Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) has announced that Takashi Nakajima will become its new President and CEO effective April 1, 2025, as part of Honda Motor Co.'s annual management changes.
Nakajima will succeed Takuya Tsumura, who is returning to Honda's head office in Japan after completing his three-year tenure in India. Nakajima brings over 30 years of experience with Honda Motor Co., having held various leadership positions across international markets including Japan, China, Spain, Czech Republic, and most recently as President of Honda Motor Russia since 2021.
During Tsumura's leadership, HCIL strengthened its premium brand positioning in India and achieved significant growth. His accomplishments include introducing several premium models such as India's first mainstream hybrid model (Honda City e:HEV), the new global SUV Elevate, and the All New 3rd Generation Amaze. He also laid groundwork for future launches, including Honda's first Battery Electric Vehicle for the Indian market.
Under Tsumura's direction, HCIL expanded its export business, notably beginning exports of the India-made Elevate to Japan. His tenure saw the company achieve a 16% year-on-year revenue increase to a six-year high of Rs 16,461 crore, with profit before tax rising 25% to Rs 1,029 crore. Total sales volumes grew 8.8% to a five-year high of 124,244 units, while export volume surged 65.4% to 37,660 units.
The leadership change comes as Honda prepares to start its electrification journey in India in the next financial year, with plans to introduce a battery-electric vehicle based on its Elevate SUV and two other strong hybrid models. The company is also developing a compact electric vehicle project named ACE (Asian Compact Electric), expected to be ready next year with 50-70% of production targeted for export.
Honda Cars India's current product portfolio includes three models – Amaze, City, and Elevate. During the April-January period of this financial year, the automaker sold 53,081 units in India with a market share of 1.5%, while exporting 50,866 units.