graduate these startups into long-term partnerships.
To date, we have screened close to 4,000 startups, and 140 are actively engaged with us. We have over 40 pilots currently in progress and have converted more than 20 of these into full-fledged technology partners. This program has helped Maruti Suzuki stay agile, future-ready, and continuously aligned with emerging customer expectations.
CIO&Leader: That’s impressive. AI clearly plays a key role here—can you share some examples of AI projects that have successfully moved from pilot to production?
Dr. Tapan Sahoo: Indeed, AI is one of the most transformative technologies we are leveraging across various functions. One notable use case is how we are improving the post-sale customer experience. Traditionally, every car comes with an owner’s manual, but we observed that very few customers actually read them unless there’s a problem. In real situations—say a warning light appears on the dashboard—customers often panic and don’t know what steps to take.
To address this, we deployed an AI-based visual recognition feature through the Maruti Suzuki mobile app. It allows users to simply take a picture of the issue, such as a dashboard symbol. The AI model instantly identifies the symbol, explains the issue in layman’s terms, and guides the user on the next steps. It even gives the option to directly contact customer care or schedule a service if needed.
This solution replaces the static owner’s manual with a dynamic, intuitive, and accessible AI assistant. It reflects how we’re blending AI into the real customer journey—making it more proactive, responsive, and engaging. And this is not an isolated initiative—we are scaling similar solutions across quality control, preventive maintenance, and supply chain functions as well.
CIO&Leader: Studies show that 75% of AI projects remain stuck in pilot mode. Why does this happen, and what can CIOs do to move them into full-scale deployment?
Dr. Tapan Sahoo: That’s a very relevant observation. Many AI initiatives falter in the transition from proof of concept to enterprise-wide deployment. One primary reason is the lack of readiness when it comes to data. AI models require clean, contextual, and representative datasets to train effectively. But many organizations still have fragmented or siloed data architectures, making it difficult to extract consistent value.
Secondly, there’s often a mismatch between the AI solution and a well-articulated business problem. If there’s no clear value proposition—whether it’s cost saving, efficiency improvement, or revenue generation—then the initiative won’t find traction beyond the pilot phase. CIOs need to co-create use cases with business stakeholders, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.
Also, AI models need to be explainable, transparent, and free from systemic biases. The presence of risks, hallucinations in generative models, incorrect outputs due to flawed data, must be managed through robust governance frameworks. Selecting the right language models (SLMs or LLMs), investing in continuous learning, and setting KPIs tied to business impact will help bridge the gap between experimentation and scale.
In my experience, successful AI implementation is 30% about technology and 70% about change management and stakeholder alignment.
CIO&Leader: With growing digitization and connected vehicles, cybersecurity is a critical concern. What steps has Maruti Suzuki taken to mitigate cyber risks?
Dr. Tapan Sahoo: Absolutely, cybersecurity is foundational in today’s connected automotive ecosystem. With vehicles increasingly becoming software-defined, the attack surface has expanded significantly—from IT and OT infrastructure to in-vehicle networks and customer-facing digital touchpoints.
Our cybersecurity strategy rests on several pillars. The first is internal awareness—ensuring all employees, from factory workers to senior leaders, understand the importance of cybersecurity hygiene. Regular training, phishing simulations, and workshops are part of this effort.
The second pillar is system-level security—ensuring that our applications are secure by design. We follow secure coding practices, conduct regular vulnerability assessments, and maintain strict version control across all deployed software.
Third, we have robust monitoring through our Security Operations Center (SOC), which allows us to detect, analyze, and respond to threats in real-time. We also conduct red teaming exercises to simulate attacks and test our preparedness.
Fourth, we stay aligned with national advisories from CERT-In and NCIIPC. These guidelines help us benchmark our posture against evolving threats.
Cybersecurity, however, is an ongoing journey—it requires constant vigilance and smart investment. We must strike a balance between security robustness and cost efficiency. While no system can be 100% secure, the aim is to minimize risk exposure and recover quickly in the event of a breach.
CIO&Leader: A futuristic question—agentic AI and autonomous agents are becoming mainstream. Are Indian enterprises ready for this shift?
Dr. Tapan Sahoo: Agentic AI is definitely on the horizon, and it promises to redefine work processes by introducing autonomous decision-making capabilities. However, its adoption in India—or anywhere—depends largely on organizational maturity.
Enterprises that have standardized processes and clearly defined workflows are in a better position to benefit from agentic AI. These agents require structured inputs and outcomes. If the enterprise landscape is chaotic or process-heavy with human dependencies, AI agents will struggle to deliver value.
I often reference the Harvard framework for AI adoption: AI as a tool, as a companion, as a manager, and as a potential replacement. Indian enterprises need to map their use cases across these levels. For instance, AI as a tool is already in use—data analytics, chatbots, diagnostics. AI as a companion might assist humans in complex decision-making. AI as a manager—where agents autonomously handle workflows—is the next leap but requires high trust, regulatory clarity, and process discipline.
So yes, agentic AI is coming. But the focus should be on identifying the right domains within the enterprise where autonomy adds value without introducing unacceptable risks.
CIO&Leader: From being India’s dream car in 1983 to a premium experience today—how is Maruti Suzuki continuing to innovate on the customer experience front?
Dr. Tapan Sahoo: The evolution of Maruti Suzuki from a value-driven carmaker to a premium experience brand has been deliberate and continuous. Customer experience (CX) is a key differentiator today, and we have made concerted efforts to digitize and elevate it.
Currently, 26 out of our 28 key customer touchpoints are digitally enabled. These include everything from online booking, financing, servicing, insurance, to loyalty programs. The only parts that still require physical interaction are the test drive and vehicle delivery.
The next phase is about orchestrating these digital touchpoints into a seamless and hyper-personalized journey. We are integrating AI, data analytics, and real-time engagement tools to ensure that every customer interaction is relevant, timely, and frictionless.
For example, predictive servicing, AI-based recommendation engines, and dynamic pricing models are being tested and deployed. The idea is to create a ‘phygital’ ecosystem—where digital and physical touchpoints merge to create a consistent brand experience across the customer lifecycle.
CIO&Leader: You have led multiple transformation journeys. What’s your advice to CIOs from traditional industries looking to leapfrog through AI?
Dr. Tapan Sahoo: The CIO role today is mission-critical. Gone are the days when CIOs were confined to infrastructure or back-office automation. In the digital era, they are strategic partners in shaping the organization’s future.
My first piece of advice is to build a compelling case for change. Whether it’s AI or digital transformation, it must be tied to business outcomes. That sense of urgency needs to permeate across the C-suite and operating layers.
Second, drive transformation as a team sport. The best CIOs are also great collaborators—they listen to business leaders, co-create solutions, and ensure alignment across functions. They balance short-term wins with long-term vision.
Third, resilience and focus are critical. The journey will be fraught with challenges—budget constraints, resistance to change, technology failures. But if you keep your eye on the destination, you will find ways to navigate the obstacles.
Lastly, keep learning. The tech landscape is evolving rapidly—AI, quantum computing, cybersecurity, digital twins. CIOs must continuously upgrade their own understanding to lead with confidence.
In summary: instill urgency, build strong collaborations, maintain focus, and keep evolving. That’s the formula for transformative success.