PB Balaji to become first Indian to take wheel as Jaguar Land Rover CEO

Jaguar Land Rover has named PB Balaji as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is going to be the first Indian to hold the top position at the British luxury car brand, which is owned by Tata Motors. Interestingly, Balaji is currently working as the Group CFO of the Tata Group. Tata Motors, in a regulatory filing, has stated that Balaji will take over as Jaguar Land Rover CEO with effect from November this year.

Balaji will succeed Adrian Mardell, who has expressed his desire to retire from Jaguar Land Rover after three years as its CEO and 35 years with the company. The Board of Directors of Jaguar Land Rover, at its meeting held on August 4, has approved the appointment of Balaji to succeed Mardell as the CEO of the company. The filing also stated that Balaji will be joining in this role from November 2025, and Mardell will continue to help with the transition and support until the end of his contract. Balaji has been assigned the new role at a time when the maker of Range Rover and Land Rover SUVs has been buffeted by tariffs in the US, its largest market, and has faced criticism over a makeover for Jaguar as an electric-only brand.

Speaking about this, N Chandrasekaran, Chairman - Jaguar Land Rover PLC, Tata Motors and Tata Sons, said that the search for a suitable candidate to lead JLR was undertaken by the board for the past few months, and after careful consideration, it was decided to appoint Balaji. "I would like to thank Adrian for the stellar turnaround of JLR and for delivering record results. I am delighted to appoint Balaji as the incoming CEO of the company," he added.

Chandrasekaran also said that Balaji has been associated with the company for many years and is familiar with the firm, its strategy and has been working with the JLR leadership team. "This move will ensure that we continue to accelerate our journey to Reimagine JLR," he added.

Speaking on his new role, Balaji said, "It is my privilege to lead this incredible company. Over the past eight years, I have grown to know and love this company and its redoubtable global brands. I look forward to working with the team to take it to even greater heights".

Balaji has been serving as the Group CFO of the Tata Motors Group since November 2017 and is a well-regarded global leader with 32 years of experience in the automotive and consumer Goods industries across finance and supply chain functions.

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