Ashish Gupta Takes Helm at Skoda, Nitin Kohli to Lead Volkswagen Brand

In a major leadership reshuffle at Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, Ashish Gupta, previously Brand Director for Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, has been appointed as the new Brand Director for Skoda. Gupta steps into the role following Petr Janeba, who played a pivotal role in launching the Skoda Kylaq and steering the brand to record monthly sales figures in the Indian market.

Succeeding Gupta, Nitin Kohli—formerly Head of Sales at Audi India—will now assume the position of Brand Director for Volkswagen Passenger Cars India. Janeba’s term is likely to conclude by the end of the month.

Gupta's tenure at Volkswagen was marked by the successful implementation of the India 2.0 strategy, which included the introduction of models like the Taigun and Virtus. These initiatives significantly strengthened Volkswagen's presence and performance in the Indian automotive sector.

Kohli’s extensive experience in sales and marketing within the premium automotive segment is expected to bring fresh perspectives to Volkswagen’s operations in India.

These leadership changes underscore Skoda Auto Volkswagen India’s commitment to nurturing local talent, reinforcing brand presence, and adapting to the dynamic demands of the Indian automotive market.

Skoda’s current Brand Director, Petr Janeba, told Autocar Professional that the company aims to sell 8,000 units of the Kylaq SUV every month by the end of 2025. Janeba believes the Kylaq will be instrumental in achieving the company’s broader goal of surpassing 100,000 annual vehicle sales in India starting in 2026.

As recorded in a press release by SKODA Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVWIPL) later in the day, Piyush Arora, CEO & Managing Director, said, "These leadership changes reinforce our commitment to localisation and nurturing Indian talent. Ashish and Nitin bring strong market insight and strategic clarity to lead Škoda and Volkswagen into their next growth phase." He also thanked Petr Janeba for his valuable contributions and wish him well in his future role.

Jan Bures, Board Member and Executive Director, Sales, Marketing & Digital, SAVWIPL said, “Ashish and Nitin have shown agility and a strong customer focus. Their appointments reflect our strategy to build resilient, future-ready teams from within India and will bring fresh momentum to the brands’ journey.”