Tokyo, Japan (AFP) — Osamu Suzuki, who grew small-car specialist Suzuki Motor into an international brand with huge successes in India, died Wednesday at age 94 after bouts with cancer, the company said Friday.

Under the charismatic businessman's four-decade leadership through 2021, the firm's sales grew more than 10-fold.

Born on 30 January 1930 in the central Japanese region of Gifu, he married into the firm's founding family and later became its president in 1978.

Calling himself an "old man at a small business," he focused on building light-weight "kei" vehicles, many of which became big hits for their fuel efficiency and easy-to-handle quality.

He also actively sought international partners and opportunities overseas to expand his business.

The car maker once tied up with General Motors and Volkswagen and also forged a capital alliance with Toyota in 2019.

He expanded in India, where the company's subsidiary now occupies the top market position.

When he retired as the firm's chairman in 2021, the company's sales stood at 3.18 trillion yen ($20 billion).

When he took over the company in 1978, the firm's sales stood at 323 billion yen, according to the Nikkei Shimbun business daily.