Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning (JCH) India Limited announced the appointment of Sanjay Sudhakaran as the new managing director for India & South Asia region, effective July 1, 2023. Sanjay Sudhakaran will succeed Gurmeet Singh. Gurmeet Singh stepped down as the chairman and managing director on June 30, 2023. He has stated his intention to pursue other interests, however, he will remain as senior advisor to JCH – India until September 30, 2023. Sanjay Sudhakaran and Gurmeet Singh will work closely together to ensure a smooth transition.

“I am delighted to join Johnson Controls – Hitachi (JCH) India Limited. I will drive profitable growth, with a focus on gaining market share, improving profitability, and creating long-term value for all our stakeholders,” said Sanjay Sudhakaran.

Sanjay Sudhakaran began his career with Carrier Corporation in 1993 and was the regional director for ASEAN and India when he left in 2011. He has also served as the country head and managing director of Carrier Commercial Refrigeration. He has previously worked for United Technologies as managing director – buildings and industrial solutions and for Otis Elevator as senior director – mergers and acquisitions, sales and marketing for Asia Pacific region before joining Schneider Electric in 2019.

Sanjay Sudhakaran has served as the managing director and CEO of  Schneider Electric Infrastructure India since 2021. He has held multiple P&L and commercial roles while also leading manufacturing initiatives to drive profitability in businesses he has led.

Gurmeet Singh is a renowned figure in the HVAC sector in India. In his second stint with JCH India (JCH-IN), he was appointed senior vice president in 2014. From 2001 to 2012, he worked for Hitachi in various roles in sales, marketing, and general management. As the head of the India business unit since 2017, Gurmeet Singh has been instrumental in the company’s significant growth under his dedicated leadership and earned the coveted Chairman’s Award for JCH-IN in 2018, the company said.