Castrol India MD Kedar Lele Steps Quits, Saugata Basuray Named Interim CEO

Castrol India Limited announced a major restructuring of its top management on Friday, announcing that managing director Kedar Lele will depart at year-end to explore opportunities beyond the firm. The Board of Directors, convening earlier today, confirmed that Lele will cease his position as managing director when business concludes on December 31, 2025. This announcement was submitted through regulatory documentation to the BSE and National Stock Exchange of India.

The Board session commenced at 14:45 IST and adjourned at 15:00 IST on Friday.

Saugata Basuray Made Interim CEO

To maintain operational stability, the Board at Castrol India has designated Saugata Basuray as interim chief executive officer, starting January 1, 2026. Basuray will hold this interim position pending the appointment of a permanent managing director by the firm.

Presently functioning as wholetime director and head of B2C sales at Castrol India, Basuray will be formally re-designated as "wholetime director and interim CEO" upon assuming these supplementary responsibilities next January.

Who Is Saugata Basuray

Basuray has more than 25 years of tenure with Castrol India, having started his journey as a management trainee in 1999 following completion of his MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management. His professional trajectory has includes numerous countries and continents, including senior positions at Castrol's international headquarters in the UK, alongside managing director appointments in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Throughout his present tenure, Basuray has spearheaded a multi-year overhaul of Castrol India's go-to-market strategyand substantially broadened the company's distribution network penetration into rural India.