Hero MotoCorp has witnessed an unprecedented exit of top executives in the last couple of months. Reports suggest that this mass exodus at the senior level is linked to the company’s declining market share and increasing pressure from competitors in both domestic and export markets. However, when reached for comment, Hero MotoCorp denied claims of a widespread leadership crisis. It was later clarified that Reema Jain, Chief Information & Digital Officer and a key member of the executive team, along with Sameer Pande, Head of Talent Management and HR Operations, have chosen to move on from the two-wheeler company.
Hero MotoCorp: Is there a leadership shake up?
Initially, the Economic Times reported that at least six top management personnel were exiting Hero MotoCorp. The report was later updated to clarify that only Reema Jain and Sameer Pande have resigned, though the reasons behind their departures remain undisclosed.
This is not the first major leadership exit from Hero MotoCorp as on February 1, the company announced that CEO Niranjan Gupta will step down and his last working day will be April 30, 2025. He will be replaced by Vikram Kasbekar, Executive Director (Operations), who has been appointed as the Acting Chief Executive Officer with effect from May 1, 2025.
To put to rest all these speculations, Hero MotoCorp released a statement saying, “It is important to clarify that the information reported is factually inaccurate. Individual people’s movements or exits are a part of operations in a large, dynamic organization like ours. Other than as per statutory requirements, Hero MotoCorp does not comment on individual people’s movements. We urge you to refrain from misrepresenting and spreading misinformation about Hero MotoCorp.”
Why is Hero MotoCorp under the pump?
Based on the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) data, the two-wheelers sector saw a massive dip of 9% in sales as February registered 13,84,605 units. In a year-on-year comparison, Hero MotoCorp registered a significant drop of 19.8% with 3,57,296 units in February 2025. It was overtaken by Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India with 3,83,918 units sold in the same month but saw a downslide of 7.26% YoY. Honda also managed to outdo Hero in exports as the former managed 38,531 units as compared to 30,772 units.