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.

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

Born on January 30, 1930 as Osamu Matsuda, Suzuki, who also worked as a banker in his career, joined the automaker in 1958 after marrying the founding family.