Ashok Leyland has re-appointed Mr. Dheeraj G Hinduja as Executive Chairman for a period of three years effective November 26, 2026. The decision, taken by the Board of Directors at their meeting held on May 28, 2026, is subject to the approval of the shareholders and other regulatory approvals. This leadership continuity is significant for the company as it leverages Mr. Hinduja's extensive experience in global business strategies and organizational transformation.

Appointment Details

The re-appointment formalizes Mr. Dheeraj G Hinduja’s role at the helm of the commercial vehicle manufacturer. His tenure as Executive Chairman will commence on November 26, 2026, and will last for three years. The company disclosed that Mr. Hinduja is not debarred from holding the office of director pursuant to any SEBI order or any other authority, complying with regulations set by the BSE and NSE.

Profile and Experience

Mr. Dheeraj Gopichand Hinduja holds a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Economics & History from University College, London, and an MBA in Project Management from Imperial College, London University. A third-generation member of the Hinduja Family, he represents a global business conglomerate with diversified interests including Automotive, Energy, and Infrastructure. The Hinduja Group employs over 200,000 people worldwide.

With over 30 years of experience at strategic and leadership levels, Mr. Hinduja's expertise includes multi-sectoral global business portfolio strategies and nurturing top-tier management talent. He is associated with sectors such as Automotive, Finance, Power, and Information Technology, and also provides leadership in social sectors like Education and Healthcare.

Key Disclosures

Ashok Leyland has appointed Mr. K M Balaji as Whole-Time Director & Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for a period of two years effective May 28, 2026, subject to the approval of the shareholders. The decision was taken by the Board of Directors at their meeting held on May 28, 2026. This appointment reinforces the company's leadership continuity in its finance function.

Mr. K M Balaji is a Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and holds Management Development Certifications from Harvard Business School, Kellogg School of Management, Indian School of Business, and IIM Ahmedabad. He currently serves as the President, Finance & CFO of the company and has held a distinguished career spanning 32 years. His experience covers internal audit, treasury, MIS & budgets, costing, investor relations, business finance, pricing, product cost engineering, and indirect taxes.

Balaji has managed significant financial operations, including QIP documentation, enterprise valuation for stake sales, and the evaluation of M&A proposals. He has executed cross currency interest rate swaps (CCIRS) and raised more than Rs. 2000 Crores through the placement of Non-Convertible Debentures. Additionally, he handled the finance function independently at a bus assembling plant in Leeds, United Kingdom, for about a year.

Recognized for his contributions, Balaji was awarded the Leading CFO of the year 2024-25 by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for Excellence in Turnaround. He is currently a Member of the Tamil Nadu State Council (TNSC) and Chairman of the CFO Forum of TNSC of CII. He also serves as the Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC) under the National Automotive Board (NAB), Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, and is a Member of the Governing Council of NAB.

The disclosure confirms that Mr. K M Balaji is not related to the Directors of the Company as per the 'relative' definition of the Companies Act, 2013. Furthermore, he is not debarred from holding the office of director pursuant to any SEBI order or any other authority, as required pursuant to BSE circular ref no. LIST/ COMP/ 14/ 2018-19 and NSE circular ref no. NSE/CML/2018/24 dated June 20, 2018.