First Indian to lead Hyundai Motor India; Move underscores growing trust in local leadership and continuity amid evolving global strategy.
15 Oct 2025 | 4814 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has announced a significant leadership transition, naming Tarun Garg as its next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Garg will assume charge on January 1, 2026, succeeding Unsoo Kim, who will return to South Korea to take up a strategic global role at Hyundai ...
This is an Autocar Pro Plus article. Subscribe to continue reading.
Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has announced a significant leadership transition, naming Tarun Garg as its next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Garg will assume charge on January 1, 2026, succeeding Unsoo Kim, who will return to South Korea to take up a strategic global role at Hyundai Motor Company.
Hyundai’s board has approved the appointment at its meeting on Wednesday. With this move, Garg becomes the first Indian to lead Hyundai Motor India, marking a defining moment for the company since it began operations in 1996. The decision underscores Hyundai’s growing confidence in Indian leadership and its intent to strengthen continuity in one of its most dynamic global markets.
The board also expressed its appreciation for Unsoo Kim’s leadership during his tenure, which saw Hyundai consolidate its SUV line-up, expand exports, and advance its EV localisation strategy.
An engineer from Delhi Technological University and an MBA from IIM Lucknow, Garg brings more than two decades of experience across sales, marketing, and operations in India’s auto industry. Before joining Hyundai, he spent several years at Maruti Suzuki India, where he held senior roles in logistics, sales and marketing, eventually becoming Executive Director (Marketing, Logistics, Parts & Accessories).
At Hyundai, Garg has been leading several key initiatives — from digitalising the retail network and expanding rural reach to introducing ADAS features across nine models and improving sales quality and profitability.
Leadership Continuity and Global Context
While Hyundai said Garg’s appointment is subject to shareholder approval, the change also comes at a time when the Korean automaker is broadening its leadership base globally. The recent appointment of José Muñoz as the first non-Korean Global CEO reflects a subtle but important cultural shift within the group — one that favours global diversity and local decision-making strength.
Over the past few years, Garg has also driven Hyundai’s premiumisation strategy, helping the brand move up the value ladder and strengthen its aspirational appeal.
Under his leadership, the Creta has remained the largest-selling SUV in India and scaled new heights year after year, setting benchmarks in design, technology, and customer satisfaction. Yet, the broader market dynamics have become far more competitive, with Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra gaining ground in the SUV space. As a result, Hyundai has seen its number two position and market share come under pressure, reflecting the shifting power balance in India’s fast-evolving passenger vehicle market — a challenge Garg will now face head-on as he takes the top job.