Deepak K Khare has joined Exide as Chief Operations Officer (COO), Autocar Professional has exclusively learnt from sources. He moves to the battery manufacturer after serving as Vice President, Manufacturing Operations and Site Head at Agratas, the Tata Group’s battery manufacturing business.
The appointment brings an executive with experience in automotive manufacturing, greenfield plant development and electric vehicle production to Exide. Khare has worked on manufacturing projects in India and overseas, including battery cell manufacturing and electric vehicle assembly facilities.
At Agratas, where he worked from October 2023 to November 2026, Khare was involved in developing the company’s battery gigafactory at Sanand, Gujarat. His responsibilities included land acquisition, recruitment, onboarding design and construction partners, and overseeing the development of the facility. In a recent LinkedIn post announcing his departure, Khare said process equipment was being commissioned at the site, marking an important stage in the project’s development.
Before joining Agratas, Khare served as Head of Manufacturing Operations at Lucid Motors from August 2022 to September 2023. During his tenure, he was involved in establishing the luxury electric vehicle manufacturer’s manufacturing operations in Saudi Arabia, including preparations for the commencement of vehicle production.
Khare brings nearly three decades of experience across automotive manufacturing, plant operations, supplier development and quality management. Earlier in his career, he held senior manufacturing responsibilities at Ford Motor Company, including managing vehicle production operations at its Sanand facility, where he led a workforce of more than 1,800 employees. His responsibilities covered production, quality, safety, cost management and operational improvements.
He also worked with Airbus as Director, Procurement Quality, and held engineering roles at Caterpillar. His career spans automotive, aerospace and industrial equipment manufacturing, with experience in production management, supplier quality and manufacturing operations.
Khare’s appointment comes as Exide continues its expansion into lithium-ion battery manufacturing through its subsidiary, Exide Energy Solutions. His background in developing battery manufacturing facilities and managing automotive production operations is particularly relevant to the company’s ongoing investments in advanced battery manufacturing.