Fiat, Chrysler India businesses to be led by Nagesh Basavanhalli

Fiat Group Automobiles India and Chrysler India Automotive have appointed Nagesh A Basavanhalli as president and managing director for their India operations with immediate effect, the companies said on Tuesday.

"In the newly created position, (Nagesh) Basavanhalli will manage Fiat and Chrysler India operations, reporting to Mike Manley, chief operating officer for the APAC (Asia Pacific) region, Fiat SpA. The appointment is effective immediately," the two firms said in a joint statement.

Enrico Atanasio, who was managing director of Fiat Group Automobiles India Pvt Ltd (FGAIPL) until now, will take on new responsibilities with the APAC region that will be announced at a later date, the statement added.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr Manley said, "In the short term, Enrico will work closely with Nagesh on a smooth transition of responsibilities and integration of the new structure to support the continued development of our business in India."

Prior to this new role, Mr Basavanhalli was head of Chrysler India Automotive Pvt Ltd (CIAPL) and was responsible for Fiat and Chrysler's APAC technical center located in Chennai, India.

He had joined Chrysler in 1994 and has held numerous positions in engineering and product planning.