Suzuki led the car and motorcycle maker that bears his name for more than four decades and was always looking for niches.

Osamu Suzuki, an ingenious penny pincher who led Japan’s Suzuki Motor for more than four decades and played a key role in turning India into a flourishing auto market, has died aged 94.

He built Suzuki Motor into a Japanese global brand making small vehicles and motorcycles. Entering India’s market in the 1980s was one of his early successes.