Toyota Motor Corporation will create a dedicated India and Middle East region under Masakazu Yoshimura starting January 1, 2027. This separates East Asia and Oceania from his responsibilities as part of a wider global management restructuring.
Yoshimura, managing director and chief executive officer of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, currently also leads Toyota’s combined India, Middle East, East Asia and Oceania region. Under the new structure, East Asia and Oceania will become a separate region headed by Takanori Azuma, currently chief officer of Toyota’s Accounting Group.
Toyota said the split would bring management closer to local operations, reflecting differences in market conditions, stages of growth and business challenges across the territories.
The changes accompany new regional appointments in North America, China and Asia. Mark Templin will lead North America, Sukenaga Ota will take charge of China, and Masando Hashimoto will become CEO of the Asia region. Motonobu Kawamura will become president of Business Planning & Operation, supporting regional initiatives through coordination across markets.
The restructuring also extends to people development and technology. Chairman Akio Toyoda will head the newly established Toyota Philosophy and Education Group, while chief production officer Takefumi Shiga will additionally oversee Toyota Robotics. The Carbon Neutral Engineering Development Center will be integrated into the Powertrain Company, bringing its expertise into powertrain planning and development, with a focus on hybrid systems.
For India, the reorganisation comes as Toyota prepares to expand manufacturing and introduce more products.
Yoshimura, who took charge of Toyota Kirloskar Motor in January 2019, is its longest-serving managing director. He has been at the forefront of the company’s expansion, overseeing a broader portfolio, growth through the Suzuki alliance and preparations for a substantial increase in production capacity.
Toyota’s third factory at Bidadi in Karnataka is expected to begin operations soon, while its new manufacturing facility at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra is also taking shape. The projects will support new products and growth in domestic sales and exports.
The company has recently launched the updated Glanza hatchback and has lined up a flex-fuel version of the Innova Hycross. The latter will add another option to Toyota’s multi-pathway powertrain strategy as it broadens its Indian offering.
Toyota explicitly identified manufacturing expansion in India as a priority for the new regional organisation.
“The India & Middle East Region will strengthen its business foundation for future growth through initiatives such as launching a new plant in India and coordinating businesses and functions within the region,” the company said in its November 5 announcement.
Yoshimura’s narrower geographical remit could allow greater attention to these developments. The announcement does not specify additional investment authority or changes to Toyota Kirloskar Motor’s leadership structure.
The reorganisation also comes during a transition in Toyota’s Indian sales operations, against a backdrop of higher dealer stocks and increased discounting on some models. As capacity expands, aligning supplies with customer demand and maintaining dealer returns will become more important. Toyota has not publicly detailed the commercial structure of the revised sales system or linked the changes to inventory levels.
Business Standard reported in October that Toyota’s parent had attributed a temporary reduction in reported Indian sales volumes to the rollout of a new sales system. TKM said it was strengthening sales processes and dealer-network efficiency, and that it had received no formal dealer complaints.
Competition has also intensified. Kia held fifth position in domestic passenger vehicle wholesales for three consecutive months through October, having moved ahead of Toyota in August. In October, Kia dispatched 33,462 vehicles against Toyota’s 29,521. The three-month lead highlights the competitive challenge, although monthly wholesales also reflect production schedules and dealer stocking.
Autocar Professional has previously reported that Toyota is preparing a series of launches through 2028, with its next phase of growth expected to rely increasingly on its own platforms alongside products sourced through the Suzuki alliance. The rollout will broaden its presence across segments and place greater demands on its manufacturing, supplier and retail operations.
Toyota said the regional split would enable faster decisions at the front lines of its business. In India, that approach will be tested as new factories and products come on stream, requiring closer coordination between production, distribution and customer demand.