Succession ensures continuity in talent strategy as leadership refresh gathers pace.
09 Jan 2026 | 1403 Views | By Ketan Thakkar
Ruzbeh Irani, the Group Chief Human Resources Officer of Mahindra Group, is set to retire on April 1, 2026, after spending 19 years with the conglomerate, the company announced to its employees.
The company said Rohit Thakur, currently chief human resources officer for the auto and farm sector, will ...
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Ruzbeh Irani, the Group Chief Human Resources Officer of Mahindra Group, is set to retire on April 1, 2026, after spending 19 years with the conglomerate, the company announced to its employees.
The company said Rohit Thakur, currently chief human resources officer for the auto and farm sector, will succeed Irani as Group CHRO and will join the Group Executive Board. Thakur will report directly to the Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Anish Shah.
Irani has held multiple leadership roles at Mahindra, including chief brand officer, head of group strategy, and chief executive of international operations for the auto and farm sector, and has played a key role in shaping the group’s brand identity and organisational culture.
In his most recent role as Group CHRO, Irani worked closely with Mahindra’s leadership on talent development, culture building, and group-wide transformation initiatives.
Anish Shah, Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra, said in an internal note to employees that Irani had been “an invaluable partner” in his role as Group CHRO.
“Ruzbeh has been an invaluable partner to me in his role as Group CHRO, with his positive attitude and willingness to help others. He truly exemplifies our CAB behaviours and lives our values. We will really miss him,” Shah said. "On behalf of the Mahindra Group, I would like to thank Ruzbeh for his partnership and his valuable contributions across multiple roles. I also welcome Rohit and Rajeev as members of the GEB and wish them the very best," he added.
Following his retirement, Irani will continue to be associated with Mahindra in a non-executive and advisory capacity, allowing the group to draw on his experience, the company said in its internal circular.
Thakur brings extensive HR leadership experience across multinational companies and startups. Prior to joining Mahindra, he served as CHRO for Accenture in India, where he oversaw talent strategy and HR operations for more than 200,000 employees.
He has also held the CHRO role at Microsoft India, leading talent and cultural transformation across the company’s India operations, and previously worked with General Electric across businesses including energy, capital, engineering and aviation in India and the United States.
In addition, Thakur has led HR functions at startups such as Paytm and LEAD School. He holds a commerce degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, and an MBA in human resources from XLRI Jamshedpur.
Mahindra Group, which operates across automobiles, farm equipment, IT services, financial services, and renewable energy, has been undertaking a broader leadership refresh as it sharpens focus on growth areas including electric mobility, agriculture, and energy transition.