Rajiv Bajaj To Step Down From KTM’s Supervisory Board

The financial woes that KTM was embroiled in for the past one and a half years will definitely go down the pages of automotive history. Had it not been for its partnership with Bajaj Auto, it might have had to shut shop wherein Bajaj helped the Austrian brand, not just once but twice. After the Pune-based manufacturer announced last month its intention to take over the Austrian brand as a majority stake owner, the paperworks have commenced and KTM has once again started to restructure its administration, this time with Bajaj at the helm. As part of this restructuring process, Bajaj Auto’s Managing Director and CEO, Rajiv Bajaj will step down from Pierer Mobility AG boardroom as its Deputy Chairman. The current CFO of Bajaj Auto, Dinesh Thapar has been nominated for this position instead. 

This restructuring will mark another chapter in KTM’s corporate comeback story and the latest boardroom shuffle will further reinforce Bajaj’s ongoing commitment to the brand. Thapar’s nomination clearly indicates the same and a very significant strategic shift. While there has been a lot of noise around Bajaj willing to take some radical steps to safeguard KTM’s future, the biggest of them being KTM might pull out of MotoGP – all of which are still speculative.

Being a longstanding partner, Bajaj Auto has always understood the brand values that comes with a motorcycle company like KTM, and safeguarding the same will always be a priority for the brand. As was stated by Rajiv Bajaj himself, "KTM is a fantastic brand… So this is not something we would like to let go of easily." What remains to be seen is in which direction Bajaj Auto takes the Austrian marque.