Maruti Udyog Limited was established in 1981 and began production in 1983 in Gurgaon, India. It was renamed Maruti Suzuki India Limited in 2001 after partnering with Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan, who gradually increased their equity stake in Maruti over the years. Maruti Suzuki now has over 6 million customers in India served by 391 sales outlets across 230 cities and a service network covering over 1,113 towns. The company is led by Chairman R.C. Bhargava and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi.