India, Aug. 26 -- Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. has started production of its first electric vehicle with exports firmly in sight.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the eVitara from the Hansalpur plant in Gujarat. The Made-in-India eVitara will be exported to more than 100 countries, including Japan.

Modi also inaugurated the lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility by Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp. Ltd., Toshiba, and Denso, supporting hybrid and electric vehicle battery production.

Suzuki will invest Rs.70,000 crore in India over the next 5-6 years to increase production, launch new models and defend its market share in the world's third-largest car market.

"Many companies have increased their trust on India," the prime m...