Maruti Suzuki expands business scope with major overhaul of Memorandum of Association
Memorandum of Association
(MoA), signalling a broader push into emerging areas of mobility and sustainability. The company's Board of Directors approved multiple amendments to the Object Clause during its meeting held on Thursday.
The changes reflect Maruti Suzuki's intent to diversify its operations beyond traditional
automotive manufacturing
. The revised MoA expands the company's definition of core business to include not only conventional automobiles but also drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), amphibious and alternative propulsion vehicles, and their associated technologies and components.
New and broader horizons
In a clear move towards becoming a comprehensive mobility solutions provider, the company has now included in its scope the operation of subscription-based models, shared mobility services, last-mile connectivity, and vehicle leasing. This expansion also includes permission to buy, sell, refurbish, certify and auction used vehicles through digital, physical, or hybrid platforms, strengthening its presence in the pre-owned vehicle ecosystem.
Maruti Suzuki is also preparing to deepen its involvement in the
electric mobility
space. It will now be allowed to set up electric vehicle charging stations, battery swapping infrastructure and engage in the production and trading of alternative fuels like Compressed Biogas and Hydrogen.
Aligning with sustainability initiatives
As part of its sustainability initiatives, the company has added new provisions enabling it to participate in carbon trading, monetisation of renewable energy certificates, and offer consultancy services in this space. Further, the MoA now permits Maruti Suzuki to engage in the recycling of end-of-life vehicles and industrial scrap, enabling a circular economy approach.
Additionally, the company can now offer a range of consulting and technical services, including R&D, certification, testing, warehousing, and IT services, to third parties and government agencies.
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This further delayed the mission until the final launch two weeks. • During the mission, the Indian team was present at both Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral where launch operations took place and at mission control in Houston, Texas, where real-time flight operations are managed — from crew health monitoring and communications to emergency response. Do You Know: • Axiom-4 commander Peggy Whitson, a veteran astronaut, holds the record for the most number of days spent in space by an American or a woman — 695 days across multiple missions. • India plans to build a sustained human spaceflight programme, with a space station targeted by 2035 and a human Moon mission by 2040. This will require setting up a permanent astronaut corps and regularly training new astronauts, like NASA and Roscosmos do. • Shukla, who returned to Earth with a splashdown on July 15, is currently undergoing reconditioning in the United States. 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This treaty is meant to be an internationally legally binding agreement to tackle plastics pollution across its entire life cycle, though serious differences persist over the scope and nature of this agreement. • The Lancet report said interventions such as an international agreement were necessary to reduce the dangers from plastics pollution. Do You Know: • Philip Landrigan, a paediatrician and epidemiologist, and Director of the Global Observatory on Planetary Health at Boston College, who is the lead author of the Lancet report, said that the new Countdown will identify and regularly report on a suite of scientifically meaningful and geographically and temporally representative indicators across all stages of the plastic life cycle. • Landrigan said there were two factors that make plastic a huge threat for all countries at every level of income. First is the sheer magnitude of the problem. • Second, plastics contain more than 16,000 chemicals. These chemicals leak out of plastic products during use and get into people, especially children. Landrigan said these include chemicals that are known to be human carcinogens, neurotoxicants, and endocrine disruptors as well as many more that have never been tested for toxicity and whose dangers are still unknown. • Early studies have shown possible links between microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNPs) and lung diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, liver cirrhosis, myocardial infarction and stroke. In the past 2–3 years, MNPs have been increasingly reported in human tissues and body fluids in the general population, including blood, breastmilk, liver, kidney, colon, placenta, lung, spleen, brain, heart, great vessels, meconium, and feces. • Plastic production has surged from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to 348 million tonnes in 2017, with projections indicating a potential doubling by 2040. The proliferation of plastic waste has led to significant environmental challenges, including marine pollution and adverse effects on wildlife. • In March 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted a resolution to develop a legally binding treaty addressing plastic pollution across its entire lifecycle. The proposed treaty aims to encompass measures from plastic production and design to waste management, emphasizing a comprehensive approach to tackling pollution. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍The planet's plastic problem: why we need a global plastics treaty Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 3. Why is there a great concern about the 'microbeads' that are released into environment? (2019) (a) They are considered harmful to marine ecosystems. (b) They are considered to cause skin cancer in children. (c) They are small enough to be absorbed by crop plants in irrigated fields. 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An initial 110 railway stretches in sensitive elephant and tiger landscapes were provided to the railway ministry to prevent wildlife collision with trains. • While mitigation measures per se are not new, and have been built on a case-to-case basis, the recent attempt is aimed at preparing a consolidated and comprehensive framework, said a senior official of the environment ministry. • In addition to the mitigation structures, the railways have already commissioned Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) over 141 kms in Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). This is an artificial intelligence enabled system to detect elephant movements that alert loco pilots and railway control rooms. • Of the 926 km, work is underway on a substantial chunk of 349.9 km falling in the East Coast Railway zone. A 207.8 km stretch in Odisha, spanning 20 railway stations in the Sambalpur division, will be one of the longest to install the IDS. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Understanding Kerala's man-elephant conflict Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 4. With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements: (2020) 1. The leader of an elephant group is female. 2. The maximum gestation period can be 22 months. 3. An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only. 4. Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 and 2 only b) 2 and 4 only c) 3 only d) 1, 3 and 4 only EXPLAINED What ICJ's landmark climate ruling means for Kyoto Protocol Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. 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Key Takeaways: • The ICJ has said the Kyoto Protocol not only continues to remain in force, but is also legally relevant, and that countries remain under a legal obligation to comply with its provisions. • The ICJ ruling is the first time that an authoritative assertion has been made on the legal status of the Kyoto Protocol in the post-Paris Agreement period. The common understanding so far has been that the Kyoto Protocol was replaced and superseded by the 2015 Paris Agreement. • In other words, the Kyoto Protocol had ceased to exist, or at least became non-operational or defunct, once the Paris Agreement came into effect in 2016, or at the most when the Kyoto Protocol's second commitment period ended in 2020. Do You Know: • The Kyoto Protocol, which was finalised in 1997 and came into effect in 2005, was the first legal instrument under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The agreement sought to operationalise the provisions of the UNFCCC through specific climate actions from countries. It assigned specific targets to rich and developed countries to reduce their emissions in particular time frames, called commitment periods. • Developing countries did not have any such targets, and were encouraged to take 'nationally appropriate' actions to help the fight against climate change. This was in keeping with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC), one of the foundational tenets of international climate law. • This principle, in effect, says while the whole world has a responsibility to take actions against climate change, the bulk of the responsibility lies with rich and developed countries. That is because these countries accounted for the overwhelming majority of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the last 150 years, which have caused climate change. • The Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period ran from 2008 to 2012, and the second from 2012 to 2020. Developed countries, a group of about 40 mentioned by name in Annex-I of the UNFCCC, had to reduce their GHG emissions by assigned amounts during these periods from baseline values in 1990. These countries also had to provide finance and technology to developing countries to help them tackle climate change, in accordance with the provisions of the UNFCCC. • The United States did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol. As a result, the world's largest emitter, both in current terms at that time and historically, did not have any obligation to reduce its emissions. 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What's the ongoing story: Momentum seems to be building for more countries to recognize a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territory after France said last week it would do so in September. Britain said Tuesday it would follow suit at the U.N. General Assembly unless Israel had taken steps to ease the Gaza crisis and bring about peace. Key Points to Ponder: • How UN Member States are born? • What ts the current status of the Palestinians at the U.N.? • What happened last year? • how does the United Nations admit new member states? • What happened to the Palestinian application in 2011? • What is the U.S. position? • What is India's position? Key Takeaways: • The Palestinians are a non-member, observer state at the United Nations – the same status as the Holy See (Vatican). The General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012 by upgrading its observer status at the world body to 'non-member state' from 'entity.' There were 138 votes in favor, nine against and 41 abstentions. • In May 2024, the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a Palestinian bid to become a full member by recognizing it as qualified to join and recommending the U.N. Security Council 'reconsider the matter favorably.' • That resolution also granted the Palestinians some additional rights and privileges from September 2024 – like a seat among the U.N. members in the assembly hall. The May vote by the General Assembly amounted to a global survey of support for the Palestinian cause to become a full member – a move that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state – after the United States vetoed the step in the Security Council in April 2024. • Countries seeking to join the United Nations usually present an application to the U.N. secretary-general, who sends it to the Security Council for an assessment and vote. Do You Know: • A U.N. Security Council committee assessed the Palestinian application for several weeks to see if it satisfied requirements for U.N. membership. But the committee was unable to reach a unanimous position and the Security Council never formally voted on a resolution on Palestinian membership. Diplomats said the Palestinians lacked the minimum nine votes needed to adopt a resolution. Even if they had won enough support, the United States had said it would veto the move. • The United States, Israel's most powerful and influential ally, has said a Palestinian state can only be established through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. • Currently, Palestine is a 'Permanent Observer State' — and not a 'Member State' — at the UN. There is one other Permanent Observer State in the UN — the Holy See, representing Vatican City. As a Permanent Observer State, Palestine is allowed to 'participate in all of the Organization's proceedings, except for voting on draft resolutions and decisions in its main organs and bodies, from the Security Council to the General Assembly and its six main committees'. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍UK plans to recognise Palestine in Sept unless Israel meets conditions: Starmer Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍'India's relations with Israel have, of late, acquired a depth and diversity, which cannot be rolled back.' Discuss. (2018) THE IDEAS PAGE Needed: More bargaining chips Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: Ashok Gulati Writes: This is an overdue agenda, irrespective of Trump's tariff pressures today. Hope India can do it. Key Points to Ponder: • How export diversification can serve as a strategic buffer against unilateral trade measures like U.S. tariffs? • What are the reasons behind the stagnation of India's agricultural exports since 2013–14, despite earlier rapid growth? • What are the role of specific agricultural commodities in growing exports during 2003–14? • Know the significance of services exports versus goods exports in strengthening India's trade resilience. • Know the implications of unilateral U.S. tariff actions on India's broader export markets. Key Takeaways: Ashok Gulati Writes: • US President Donald Trump has delivered a strong blow to India by imposing a 25 per cent tariff, plus some unspecified penalty, on exports of most Indian goods. Several experts suggest that this may hit overall GDP growth by 20 to 30 basis points. • In other words, the overall GDP growth in the financial year 2025-26 (FY26) may not reach 6.5 per cent as expected by the RBI, but may end up somewhere around 6.2 to 6.3 per cent. This is a significant loss, but not something that India cannot endure. • India's economy is growing at more than 6 per cent, against the US's economy growing at less than 2 per cent, India is still the fastest-growing large economy in the G20 group. Yes, the size of the Indian economy (about $4.19 trillion) is way below that of the US, which touches $30 trillion. But in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms, we are at more than $16 trillion and already the third largest economy. Do You Know: Ashok Gulati Writes: • A few things are clear from what has happened on the tariff front. First, the Trump-Modi bonhomie seems to be over. Investing in personal relations does not mean much to President Trump. He is transactional and focused on extracting as much from other countries as possible in the pursuit of his dream of Making America Great Again (MAGA). Second, he is very upset with Russian President Vladimir Putin for not heeding Trump's sermons on ending the Ukraine-Russia war – in his campaign, the US President had announced that he would end the war in 24 hours after taking office. • India's total exports of goods in calendar year 2024 were $442 billion, of which $80.7 billion, roughly 18 per cent went to the US. The high tariffs will surely impact such goods. The magnitude of the hit they will take actually depends upon tariff rates imposed on competing countries for each commodity. • The US's interest in agriculture is more in soya and corn, both GM crops. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had allowed GM cotton, traces of which are already in our food system. 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Key Points to Ponder: • How the author of this article reframes India's energy security beyond the traditional metric of fossil fuel access and affordability? • What are the regulatory challenges faced by renewable energy investors in India? • How does the increasing share of renewables contrast with the supporting infrastructure in India? • What were the risk illustrated by Spain's blackout as invoked by the author of this article. • What lessons should India draw for its cross value chain renewable grid planning? • What is the role of political will in dismantling legacy vested interests to enable regulatory redesign in the energy sector? • In what ways can digitisation, standardisation, and convergence of regulatory processes contribute to achieving India's energy transition goals? • Do you agree with the author's assertion that there is no structural block to renewable expansion (unlike hydrocarbons)? Key Takeaways: Vikram Singh Mehta writes: • Energy security has typically been discussed within the frame of access, reliability and affordability of fossil fuels. Today, however, against the backdrop of global warming and India's commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2070, this results in too narrow a perspective. • India is on a two track energy trajectory. One track relates to the demand for fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) and the other to renewables (solar, wind, bio etc). The national objective is to decrease the share of the former and increase that of the latter in the energy consumption basket. To achieve this goal, India must focus on not just conservation of the usage of fossils, but also the simplification and coherence of the energy regulatory system. • India has done well to safeguard its energy security in the traditional sense. It has opened up multiple sources of crude oil and has resisted western government pressure to sanction Russia. Do You Know: Vikram Singh Mehta writes: • The supply of hydrocarbons depends crucially on geology. Governments have no control over a country's natural resource endowments. On the other hand, the supply of renewables faces no structural block. Sunlight and wind are 'freely' available; the technology for generating wind and solar energy is well established; the economics are competitive; and there is investor interest. • The rub is the multiplicity of regulatory agencies and regulators that bear on this sector. Plus the fact there is no one executive authority with nodal responsibility or accountability for its operations. • The positive is the government faces no structural block like geology to overcome this rub. It can, if it so wishes, undertake a root and branch reconfiguration and redesign of the current regulatory system. It can simplify the regulatory process by removing or converging the current multiple layers of oversight. • It can standardise operating rules; ease the process of land acquisition; digitise the approval process; align technical standards and safety conditions; render transparent the setting of network charges and supply contracts; and expedite dispute resolution. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍The clean energy transition has become messy PRELIMS ANSWER KEY 1.(c) 2.(c) 3.(a) 4.(a) For any queries and feedback, contact Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. Priya Kumari Shukla is a Senior Copy Editor in the Indian Express (digital). She contributes to the UPSC Section of Indian Express (digital) and started niche initiatives such as UPSC Key, UPSC Ethics Simplified, and The 360° UPSC Debate. The UPSC Key aims to assist students and aspirants in their preparation for the Civil Services and other competitive examinations. It provides valuable guidance on effective strategies for reading and comprehending newspaper content. The 360° UPSC Debate tackles a topic from all perspectives after sorting through various publications. The chosen framework for the discussion is structured in a manner that encompasses both the arguments in favour and against the topic, ensuring comprehensive coverage of many perspectives. Prior to her involvement with the Indian Express, she had affiliations with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) as well as several coaching and edutech enterprises. In her prior professional experience, she was responsible for creating and refining material in various domains, including article composition and voiceover video production. She has written in-house books on many subjects, including modern India, ancient Indian history, internal security, international relations, and the Indian economy. She has more than eight years of expertise in the field of content writing. Priya holds a Master's degree in Electronic Science from the University of Pune as well as an Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, widely recognised as one of the most prestigious business schools in India. She is also an alumni of Jamia Milia Islamia University Residential Coaching Academy (RCA). Priya has made diligent efforts to engage in research endeavours, acquiring the necessary skills to effectively examine and synthesise facts and empirical evidence prior to presenting their perspective. Priya demonstrates a strong passion for reading, particularly in the genres of classical Hindi, English, Maithili, and Marathi novels and novellas. Additionally, she possessed the distinction of being a cricket player at the national level. Qualification, Degrees / other achievements: Master's degree in Electronic Science from University of Pune and Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta ... Read More
