Suzuki Motor steps up R&D spend to defend India dominance

Suzuki Motor said on Thursday it would earmark record investment this year for research and development into technologies such as electric vehicles (EVs) as it defends it dominance in its biggest market, India.
 
Suzuki joins Japanese peers in ramping up spending even as profit sags, at a time when industry focus is on electrification and automation amid demand for vehicles powered by cleaner technologies. Higher R&D costs and a stronger yen will push operating profit down 9.1 per cent in the current financial year at Japan's fourth-biggest automaker, offsetting record global vehicle sales.
 
The company said it plans