Gurugram, July 8 (IANS) BMW Group India on Tuesday announced to appoint Hardeep Singh Brar as the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective from September 1.

Brar succeeds Vikram Pawah who is taking charge as Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Australia and New Zealand, the luxury automaker said in a statement.

“India is among the fastest growing markets for BMW Group and an important pillar of our long-term success strategy for the region. Hardeep Singh Brar holds vast expertise and an intricate understating of Indian automotive industry to lead this dynamic market and strengthen BMW Group’s operations here,” said Jean-Philippe Parain, Senior Vice President, Region Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, BMW Group.

We would like to thank Pawah for his immense contribution towards strategic growth of BMW Group India and playing a decisive role in its recent development, he added.

Brar brings more than 30 years of rich experience in Indian automotive industry, having held numerous senior management positions.

He most recently served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Kia India.

The company said that Pawah has been with the BMW Group since 2017 and has successfully led the company’s operations in both India (2017 – 2018 and 2020 – 2025) as well as Australia (2018 – 2020).

“In recent years, Pawah fixed BMW Group India’s gaze on expanding market share through new opportunities and target groups, and taking electric mobility, digitalization, retail experience and customer centricity to the next level,” said the automaker.

With BMW, MINI and Motorrad, the BMW Group has its sight set firmly on the premium sector of the Indian automobile market. BMW India is a 100 per cent subsidiary of the BMW Group and is headquartered in Gurugram (National Capital Region). BMW India started operations in 2007.

MINI has successfully established itself as a premium small car brand in India since its launch in January 2012.

—IANS

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