JSW Motors Ltd has appointed Rajan Sharma as Head of Strategy and Planning as the Sajjan Jindal-led conglomerate accelerates preparations for its entry into India’s passenger vehicle market.

Sharma brings experience from leading automakers including Tata Motors, MG Motor India and Hyundai Motor India, where he held roles spanning strategy and sales planning.

“The emergence of a new large Indian automotive brand is a rare moment for the industry,” Sharma said in a post on LinkedIn announcing his appointment. “Much of India’s automotive foundation was established by manufacturers that emerged during the 1940s and 1950s, making moments like these particularly significant,” he added.

“I am delighted to join JSW Motors as Head – Strategy & Planning… As the sector transitions toward new energy vehicles and next-generation mobility ecosystems, India’s automotive landscape is poised for another defining phase of innovation and growth,” he said.

Sharma also said the JSW Group’s ambition to build a future-ready mobility ecosystem reflects its broader commitment to innovation, infrastructure and nation-building.

The appointment comes as JSW Motors puts in place a senior leadership team across key functions including commercial operations, marketing, dealer development, product planning, engineering and human resources, as it builds organisational capabilities for its automotive venture.

At the helm is Ranjan Nayak, Chief Executive Officer, who comes from within the JSW Group’s leadership ecosystem and is responsible for building the conglomerate’s automotive business from the ground up. Nayak is overseeing the company’s strategy, partnerships and organisational build-out as JSW Motors positions itself as a new-energy mobility player.

The leadership structure spans key functions required to build a full-scale automotive organisation, reflecting the company’s effort to create execution capability across product development, engineering, commercial operations and customer support.

Leading commercial operations is Amit Jain, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), who brings more than two decades of experience across the automotive retail ecosystem. Prior to joining JSW Motors, Jain served as Group CEO and Whole-Time Director at Jubilant MotorWorks, which operates dealerships for multiple automotive brands. Earlier, he held leadership roles at AMP Motors and Shaman Mercedes.

Brand positioning and customer outreach are led by Ravindra Jain, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), who joins the company from Tata Motors, where he was associated with brand marketing initiatives for the passenger vehicle business.

Building the company’s retail footprint is Pankaj Parkar, Head of Dealer Development, who brings experience in automotive network expansion from previous roles at Audi India and MG Motor India.

Customer support and service operations are overseen by Anuj Tyagi, Head of Aftersales, who previously served in aftersales leadership roles at Ford India, where he was involved in service network operations and customer support initiatives.

On the product side, Rakshit Bisaria, Head of Product Planning, brings experience in product strategy and portfolio planning from earlier roles across the automotive sector, including assignments with Hyundai, Tata Motors, Tata Technologies and Maruti Suzuki.

Vehicle development and engineering integration are led by Sachin Wagh, Head of Engineering and R&D, who previously worked with Tata Motors and global engineering services firm FEV India, bringing experience in vehicle development and powertrain engineering programmes.

Programme execution across product development and manufacturing readiness is overseen by Amarjeet Singh Dahiya, Head of Projects, who has worked across programme management roles in the automotive industry.

Completing the leadership structure is Rupam Singh, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), who has moved into the role from the JSW Group’s corporate HR function and is responsible for talent acquisition and organisational development as the automotive venture scales up.

The appointments come as JSW Motors accelerates preparations for its planned entry into the passenger vehicle market around Diwali 2026.

Autocar Professional has learned that the company is evaluating a portfolio of electrified SUVs for India, including models based on the Jetour T2, Chery iCar and Jaecoo J5 platforms as part of its potential product pipeline. However, Nayak did not share specific details of the product roadmap or confirm individual models under consideration.

According to people familiar with the plans, the company is also likely to introduce a dedicated JSW brand identity for the automotive business, distinct from the broader JSW Group branding.

Production at the company’s manufacturing facility is expected to commence by the last quarter of the year, with vehicles likely to reach Indian roads by 2027, according to industry sources.

With the leadership team now in place, JSW Motors is entering the execution phase of its market entry strategy, which includes product development, dealer network creation and brand building ahead of its first vehicle launches.