TVS Motor Names Peyman Kargar CEO, Succeeding K N Radhakrishnan

TVS Motor Company has appointed Peyman Kargar as Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 27, 2027, the Chennai-based manufacturer said on Thursday. He succeeds K N Radhakrishnan, who will continue as CEO until the handover and subsequently serve as Non-Executive Director until the company's annual general meeting in July 2027.

Kargar currently heads TVS Motor's International Business as President, a role he took up in March 2025. He has more than three decades of automotive leadership experience across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, having previously served as Global Chairman and President of Nissan's Infiniti brand, CEO of Datsun, and Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Renault Group. Under his charge, TVS Motor's international operations now account for 29 per cent of sales volume and are growing at 33 per cent, faster than the company's domestic business.

The transition comes as TVS Motor closes its strongest year yet. In FY2025-26, the company sold 5.9 million vehicles worldwide, a 24 per cent increase, while revenue rose 30 per cent to ₹47,270 crore. Operating profit before tax climbed 40 per cent to ₹4,975 crore, with margins improving to 12.9 per cent.

Sudarshan Venu, Chairman and Managing Director of TVS Motor, said the appointment marked "an important step for TVS Motor Company as we prepare for the future," describing Kargar as "an accomplished global leader with deep industry experience, strategic vision and a strong understanding of customers and markets." He also thanked Radhakrishnan, crediting him with helping shape the company "into the strong organisation it is today."

Kargar, in a statement, said he was focused on "strengthening our technology leadership, AI capabilities, commitment to quality, and customer centricity" as the company enters what he called its next phase of growth. Radhakrishnan, who has led TVS Motor since 2008, called the handover an opportunity to "support a smooth transition over the coming months."

The leadership change lands at a pivotal moment for TVS in India's competitive two-wheeler market. The company was the biggest gainer in retail market share among the top five manufacturers in FY26, lifting its share to nearly 19 per cent and widening its lead over fourth-placed Bajaj Auto, though it remains behind market leader Hero MotoCorp and second-placed Honda. TVS has also built a commanding position in electric scooters, holding close to 28 per cent of that segment, and posted the sharpest growth among major exporters, with two-wheeler shipments abroad rising nearly 32 per cent to 14.13 lakh units — second only to Bajaj Auto.

Shares of TVS Motor slipped around 3 per cent on the day of the announcement, though the movement coincided with the stock trading near a 52-week high, and no brokerage commentary has directly linked the decline to the leadership change.

With Kargar's international mandate now extending to the top job, TVS Motor's next phase is likely to lean further into overseas expansion and premiumisation, even as it defends ground at home against larger rivals.