Veteran Auto Journalist Pankaj Doval Joins JSW Motor as the Head of Government, Corporate Affairs

Veteran automotive journalist Pankaj Doval has moved to JSW Motor as senior vice president for corporate affairs and public policy, joining the new energy vehicle maker as it ramps up hiring ahead of its planned market entry and expansion.

Doval joins JSW Motor after nearly two decades with The Times of India, where he most recently served as senior editor covering the automotive, government policy, consumer electronics, telecommunications and information technology sectors.

Before joining the Times Group, Doval worked with leading media organisations, including The Financial Express, Press Trust of India and United News of India.

His appointment comes as JSW Motor accelerates work on establishing itself as a full-fledged automotive manufacturer focused on new energy vehicles.

The company is building a greenfield manufacturing facility and plans to establish a dedicated R&D centre as part of its long-term strategy. It aims to expand its engineering workforce to about 2,000 by 2029 to support vehicle development, product engineering and technology capabilities.

Recently, JSW Motor also secured an Rs 8,000 crore funding arrangement from SBI to support its new energy vehicle venture. The financing is expected to back investments in manufacturing, product development and related infrastructure as the company prepares to enter India's passenger vehicle market.

The company is part of the JSW Group's broader push into the automotive sector and is positioning itself as a domestic manufacturer of new energy vehicles. It is investing in manufacturing, engineering and product development capabilities as it prepares to launch its operations over the coming years.

JSW Motor has been steadily strengthening its leadership team as it prepares to enter the Indian passenger vehicle market later this year. Over the past few months, the company has hired senior executives across engineering, product development, manufacturing, design, purchasing, quality, sales and marketing, many of whom have previously worked at leading automakers, including Tata Motors, MG Motor and Hyundai.

Most recently, it appointed former Tata Motors executive Rajesh Khatri as vice president and head of strategy and planning to oversee corporate strategy, business planning and transformation initiatives. The leadership build-out has been led by Chief Executive Officer Ranjan Nayak, who has been tasked with steering the JSW Group's entry into the passenger vehicle market.