AI Generated Summary
- Jean-Philippe Parain, BMW Group’s regional chief for Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, called India “one of the fastest-growing markets” for the Munich-based luxury carmaker and said Brar’s “intricate understanding” of the local auto landscape would be pivotal in “strengthening BMW Group’s operations here.
- Outgoing chief Vikram Pawah joined BMW in 2017, running the Indian arm in two separate stints (2017-18 and 2020-25) and the Australian subsidiary in between.
- BMW’s Indian operations include a manufacturing plant in Chennai that locally assembles ten models, a parts hub in Pune and more than 80 sales and service touchpoints.
BMW Group India has named industry stalwart Hardeep Singh Brar as its next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 September 2025. He takes over from Vikram Pawah, who moves to Melbourne to head BMW Group’s Australia-New Zealand business.
Jean-Philippe Parain, BMW Group’s regional chief for Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, called India “one of the fastest-growing markets” for the Munich-based luxury carmaker and said Brar’s “intricate understanding” of the local auto landscape would be pivotal in “strengthening BMW Group’s operations here.”
Brar, 53, brings more than 30 years of experience across marquee brands. Before joining BMW he was senior vice-president for sales and marketing at Kia India, and earlier held leadership roles at Maruti Suzuki, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, General Motors, Nissan and Great Wall Motor. A mechanical-engineering graduate from Thapar Institute and an alumnus of Harvard Business School’s Senior Executive Leadership Program, he has managed everything from dealer development to corporate strategy.
Outgoing chief Vikram Pawah joined BMW in 2017, running the Indian arm in two separate stints (2017-18 and 2020-25) and the Australian subsidiary in between. Under his watch BMW sharpened its focus on digital retail, broadened its model mix and pushed aggressively into electric mobility, moves the company credits with widening its market share.
Brar assumes the helm at a buoyant moment. BMW Group India logged 15,721 car deliveries in 2024, an 11 percent jump that marked its best year on record; fully electric BMW and MINI models contributed 1,249 units, giving the group the luxury-EV sales crown for a third straight year. Rival Mercedes-Benz remains India’s top luxury seller with more than 19,500 units, but BMW’s near-16,000 tally underscores how fiercely the segment is expanding in a country where luxury cars still account for barely 1 percent of annual passenger-vehicle demand.
reuters.com
BMW’s Indian operations include a manufacturing plant in Chennai that locally assembles ten models, a parts hub in Pune and more than 80 sales and service touchpoints. MINI, introduced in 2012, and BMW Motorrad, officially integrated in 2017, round out the premium-mobility portfolio.
Analysts say Brar’s first tests will be sustaining double-digit growth, accelerating the electrification roadmap and defending share against both established German rivals and a crop of Chinese-backed newcomers targeting affluent Indian buyers. With urban disposable incomes rising and smaller cities joining the luxury bandwagon, the stage is set for India to become BMW’s fastest-growing market worldwide over the rest of the decade.
