December 31, 2021
Blog Admin
Vimal Sumbly joins TVS Motor Company
as Premium Two-wheeler Business Head
Vimal Sumbly has joined TVS Motor Company as its Premium Two-wheeler Business Head. In his new role, he will help this Chennai-based Indian two-wheeler manufacturer to sharpen its focus on premium motorcycles and scooters. With more than 25 years of global industry exposure under the belt, Sumbly’s experience will come in handy at TVS Motor Company and will help the brand expand into new premium segments.
The company’s Apache series in premium motorcycles and NTorq series in scooters are already very popular in the Indian market. Moreover, TVS has a tie-up with BMW Motorrad in India and it also acquired the British brand, Norton Motorcycles, in 2020. Now, in his two-and-a-half-decade of industry experience, Sumbly has held a variety of leadership roles at major automotive companies.
He has a track record of performing strategic and tactical roles with automotive majors, including Royal Enfield, Triumph Motorcycles, Bajaj Auto, and Force Motors. Prior to joining TVS Motor Company, he was the Asia-Pacific region Head of Royal Enfield. Previously, he has been the Managing Director of Triumph Motorcycles India and also spent close to a decade at Bajaj Auto.
As a part of his role at Royal Enfield, Sumbly helped the two-wheeler maker establish its first assembly plant, outside India, in Thailand. He also led Royal Enfield to become the first Indian two-wheeler brand to penetrate Korean and Japanese markets through distribution and retail set-up. In addition, Vimal created unique projects for the younger audiences, such as Himalayan trail schools, slide schools, and flat track racing projects.
Vipin Sondhi quits as Ashok Leyland MD,
Dheeraj Hinduja to step in as executive chairman
Vipin Sondhi, MD & CEO of Hinduja flagship commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland (ALL) has decided to move on to take care of his personal and family responsibilities.
ALL has announced that Sondhi has expressed his intention to devote more time to take care of certain personal and family commitments in the post-Covid pandemic situation, that requires his extended presence in New Delhi and consequently step down as MD and CEO with effect from December 31, 2021.Sondhi joined the Hinduja group from JCB in November 2019 and was appointed as MD & CEO in December 2019.
To assist in business continuity and a seamless transition, the board has requested Dheeraj Hinduja to step in as executive chairman with immediate effect. The board will meet soon to decide on the further course of action for identifying the next CEO and MD.
Dheeraj Hinduja, chairman, ALL, said: “I would like to place on record Vipin’s significant contribution in Ashok Leyland navigating the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and seeding firm actions to pursue our vision. ”
Sondhi’s exit comes at a time when the Chennai-headquartered CV major is making giant strides in alternate fuel powertrains. The company had recently revealed its plans to launch trucks in CNG and LNG version soon to establish formidable presence in the alternate fuel vehicles space. ALL had also announced that it is working on hydrogen-powered powertrains.
Vipin Sondhi, CEO & MD, ALL, said, “Working with the Hinduja family and the leadership team at Ashok Leyland has been an enriching experience. ”