Former Ford boss Anurag Mehrotra joins Tata Motors' commercial vehicles business

Tata Motors on Friday said former Ford India president and managing director Anurag Mehrotra has joined the company in its commercial vehicles business unit.

Mehrotra has been appointed as vice-president (international business and strategy) of its commercial vehicles business unit (CVBU), with effect from October 1.

When contacted, a Tata Motors spokesperson confirmed the development.

Mehrotra had left Ford at the end of September after the company announced a leadership change in its operations in India weeks after declaring stoppage of vehicle production in the country. As part of the exercise, Balasundaram Radhakrishnan, director (manufacturing) of Ford India Pvt Ltd (FIPL), was appointed to the role of transformation officer of the company.

In his over-a-decade long stint in Ford India, Mehrotra held various roles in marketing, sales and services. At Tata Motors, he will report to Executive Director Girish Wagh, who is heading the CVBU.

On September 9, Ford had announced that it will stop vehicle production at its two plants in India and will sell only imported vehicles going ahead as part of a restructuring exercise.

The company, which invested about USD 2.5 billion at its Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Sanand (Gujarat) plants, has incurred losses of over USD 2 billion in India. Its decision will impact over 4,000 employees and 150 dealer principals who operate over 300 outlets.

Ford India will wind down vehicle assembly in Sanand by the fourth quarter of 2021 and vehicle and engine manufacturing in Chennai by the second quarter of 2022.