"WE ARE INVESTING RS 5,300 CRORE IN INDIA"

In an exclusive interview Keerthi Prakash, Managing Director, Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd talks to Rahul Kamat about how RNAIPL is actively aligning its strategies with the latest trends, commitment to designing and manufacturing new models, including electric vehicles, and tailored to meet the demands of the Indian market.

- Rahul Kamat

Keerthi let's talk about your journey and experience in the automotive industry that led you to the role of Managing Director at Renault Nissan Automotive India...

I have been very fortunate in my nearly three decades of professional experience to have worked in a variety of roles that allowed me to get a 360-degree understanding of the automotive industry. I started my professional journey as a junior engineer with TAFE (Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd) following my education in Mechanical Engineering. After about three years, I had the opportunity to work with Toyota, working initially in the body shop, I then moved on to other aspects of manufacturing including production engineering, logistics, lean production, and kaizen.

In 2008, I joined Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt. Ltd., just when it was being set up. Over the last 15 years, I have had the chance to take up several senior roles within RNAIPL and Nissan covering vehicle production, plant engineering, industrial strategy new product development industrial strategy, both in India and overseas- specifically in Japan and in the UK. I took up the role of Deputy Managing Director of RNAIPL in February 2021 leading on Engineering, Quality Assurance, Production Control & Parts Arrangement. In August 2022, I stepped up to the role of Managing Director of the plant.

Interesting and quite inspiring journey it is! However, what core values and leadership principles do you believe have contributed to your success in leading a prominent automotive company?