Renault Announces Stephane Deblaise As CEO For India
The brand further explained that he will report directly to Francois Provost, Renault Group Chief of Procurement, Partnerships, and Public Affairs Officer.
In addition to his current responsibilities as Managing Director of Renault India Private Limited (RIPL), Venkatram Mamillapalle will support Stephane Deblaise on corporate affairs in India to help structure the Group's mid-term growth strategy in the region.
Stephane Deblaise, 52 years old, is a graduate of Telecom Physique Strasbourg and IFP School. He began his career at Saft Batteries before joining Renault Group in 2000 as an Advanced Process Engineer. Over the past two decades, he has held several key positions across the Group's global operations, including Chief Vehicle Engineer for the Entry Program in Latin America in 2009; Vice President, Product Planning & Programs Mat Dongfeng-Renault in China in 2014; Worldwide C&D Segment Program Director in France in 2017; and Vice President, Renault Group Vehicles and Cross Car Line Program in 2021.
Since 2022, Deblaise has served as CEO of Renault Korea, where he led key transformation initiatives, including positioning the company as a global development and production hub for mid- and large-sized vehicles and modernizing the Busan plant for multi-energy vehicle production.
Mr. Deblaise's appointment to Renault Group India reflects the Group's strong confidence in his leadership and underlines the strategic importance of India as a key pillar in Renault's global growth ambitions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Time of India
Renault Group's H1 2025 sales up 1.3% amid electrification push
Renault Group recorded a modest 1.3 per cent year-on-year growth in global vehicle sales for the first half of 2025, selling a total of 1,169,773 units, as the company pushed ahead with its electrification strategy in the face of challenging market conditions in Europe and beyond. The Renault brand led the Group's performance, selling 808,413 vehicles globally — up 2.7 per cent compared to H1 2024. This growth was primarily fuelled by a strong showing outside Europe, where sales surged 16.3 per cent. Key growth markets included South Korea (up 150 per cent), Morocco (up 48 per cent), and Latin America, where Argentina saw a remarkable 96.7 per cent jump. The Grand Koleos and Kardian models played a critical role in this growth. The group has five core brands under its fold: Renault, Dacia, Alpine, Mobilize, and LADA. In Europe, Renault's passenger car sales rose by 8.4 per cent, defying a 1 per cent decline in the overall market. The Clio emerged as the best-selling vehicle across all channels, helping Renault climb to second place in European sales rankings. However, the Group's light commercial vehicle (LCV) performance faced headwinds. Renault's LCV sales dropped 22.8 per cent globally and 29 per cent in Europe, impacted by the end of the Renault Express lifecycle and the incomplete rollout of the new Master range. Dacia's global sales dipped slightly by 0.7 per cent to 356,084 units, primarily due to the rebranding of Duster in Turkey. However, Dacia Sandero maintained its stronghold as Europe's best-selling model to retail customers, while Duster remained the top SUV among private buyers. Alpine delivered a standout performance with sales nearly doubling to 5,015 units (+84.6 per cent), driven by the success of the A290 electric city car, crowned Car of the Year 2025. Renault's EV sales The Group's electrification strategy showed strong momentum. Electrified vehicles now account for 44 per cent of Renault Group's total sales, including 12.3 per cent fully electric models. Renault's electric vehicle sales grew 57 per cent, with the Renault 5 E-Tech emerging as Europe's best-selling B-segment EV. Hybrid sales also surged, with hybrid powertrains comprising over 41 per cent of Renault's passenger car sales. Looking ahead, Renault Group plans to launch seven new models in 2025, including the Renault 4 E-Tech, Dacia Bigster, Alpine A390, and the international Boreal. Two facelifts — Austral and Espace — and continued expansion of electric and hybrid offerings are also expected to bolster the Group's performance in the second half of the year.
NDTV
15 hours ago
- NDTV
Inheritance Wars: Ambani, Modi, Bajaj, Now Kapur. India's Mega Family Feuds
Rani Kapur, the mother of businessman Sunjay Kapur, made dramatic allegations Friday - of being locked in a room and forced to sign documents by "certain people" (read, her daughter-in-law, Priya Sachdev Kapur) trying to "usurp the family legacy" and gain control of the Sona Group. The Sona Group, of which Sunjay Kapur was Chairman till his death in June, represents a business empire with a presence in the agriculture, textiles, construction, IT, education, and biotech spaces, and which has a market capitalisation of nearly Rs 30,000 crore. In her letter Ms Kapur demanded an AGM be postponed and claimed she had been coerced into signing documents. She also said she, as the majority shareholder in the Group, had not been consulted in the appointment of her daughter-in-law as a non-executive director of the board. Priya Sachdev Kapur has yet to respond. Whatever the truth may be, and it is likely that truth will be buried under a mountain of allegations, counter-allegations, the Kapur family drama is far from the first of its kind. Over the past several years many prominent business clans have fought amongst themselves for control of the millions in the coffers, particularly after the death of the family head. Last year, for example, the family of Modi Enterprises Chairman Krishan Kumar Modi, who died in 2019, went to court over an inheritance in excess of Rs 11,000 crore. Mr Modi's will stipulated that his wealth be divided equally between his wife, Bina; two sons, Samir and Lalit; and daughter, Charu. However, in February 2024 Samir Modi filed a lawsuit claiming Bina Modi had violated the terms of his father's trust and mishandled company affairs. He sought the dissolution of the trust. Samir and Charu Modi had initially supported Bina Modi and the family trust, but Lalit Modi, the founder of the lucrative Indian Premier League cricket tournament, had demanded otherwise. Eventually it became Samir and Lalit vs Bina, but shareholders of Godfrey Philips, the group's flagship brand, then stepped in, backing the latter and removing the former from the board. But that has not settled the inheritance row. Neither Samir nor Lalit Modi have chosen to relinquish their shares in the company to their mother, which would signal their surrender. And so, the Modi family feud rumbles on, albeit beneath the surface for now. Going back a year further, there is the Oberoi story. After family patriarch Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi - the famous hotelier whose EIH Ltd is valued at around Rs 9,000 crore and who built the Oberoi and Trident hotel chains, died in November 2023 - there was a scrabble for power and money. The central characters are Anastasia Oberoi, a daughter from his second marriage, her stepsiblings Vikramjit and Natasha, and a cousin, Arjun. And the plot twist here are two wills - one made in 1992 and another in 2021, and a codicil (or amendment) made in 2022. The stepsiblings and cousin back the 1992 will and the daughter backs the 2022 codicil, which grants her mother and her certain properties and financial assets. The late Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi (File). She has accused the former three of trying to obstruct this division. In November last year, after she approached the Delhi High Court, there seemed to be a thaw, and she attended an AGM in which the warring family members made certain assurances. The Oberoi and Modis are just two examples of family squabbles over mega inheritances. There are other kinds too, including those that have been resolved peacefully, such as the dispute in the Bajaj family after the death of Rahul Bajaj in 2022. His sons, Rajiv and Sanjiv, locked horns over the future direction of the company. The late Rahul Bajaj (File). Fortunately, their visions were vastly different, and the Bajaj Group was restructured to allow each to go his own way. Thus, was born Bajaj Auto (headed by Rajiv) and Bajaj Finserv (Sanjiv). No drama, at least not very much, here. But there was with the Ambani clan after patriarch Dhirubhai Ambani died intestate in 2002. His sons, Mukesh and Anil, fought for control till mother Kokilaben sat them down and brokered peace, dividing the massive Reliance empire between them. The brothers, nevertheless, continued to squabble publicly for years, often even competing for assets and contracts. In 2018 there seemed to be some reconciliation after Mukesh bailed Anil out of trouble by paying over Rs 400 crore to rescue his struggling telecom-to-infrastructure company. But the younger Ambani's fortunes haven't really improved since then, with the Enforcement Directorate this week raiding locations linked to his business over alleged loan scams.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Time of India
LEGO Group opens south India's first LEGO® certified store in Bengaluru
The LEGO Group, partnering with Ample Group, has launched South India's first LEGO Certified Store in Bengaluru's Orion Mall, spanning 2,100 square feet. Following the success of its Delhi NCR store, which attracted over 100,000 visitors in its first month, this expansion aims to replicate that success in the tech-savvy, family-oriented city. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads In a major expansion of its retail footprint in India, The LEGO® Group in partnership with the Ample Group has opened South India's first LEGO® Certified Store at Orion Mall in across 2,100 square feet, the new store marks a key milestone in LEGO's growing presence in the Indian market and brings its signature experiential format to the southern launch builds on the resounding success of India's first LEGO® Certified Store, which opened in Delhi NCR earlier this year. That store drew over 100,000 visitors in its first month, signaling strong consumer interest and demand for the globally beloved toy brand. Located in the DLF Mall of India in Noida, the Delhi store became a destination for families, collectors, and LEGO® enthusiasts from across the capital Bengaluru's reputation as a tech-savvy, family-oriented city that serves as a gateway to major southern cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Mysuru, and Mangalore, the Orion Mall store is poised to replicate and potentially surpass that success."India is a dynamic and exciting market for the LEGO® Group and we are excited to increase our retail presence in the country with the Ample group. The reception to the first LEGO® certified store in Delhi NCR was exceptionally heartening for us to see and only re-enforced our belief that India has enough LEGO® love to welcome more certified stores in the country. With our Bengaluru store, we aim to gradually start expanding our retail footprint in some of the biggest metros,' said Bhavana Mandon, General Manager, LEGO® India store offers a fully immersive LEGO® experience lik the signature 'Pick-a-Brick' wall, the Build-a-Mini station where shoppers can customize their own mini-figures, and exclusive themed zones featuring Marvel Superheroes, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Ninjago, City, Technic, and more. These are complemented by eye-catching model showcases, social-media-ready photo-op walls, and interactive stations to keep shoppers of all ages to the company, over 250 exclusive LEGO® sets—available only through certified stores in India—will be offered at this location, alongside a new loyalty program aimed at deepening customer engagement. 'This launch is not just a store opening—it is a celebration of creativity, imagination, and community,' said Rajesh Narang, Founder and CEO of Ample expansion aligns with LEGO's broader omnichannel strategy in India, blending physical retail spaces with a growing online presence to serve a rapidly evolving customer base. '"This store launch at Orion Mall marks a significant milestone, seamlessly blending the LEGO® Group's globally recognized brand values. With India expected to grow at 6.5% in 2025, it is a strategic market for global retail,' said Sunil Munshi, COO – Retail, Brigade Group, founded in 1996, has emerged as a leader in premium retail development in India. With a network of over 100 stores and partnerships with global brands like Apple, Bose, ASICS, and Under Armour, Ample's collaboration with LEGO® strengthens its position as a retail innovator in the Indian market.
