ACKO Drive Awards 2026: Tarun Garg, MD & CEO Designate, Hyundai Motor India, is the 2026 Person of the Year

The fourth edition of the ACKO Drive Awards recognised Tarun Garg, Whole-time Director & COO, Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), as  2026 Person of the Year. Mr Garg has been announced as the next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, subject to approval of shareholders, effective January 1, 2026. Once confirmed, he will script history as the first-ever Indian to lead the South Korean car giant’s operations in the country. The appointment is not only a testament to Hyundai’s global diversification strategy, but also its trust and faith in its Indian arm's leadership. Hyundai Motor India was also inducted into the TOTMs Hall of Fame during the event.

A seasoned professional with nearly 30 years of experience in the Indian automotive industry, Tarun Garg spent over 25 years at Maruti Suzuki India, where he worked across different departments including sales planning, regional operations, logistics, and more. He joined Hyundai in 2019 as Director (Sales, Marketing & Service), and has been instrumental in shaping its recent SUV-led strategy as well as driving digital retail initiatives. Over the past two years, Hyundai’s SUV market share has gone up from 59.9 per cent to 69.7 per cent, and it plans to keep going.

An IIM Lucknow alumni, Mr Garg will now be leading Hyundai Motor India into a new era that’s focussed on future strategy, centred around markets and people, and oriented towards customers. Having announced a packed product roadmap that stretches till the end of this decade, Mr Garg and the team at Hyundai India will certainly be busy. In the near future, the company will be launching everything from an entry-level electric offering to new hybrids the luxury brand Genesis. A new chapter opens, not just for Hyundai, but for corporate India as well.