Japanese businessman Osamu Suzuki, who helped transform India into a major automotive market, has died at 94, Reuters reported on Friday.

Suzuki died of lymphoma on Christmas day, Japan’s Suzuki Motor said.

He was born in 1930 as Osamu Matsuda but adopted Suzuki, his wife’s family name – a common practice in Japan for families without a male heir.

In 1958, he joined the company founded by his wife’s grandfather, became its president two decades later and proceeded to lead the company for four decades.

In the early 1980s, under Suzuki’s leadership, the company entered the Indian market by investing a year’s earnings to establish a national car manufacturer.

At the time, India’s automotive market was small, with annual sales under 40,000. The vehicles were primarily British-inspired models of poorer quality.

The Indian government had just nationalised Maruti Udyog, a project launched in 1971 by Sanjay Gandhi, aimed at producing an affordable “people’s car”. Maruti needed a foreign partner after initial setbacks with Renault, Fiat, Subaru and Suzuki Motor too.

However, Suzuki stepped in again after a director in his company read a newspaper article about a potential partnership between Maruti and the Japanese car manufacturer Daihatsu.

Suzuki invited Maruti back to Japan and in 1983, the Maruti 800 hatchback was launched and became an instant success.

Maruti Suzuki, which is majority-owned by Suzuki Motor, holds about 40% of India’s car market even today, according to Reuters.

In India, Suzuki introduced workplace changes, promoting equality with open-plan offices, a single canteen and uniforms for all employees.

In the 1970s, Osamu Suzuki had saved the company from collapse by securing an engine supply deal with Toyota to meet new emissions regulations.

Success continued for the car maker with the 1979 launch of the Alto mini-vehicle, which boosted Suzuki’s bargaining power in its 1981 partnership with General Motors.

In 2016, Osamu Suzuki passed on the role of chief executive officer to his son Toshihiro and remained the company’s chairman until 2021.

“To me, he was more than an admired business leader: he was like a father,” Reuters quoted Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda as saying on Friday. “He was a father figure who developed Japan’s kei car [mini-vehicle] and nurtured it into Japan’s people’s car.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Osamu Suzuki “a legendary figure in the global automotive industry”.

“He had a profound affection for India and his collaboration with Maruti revolutionised the Indian automobile market,” Modi said. “I cherish fond memories of my numerous interactions with Mr. Suzuki and deeply admire his pragmatic and humble approach.”