Shailesh Chandra Takes the Helm
Tata Motors has announced a major leadership restructuring, with Shailesh Chandra stepping in as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer from October 1, 2025. His appointment is for a period of three years, till September 30, 2028.
Chandra, who has been a key force in driving Tata Motors’ electric mobility strategy, will continue to lead Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited, the EV-focused subsidiary. He will also play a central role in steering the company through its demerger process, under which the commercial vehicles business and passenger vehicles business will operate as separate listed entities.
Having joined Tata Motors in 2016 as Head of Corporate Strategy and Business Transformation, Chandra quickly rose to become President of the Electric Mobility Business before taking on leadership of Tata Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility. An alumnus of Banaras Hindu University and S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, he is regarded as one of the leading architects of Tata’s EV play, which has positioned the company as a leader in India’s green mobility transition.
PB Balaji Moves to Jaguar Land Rover
Pathamadai Balachandran Balaji, who has served as Group CFO of Tata Motors since 2017, has resigned and will step down on November 17. He will take charge as Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover Automotive in the UK the same day.
Balaji is widely credited with stabilising Tata Motors’ financials during a period of transformation. Before joining Tata Motors, he had a distinguished two-decade career with Hindustan Unilever Ltd, where he held leadership roles across finance and supply chain functions in India and abroad. His move to JLR marks a key transition as Tata strengthens its leadership bench at the global level.
Dhiman Gupta Steps Up as CFO
With Balaji’s exit, Tata Motors has appointed Dhiman Gupta as its new Chief Financial Officer effective November 17. Gupta is currently CFO of Tata Passenger Electric Mobility and joined Tata Motors in August 2023 as Head of Treasury, Investor Relations, and M&A.
Gupta brings deep financial expertise with more than 15 years at Standard Chartered Bank, where he worked extensively on mergers and acquisitions. A graduate of IIT Kharagpur and IIM Ahmedabad, Gupta’s appointment underscores Tata’s commitment to grooming leaders with a global outlook and strategic mindset.
Other Key Board Appointments
Tata Motors also announced additional board changes as part of the restructuring. Girish Wagh has been appointed as Managing Director and CEO of TML Commercial Vehicles Ltd, the entity that will house Tata’s commercial vehicle operations post demerger.
In addition, Sudha Krishnan has been appointed as an Independent Director for a tenure of five years starting October 1. The board of Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc in the UK will continue to include Hanne Sorensen, while Kosaraju Veerayya Chowdary and Guenter Karl Butschek will join the board of TML Commercial Vehicles Ltd.
A Defining Moment for Tata Motors
This reshuffle comes at a pivotal moment for Tata Motors as it executes a complex demerger to unlock value and sharpen its strategic focus across commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles, and electric mobility. With Shailesh Chandra at the helm and PB Balaji moving to JLR, the company is placing trusted leaders in critical roles across its global operations.
Follow YouFinance on Instagram and Facebook for more updates on India’s biggest corporate leadership moves and market developments.
