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Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
PB Balaji to take the wheel as JLR CEO — First Indian to lead iconic automaker
Synopsis Tata Motors has announced P.B. Balaji as the new CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, effective November 17, 2025, making him the first Indian to lead the luxury automaker. He succeeds Adrian Mardell, who is retiring after 35 years. Balaji's appointment comes as Tata Motors undergoes a demerger and JLR navigates its electric transition. Mumbai: Tata Motors has appointed P.B. Balaji as the next Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), effective November 17, 2025, the company said in a notification to the stock exchanges. With this, Balaji becomes the first Indian to lead the British luxury automaker, marking a symbolic and strategic milestone for both JLR and Tata Motors, its parent company. Balaji will succeed Adrian Mardell, who will retire after three years at the helm and 35 years of dedicated service to the company. Mardell is credited with leading a sharp turnaround at JLR during an era of electric transition and global uncertainty. The announcement comes at a pivotal time not only for JLR but also for Tata Motors, which is currently in the process of demerging its passenger vehicle and commercial vehicles businesses. from Indian stock exchanges. As a result of this ongoing transition, the company may no longer require a Group Chief Financial Officer, a role Balaji has held since 2017. His move to JLR, therefore, may also reflect an evolving corporate structure within the Tata automotive ecosystem. It is set to list its CV business in October this year. N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, Tata Motors, and JLR, stated: 'I would like to thank Adrian for his stellar leadership and record-setting performance. I am delighted to appoint Balaji as his successor. He knows JLR intimately and is well positioned to carry forward the 'Reimagine' strategy.' Balaji, an alumnus of IIT-Chennai and IIM-Kolkata, brings with him 32 years of global experience in the automotive and consumer goods sectors, having led large multicultural teams across Mumbai, London, Singapore, and Switzerland. His financial acumen and strategic leadership have been instrumental in Tata Motors' successful transformation on his new role, Balaji said: 'It is my privilege to lead this iconic company. Over the past eight years, I've come to deeply admire JLR and its exceptional brands. I look forward to the road ahead with optimism and purpose.'Since Tata Motors acquired JLR in 2008, the automaker has seen four CEO transitions–David Smith, Ralf Speth,Thierry Bolloré, and Adrian Mardell. Balaji's appointment represents both continuity and change as JLR navigates its next phase of electrification, innovation, and global repositioning.
India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Independence Day 2025: Wait, Is It 78th Or 79th? All Details Explained Here
As India prepares to celebrate Independence Day, a common question resurfaces: Will this be the 78th or the 79th celebration? The nation gained freedom from British rule in 1947, after nearly two centuries of struggle, countless sacrifices, and an unwavering determination to secure a life free from oppression. On Independence Day, India pulls out all the stops as the nation submerges in the tricolors and the patriotic songs echo through the land with each citizen filling up with a feeling of pride. It is a day to remember and honor the immense sacrifices made by freedom fighters, whose stories continue to inspire generations. Is it 78th or 79th Independence Day of India? The confusion over whether India is celebrating its 78th or 79th Independence Day stems from how the years are counted. While India gained freedom on August 15, 1947, the question arises: should that year be considered the first Independence Day, or should the count begin from the first anniversary in 1948? To clarify, India will celebrate its 79th Independence Day this year, as it marks the 79th anniversary of the country's freedom from British rule. A release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has helped clarify the confusion. "As India prepares to celebrate its 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today extended an invitation to all citizens to contribute their thoughts and ideas for his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15," said a PMO release dated August 1. As we approach this year's Independence Day, I look forward to hearing from my fellow Indians! What themes or ideas would you like to see reflected in this year's Independence Day speech? Share your thoughts on the Open Forums on MyGov and the NaMo App...… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 1, 2025 78th Independence Day of India Last year, a day ahead of Independence Day, President Draupadi Murmu said, 'I am delighted to see the nation prepare to celebrate the 78th Independence Day. Witnessing the tri-colour unfurl on this occasion, be it at the Red Fort, at state capitals, or in local neighbourhoods, always thrills our hearts. It is an expression of the joy of being part of our great nation, along with more than 1.4 billion fellow Indians. Just as we celebrate various festivals with our families, we celebrate our Independence Day and Republic Day with our family, which comprises our fellow citizens.' On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech on Independence Day, said that India aims to accelerate progress in every sector, focusing on three key areas, including creating new opportunities across all sectors, strengthening the supporting infrastructure required for evolving systems, and enhancing the basic amenities for our citizens. Meanwhile, the PM had also highlighted that less government interference in the lives of citizens is an important part of our vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
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Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
Obituary: The legendary architect of Jharkhand Shibu Soren dies at 81
'I pray for his long and healthy life,' the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president of the Jharkhand unit, Babulal Marandi, told Business Standard fervently a few weeks ago, learning that Shibu Soren was grievously ill. 'He has given a lot to public life and I pray he can contribute more'. Marandi can be counted as one of Soren's bitterest critics and the only one who ever defeated him in a Lok Sabha election. It was not to be. Shibu Soren (81) died on Monday and leaves a legacy of tribal assertion through democratic politics, in a long line of leaders that include Birsa Munda and Jaipal Singh Munda. If there had been no Shibu Soren, Jharkhand would probably never have been born. Jharkhand has a strong sense of identity. Earlier, the great unifying factor was the 'foreigner' (diku), the non-tribal. Initially, Jharkhand tribals resisted efforts by the Mughals and the British to overcome their rich land and luxuriant forests. But when the Hindu traders and Muslim farmers moved in and modern law and administration was established, tribals found themselves becoming marginalised. British authority and its accompanying array of devices facilitated the process of pauperising them. The administration was manned by dikus and the introduction of paper currency was alien to the tribals. Their villages went to — principally Muslim — landlords who wanted access to the forests and the communities that lived there as cheap labour. Independent India offered little that was better. Missionaries stayed behind and the tribals continued to resist efforts to subvert their own variant of Hinduism and gods, which were modelled on living tribal leaders. This led to the realisation that their lot would not improve until their identity was recognised as unique: For this they needed self-governance and their own province. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was started in 1973 by a group of Maoist leaders in Dhanbad. The general secretary was a young man just out of his teens — Shibu Soren, a Santhal. Soren was very much left of centre when he started out. He was just 13 when his father was murdered by loan sharks. Activists recall the rousing speech he made against injustice to tribals: The massive displacement of tribals in the garb of development, and the oppressive economic conditions that forced Jharkhandis to migrate. In that speech 'he said that the resources stolen from Jharkhand were used to create brightly lit colonies for outsiders as Jharkhand was pushed further into the darkness of poverty and starvation,' recalls a journalist who reported on the event. But Soren drifted away from Left politics as his popularity soared. In 1983, the JMM established itself as a political organisation instead of being a mere morcha (front). In its first programme, it committed itself to establishing an equitable society but later Soren explained that he drifted away from the communists because the Left did not support 'indigenous' leadership. In 2000, after a long and bitter battle that he led along with (initial) admirers like Babulal Marandi, Jharkhand was born. Soren had to wait five years to become chief minister — getting the office for just nine days in 2005 and then his minority government fell. He got another chance in 2008 and 2009. But the BJP pulled the plug. In all, he was chief minister of the state he helped to birth for just over 300 days (spread over various terms). Tribal Jharkhandis who had begun their career in the post-Jharkhand era and did not fully grasp the meaning of agitation were now emerging in politics. Some realised that it was more profitable to side with the diku than to oppose him. One fallout of this collaboration was Madhu Koda and the scandal around mining leases. More, including those involving his son Hemant, would follow. Soren dedicated himself to national politics, leaving his sons and colleagues to man the Jharkhand front. He served as a Lok Sabha member eight times. He was also a Rajya Sabha member and a Union minister. But as Marandi observed, Soren's strength lay in regional politics and the JMM continues, till today, to be just that — a regional party. Marandi also says that Soren was more than just a politician: He was a social reformer for the movements he helmed against loan sharks and for total and complete prohibition in Jharkhand. Even when his health was failing and he had largely retired from public life, he inspired loyalty and respect. His lieutenant Champai Soren, who crossed over to the BJP before the last Assembly election, went to see him to explain his position before he made the move. His followers elevated him to the status of demi-god. He didn't protest too much, his communist friends noted. But his persona — simplicity, accessibility and emotional connect with his people — will ensure his legacy lives on.
