Automaker Stellantis appoints Shailesh Hazela as CEO, MD of India ops

Automaker Stellantis on Saturday said it has appointed Shailesh Hazela as CEO and Managing Director of India operations.

Hazela succeeds Aditya Jairaj, who will be relocating to the US.

Previously, Hazela served as Vice President, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain for India & Asia Pacific region for Stellantis.

He brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in driving growth and innovation, the company said in a statement.

Since joining Stellantis in September 2022, Hazela has focused on leveraging the supply base across India, ASEAN, Korea, Japan, and other regions, and developing the supply base for Stellantis in India & Asia Pacific (IAP) region, it added.

"Shailesh's strategic vision and extensive experience will be instrumental in driving growth and innovation in the Indian market. We are confident that Shailesh will lead the company fostering sustainable business growth," Stellantis IAP region COO Ashwani Muppasani said.

Stellantis operates three manufacturing plants (Ranjangaon, Hosur, Thiruvallur), an ICT hub (Hyderabad), Software Centre (Bengaluru), and two R&D centers in Chennai and Pune.

Stellantis is focusing on manufacturing in India as it is the only country where the company locally produces four Jeep nameplates (Wrangler, Compass, Meridian, and Grand Cherokee) outside North America and the Citroen C5 Aircross outside France.