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Economic Times
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Economic Times
Tata Motors elevates PB Balaji to JLR CEO role in strategic global shift, a first for an Indian
Mumbai: Tata Motors group finance chief PB Balaji will take over as the chief executive of the company's crown jewel, Jaguar Land Rover, on November 17, becoming the first Indian to lead the iconic British automotive brand. At JLR, Balaji will replace Adrian Mardell, who retires after a 35-year tenure at the maker of the Defender and F-Pace SUVs, the last three years of that as its CEO, Tata Motors said Monday. Handpicked by Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran from Hindustan Unilever, Balaji has become an integral figure in the group's transformation efforts since joining Tata Motors in 2017. His appointment reflects the leadership's confidence in his vision and execution capabilities. His move to JLR comes at a pivotal moment for Tata Motors, which is undergoing a major restructuring with plans to demerge its passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle businesses into two separately listed entities. After this transition, the company may no longer require a group chief financial officer, the role that Balaji has been holding since joining the company. His appointment at JLR is seen as a broader corporate realignment at Tata Motors aimed at granting individual businesses greater operational autonomy. "It is my privilege to lead this iconic company," Balaji said. "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." Financial Architect with Global Acumen Balaji has been associated with Tata Motors for the past many years and is familiar with the company, its strategy and has been working with the JLR leadership team, Chandrasekaran said, adding: "This move will ensure that we continue to accelerate our journey to Reimagine JLR." Under Balaji's financial leadership, Tata Motors reported its highest-ever consolidated revenue of ₹4.39 lakh crore in FY25, with a profit of ₹34,330 crore before tax and 28,149 crore after tax. The company's Indian operations turned net cash positive, with a surplus of 1,018 has been closely associated with Tata Motors' improved capital discipline, cost focus and its growing leadership in electric vehicles-factors that have contributed to a more resilient and efficient began his career as a management trainee at Hindustan Unilever in May 1993, working in supply chain roles for the first decade, followed by finance leadership assignments across the Unilever group. He was vice president - finance for the Americas Supply Chain based in Switzerland, group chief accountant at Unilever's headquarters and chief financial officer at Hindustan Unilever. At the Indian unit of the consumer goods company, he was mentored by D Sundaram, who was then the company's CFO. An alumnus of IIT-Chennai and IIM-Kolkata, Balaji currently serves on the boards of Air India, Titan, Tata Technologies, and Tata Consumer Products. He was the highest-paid executive in the Tata Group in FY25, drawing ₹21.09 crore, reflecting his growing leadership stature within the conglomerate.


Time of India
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Tata Motors elevates PB Balaji to JLR CEO role in strategic global shift, a first for an Indian
PB Balaji is set to become the CEO of Jaguar Land Rover on November 17. He will be the first Indian to lead the British automotive brand. Balaji replaces Adrian Mardell, who is retiring. Tata Motors is undergoing restructuring. Balaji's appointment signals greater autonomy for individual businesses. He aims to accelerate JLR's journey. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Mumbai: Tata Motors group finance chief PB Balaji will take over as the chief executive of the company's crown jewel, Jaguar Land Rover , on November 17, becoming the first Indian to lead the iconic British automotive JLR, Balaji will replace Adrian Mardell, who retires after a 35-year tenure at the maker of the Defender and F-Pace SUVs, the last three years of that as its CEO, Tata Motors said Monday. Handpicked by Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran from Hindustan Unilever , Balaji has become an integral figure in the group's transformation efforts since joining Tata Motors in 2017. His appointment reflects the leadership's confidence in his vision and execution move to JLR comes at a pivotal moment for Tata Motors, which is undergoing a major restructuring with plans to demerge its passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle businesses into two separately listed entities. After this transition, the company may no longer require a group chief financial officer, the role that Balaji has been holding since joining the company. His appointment at JLR is seen as a broader corporate realignment at Tata Motors aimed at granting individual businesses greater operational autonomy."It is my privilege to lead this iconic company," Balaji said. "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."Balaji has been associated with Tata Motors for the past many years and is familiar with the company, its strategy and has been working with the JLR leadership team, Chandrasekaran said, adding: "This move will ensure that we continue to accelerate our journey to Reimagine JLR."Under Balaji's financial leadership, Tata Motors reported its highest-ever consolidated revenue of ₹4.39 lakh crore in FY25, with a profit of ₹34,330 crore before tax and 28,149 crore after tax. The company's Indian operations turned net cash positive, with a surplus of 1,018 has been closely associated with Tata Motors' improved capital discipline, cost focus and its growing leadership in electric vehicles-factors that have contributed to a more resilient and efficient began his career as a management trainee at Hindustan Unilever in May 1993, working in supply chain roles for the first decade, followed by finance leadership assignments across the Unilever group. He was vice president - finance for the Americas Supply Chain based in Switzerland, group chief accountant at Unilever's headquarters and chief financial officer at Hindustan Unilever. At the Indian unit of the consumer goods company, he was mentored by D Sundaram, who was then the company's alumnus of IIT-Chennai and IIM-Kolkata, Balaji currently serves on the boards of Air India Tata Technologies , and Tata Consumer Products . He was the highest-paid executive in the Tata Group in FY25, drawing ₹21.09 crore, reflecting his growing leadership stature within the conglomerate.


The Irish Sun
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Jaguar Land Rover axing up to 500 jobs in the UK – months after backlash over ‘woke' rebrand
JAGUAR Land Rover is axing up to 500 jobs in the UK just weeks after receiving backlash over its "woke" rebrand. The iconic British manufacturer said that a large number of managerial jobs would be cut, saying it would offer voluntary redundancies. 4 Jaguar unveiled a controversial new concept car leaving the motoring world divided Credit: PA 4 The revamped logo and badge courted criticism and ignited strong reactions from fans and critics alike 4 Jaguar's new pink EV was slammed as 'just a woke Tesla' Credit: Jaguar Jaguar Land Rover is making the swinging cuts amid pressure on sales due to trade tariff woes. The Tata-owned firm said around 1.5 per cent of its UK workforce would be affected by the job cuts. A spokesperson for Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said: "As part of normal business practice, we regularly offer eligible employees the opportunity to leave JLR through limited voluntary redundancy programmes." The car giant previously warned that tariffs on British made motors being sold to the US would have a direct hit on its profits. It comes after the iconic British car manufacturer sparked outrage in November when it launched a . Soon after, it unveiled the - a large, pink grand tourer - as well as a much-maligned . The likes of Nigel Farage and even Elon Musk led the critics, with Farage describing it as "woke" and Musk turned the knife on X, simply asking Jaguar "Do you sell cars?" Most read in Motors Earlier this month it was revealed that Jaguar boss doubles down & DEFENDS new 'woke Tesla' pink EV in controversial rebrand The luxury British automaker registered just 49 vehicles in Europe in April, compared with 1,961 vehicles in the same month last year, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. Jaguar's wild transition has long been on the cards. Last year, executives made the call to discontinue their flagship petrol motors, Indeed, only the F-Pace will continue into 2026 - although it's been pulled from the UK market along with the rest of the aforementioned models. Jag then plans to fully relaunch next year as an To that end, the company has invested heavily in new designs, concept cars and other ads to go with the reveal. Defending the campaign last year, JLR's Managing Director Rawdon Glover said to the Financial Times: 'If we play in the same way that everybody else does, we'll just get drowned out.' 4 Jaguar Land Rover's controversial rebrand, featuring bright colours, catwalk models, and a pink concept car, sparked a fierce backlash Credit: Jaguar


The Irish Sun
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
New Jaguar car that lead disastrous ‘woke rebrand' seen for the first time… with fans divided over whether they like it
JAGUAR'S controversial new concept car has finally been revealed in person for the first time - sparking intense debate between fans. Onlookers got to see the Jag which has been at the forefront of its "woke" rebrand. 5 A Jaguar Type 00 concept car was displayed during the Goodwood Festival of Speed Credit: Getty 5 The car's blue was a departure from the new ad's pink Credit: Getty 5 One fan described the car's rear as 'horrendous' Credit: Getty 5 The new car drew big crowds at Goodwood Credit: Getty Jaguar unveiled its new The car will never go on sale in its existing form. Instead, it is a concept car exhibited to showcase Jaguar's new "exuberant modernism." The car stunned Goodwood's guests with its spotless, striking blue exterior which drew large crowds from across the festival. Read more Motors The colour was a significant departure from the pink colour dressing the 00 when it was first This was preceded by Jaguar's last November which sparked outrage. When the 30-second ad was first unveiled, flashing up a number of slogans, including "live vivid", "delete ordinary" and "copy nothing", fans on social media were not happy. The likes of Nigel Farage and even Elon Musk led the critics, with the Reform leader describing it as "woke" and . Most read in Motors Musk simply asked Jaguar on X: ''Do you sell cars?' This weekend, fans had the chance to comment on the car's new design after physically seeing it. Jaguar boss doubles down & DEFENDS new 'woke Tesla' pink EV in controversial rebrand Speaking to The Times, many fans were left unimpressed by Jaguar's new concept car and new brand direction. "The back's horrendous," said one fan. Another assessed: 'They've wrecked the brand. " One fan even said the new ad campaign had led him to sell his F-Pace. Others did enjoy some of the features of the new car, saying they thought it was cool and futuristic. In November, the controversial ad excluded any images of its sleek sports cars as it touted its transition to a fully electric, ultra-luxury company. The scrapping of the well-known big cat badge in favour of a geometric 'J' design also drew fierce criticism. At the time of release, one Another said: "As someone who worked for this iconic brand up until production cessation in June it really does sadden me to see the direction the company has decided to take." 5 The 00 was originally shown as pink Credit: Getty

Straits Times
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Car review: Ageing Jaguar F-Pace stalls time with electricity
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Old cat, new tricks: Plug-in electric assistance has given the F-Pace more muscle and range. SINGAPORE – Jaguar has not had an all-new product since its electric I-Pace in 2018. Unlike its sister brand Land Rover, which has undergone a mini revival since Tata Group's acquisition in 2008, Jaguar has languished. Its controversial rebranding exercise in 2024, which pushed abstract design and avant-garde aesthetics, has not helped.