JK Tyre & Industries has announced the appointment of Mandar Vighnahari Deo as President – India, effective 14 April 2026, joining as a regular employee and becoming part of the company’s senior management. The move signals JK Tyre’s intent to sharpen its growth trajectory across India and strengthen its approach to sustainable mobility in a rapidly evolving automotive landscape.
Deo, 50, is a mechanical engineer from Pune University who also holds an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a PhD from Pennsylvania State University. His most recent assignment was as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Exide Energy Solutions Limited, where he played a pivotal role in establishing India’s first lithium-ion cell manufacturing facility with an investment of over Rs 6,000 crore. Earlier in his career, he spent about 20 years with Cummins India and Cummins Inc., taking on multiple leadership roles across manufacturing, technical centers and sales, and serving as a Board Director for Cummins Generator Technologies while also engaging in global sales and plant-operations roles in the United States.
Industry observers say Deo’s deep sector knowledge and people-centric leadership style could bolster JK Tyre’s journey toward profitable growth and its stated vision of being a Green and Trusted Mobility Partner. His track record in steering high-technology manufacturing initiatives and his global exposure are expected to inform JK Tyre’s product development, manufacturing excellence, and strategic partnerships as the company navigates a faster-paced, energy-conscious mobility market.
As JK Tyre positions itself at the intersection of performance, sustainability, and scale, Deo’s appointment signals a leadership inflection aimed at accelerating execution across markets and product lines, while reinforcing the company’s commitment to innovation and responsible growth.