The Indian automotive industry has grown leaps and bounds and is currently on track to being the largest two-wheeler and tractor market; third largest car market behind USA & China and has one of the most robust supplier bases serving not only the domestic but also global demand.
While a lot has been said and written about the evolution of the Indian automotive industry, there are some individuals who continue to influence the automotive industry in many ways. As India completes 76 years of independence, we try and feature some key industry veterans and automotive industry stakeholders who have played a key role in shaping the industry.
Nitin Gadkari
As the Minister of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) he has been at the forefront of India’s auto and infrastructure growth.
Under his leadership, the pace of construction of national highways has gained significant momentum. He is also a vociferous proponent of greener and safer vehicles on Indian roads. From mandating AC cabins for truck cabins, and airbags in passenger cars, to banning sirens on VIP cars to promoting ethanol and flex fuel, Gadkari has been pushing for the constant need to embrace new technology and safer alternatives in the automotive industry.
Ratan N Tata
The Chairman Emeritus of Tata Group had a big role in shaping India’s image in the world when it came to the automotive segment. As the boss of one of India’s largest conglomerates his vision was to create affordable vehicles for the masses.
As India was growing, so was its middle-class population, which would have aspirations and needs for owning their own car. Tata Motors, which was primarily a producer of industrial components, went on to create Indica, India’s first indigenous car launched in 1998.
In 2008 the company introduced the Nano, one of the most aggressively priced four-wheelers. The same year, also saw Tata Motors acquiring British luxury brands Jaguar Land Rover from Ford Motor Company. An achievement unthought of till this day.
Vivek Chaand Sehgal
The 66-year-old first-generation entrepreneur and the boss of India’s largest automotive component manufacturer Motherson Group is a force to reckon with. Sehgal started with his late mother Swaran Lata Sehgal in 1975 as a silver trading company.
The company currently boasts more than 26 partners from 9 different countries. In the last few months, it has acquired 7 new companies on behalf of its customers.
His passion and the ability to bet on futuristic growth has led to Motherson Group growing by leaps and bound and envisions touching $36 billion (Rs 296,892 crore) by FY2025 with 40 percent ROCE (return on capital employed) . About 75 percent of revenues are expected from the automotive industry, and 25 percent from new divisions.
Rajiv Bajaj
The Boss of a Pune-based two- and three-wheeler major definitely has earned his reputation as one of the most dynamic leaders in the Indian automotive industry.
He has not only steered the company’s financial performance but also taken strategic decisions to lead India’s position as a two-wheeler exporter. In fact, when one looks at the iconic scooter market, it was a surprising decision when Bajaj Auto pulled the plugs on Chetak in 2006 and never re-entered the IC scooter market.
The company picked up 14.7 percent stake in Austrian motorcycle company KTM. Bajaj subsequently introduced the distinctive motorcycles in India and went on to grow the KTM brand globally. In addition, he also re-introduced the Husqvarna and Triumph brand in India. All the while, having a leadership position in the middleweight motorcycle segment (150cc-400cc) with the popular Pulsar, Dominar, Avenger brands. In the commuter segment, CT and Platina continue their appeal.
Siddhartha Lal
Another second-generation industrialist Siddhartha Lal heads the mid-size segment motorcycle brand Royal Enfield and in the commercial vehicle space Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles.
And he has successfully managed to attain leadership positions in the space it operates in. In fact, for a company that was on the brink of bankruptcy, it has now the largest mid-sized motorcycle maker globally. Royal Enfield not only sells motorcycles in India but has managed to force other automakers to reinvent and enter the lucrative 250-600cc segment. It commands above 90 percent market share in the 250-350cc segment.
Bhavish Aggarwal
Hate him or love him, one cannot simply ignore the 37-year-old CEO of Ola. He along with his co-founders started the company over a decade ago in 2010, to become the fastest-growing startup beating established players like Uber and Meru Cabs to become the most popular ride-hailing service.
Aggarwal has grown the Ola business from a ride-hailing cab service company to now an electric vehicle maker and plenty of things in between.
While one can question the outcome of his ability to commit to new ideas, one has to credit him to not only finding new ideas but also getting the funds to back the same.
Pratap Bose
The Chief Design Officer for Mahindra & Mahindra has made a name for himself in not just India but the global automotive space. An alumnus of the Royal College of Art, London, and the National Institute of Design, India, he has over two decades of global automotive design experience.
Prior to joining Mahindra, he made a name for himself being the key brand behind the design language of Tata Motors. The Tiago, Tigor, Nexon, Harrier, and Altroz vehicles all sport his design language. This not only helped the automaker win new customers but also showcased the possibility of world-class vehicles being designed by an Indian.
He had earlier worked in Piaggio, Italy, and Daimler Chrysler, Japan.
The new-age Mahindra vehicles will now also sport Bose’s design.
Ramkripa Ananthan
It was in August last year Ramkripa Ananthan joined Ola Electric as the Head of Design and the company is expected to showcase its new offering that will carry her design elements.
She is popularly known for her significant design contribution to Mahindra’s SUV offerings such as XUV700, Thar, XUV500, XUV300, and Marazzo. The Scorpio and Bolero too had some contributions from Ananthan.
What sets her apart is that in an industry dominated by men, she not only made a mark for herself but also managed to inspire a new generation of designers.
Not many know, she started her career with Mahindra way back in 1997 as an interior designer and grew up the ranks. And now she is leading the way for the EV maker to come up with their new-age vehicle offerings.
Narain Karthikeyan
Kumar Ram Narain Karthikeyan or popularly known as just Narain Karthikeyan became the first Indian racer to compete in Formula One in 2005 with the Jordan Formula One team.
He has not only made a name for himself for racing and won racing titles, but is also the recipient of the Padma Shri Award (fourth highest civilian award in India) in 2010.
In 2020, he co-founded DriveX a pre-owned two-wheeler platform, which has seen investment from the likes of TVS Motor Co.
Aishwarya Pissay
The 28-year-old professional racer is the first-ever Indian motorsports athlete to win a world title. She started her racing career in 2016 and set her first record with a Road Racing National title, followed by the TVS One Make Championship and several cross-country rally championships at Madras Motor Racetrack and cross-country rallies in 2017.
She then caught the attention of the Petronas TVS Racing where Pissay was inducted into India’s first factory racing team. From there she has won 6 times for the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for the team.
While many may racing aficionados know her, the fact that she has broken the stereotype of women riders in India is inspiring millions of citizens to look at professional racing as a career.
