Hero MotoCorp Appoints Harshavardhan Chitale As CEO Effective Jan 2026

Hero MotoCorp has appointed Harshavardhan Chitale as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 5, 2026, following approval from the Board of Directors, the two-wheeler major announced in a press statement on Sept. 8. As part of the transition, acting CEO Vikram Kasbekar will work with Chitale to ensure a smooth handover. Kasbekar will continue as Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the company.

To be sure, Hero MotoCorp said in its statement today that the office of the Acting CEO held by Vikram Kasbekar "has been relinquished" and he will continue to serve on the board as Executive Director and CTO.

Commenting on the latest management appointment, Hero MotoCorp Executive Chairman Dr. Pawan Munjal said: “Harsh’s track record in driving growth, fostering innovation, and leading global transformation makes him the ideal leader for Hero MotoCorp at this pivotal moment."

"His vision will accelerate our journey across electric and emerging mobility, premiumization, digitalization and sustainability," added Munjal.

Chitale brings with him more than three decades of global leadership across B2B and B2C sectors. He has an expertise in industrial automation, lighting, information technology services, and digital transformation.

Chitale has successfully led large publicly listed and multinational corporations, driving growth, profitability, and organisational renewal across India, the US, and Europe. He has held top roles at multinational companies such as Signify, Philips Lighting India, HCL Infosystems and Honeywell Automation India.

At Signify, Chitale served as Global CEO of the €4 billion Professional Business, managing operations in 70 countries with a workforce of 12,000. He also oversaw product development and digital transformation initiatives.

At Philips Lighting India, he led the company’s spin-off into a standalone listed firm and consolidated market leadership. Chitale, an alumnus of IIT Delhi and winner of the Director’s Gold Medal, has also been an active angel investor in sectors such as electric vehicles, clean energy, health-tech and agri-tech.

On Monday, shares of Hero MotoCorp opened at Rs 5,370.45 and gained over 2% intraday so far. The auto stock has risen nearly 32% on a year-to-date basis and is down over 4% in the last one year.