Anurag Mehrotra Replaces Rajeev Chaba As JSW MG Motor MD

JSW MG Motor India Pvt. Ltd. has effected a change in its corner office less than a year after JSW Group came on board as the India partner for the brand controlled by China’s SAIC Motor Co. Ltd.

The MG Windsor maker has appointed industry veteran Anurag Mehrotra as the managing director, replacing Rajeev Chaba who had occupied the corner office since MG Motor first entered India in 2017. Chaba will continue to advise the management and the company’s shareholders as a member of the joint steering committee.

“We are grateful to Rajeev for his exceptional leadership in building the MG brand in India,” Yu De, head of international operations at SAIC Motor, said in a statement on Monday. “Anurag’s diverse experience, and a deep understanding of domestic and international market dynamics, will be critical in taking this journey to the next level.”

Mehrotra brings to JSW MG Motor three decades of experience in sales and marketing, strategy, and business development at Indian and international automakers. He was previously vice president (strategy & international business) at Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and president and managing director of Ford India.

As JSW MG Motor MD, he will drive overall strategic growth initiatives and strengthen the company’s “four brand pillars”—diversity, experience, innovation and community.

The change in leadership comes at a time when JSW MG Motor is making inroads in the country’s nascent but fast-growing EV space—thanks to its Windsor, Comet and ZS EV electric cars. In 2024, the company more than doubled its EV sales to 21,484 units as against 9,526 units in 2023. EVs now make up 70% of JSW MG Motor’s annual sales.

“We are at an inflection point in our NEV journey and ready to accelerate into a new era with an exciting product pipeline,” JSW MG Motor Director Parth Jindal said in the statement. “We are thankful to Rajeev for his invaluable contribution to the brand and delighted to welcome Anurag to JSW MG Motor. His deep understanding of the Indian market and his strategic vision for NEVs align perfectly with our focus on sustainable mobility.”

The EV overdrive came in a year when MG finally became Indian.

In March 2024, a clutch of Indian investors—led by JSW Group—picked up a 51% stake in MG Motor India to create a joint venture called JSW MG Motor India Pvt. Ltd. SAIC Motor now holds 49% stake in the company. That marked billionaire Sajjan Jindal’s entry into the country’s $150-billion automotive industry.

“In JSW Group, we have found an ideal local partner to continue the growth story of the MG brand in India,” Chaba had said then. “Firmly committed to expanding our manufacturing footprint with extensive localisation by leveraging JSW Group’s extensive knowledge and expertise in manufacturing at scale.”