Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL) has announced the appointment of Sunil Kakkar as Additional Director and Whole-time Director, designated as Director (Corporate Planning), for a period of three years. The appointment will be effective from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2028.
Sunil Kakkar has become the first homegrown Indian employee to be nominated to the company’s board as a whole-time director.
In his new role as Director (Corporate Planning), Kakkar will be responsible for steering Maruti Suzuki’s long-term vision, strengthening localization efforts, and preparing the company for future challenges.
Sunil Kakkar is a seasoned professional with over 35 years of experience at Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL). As the Senior Executive Officer, he currently heads the Corporate Planning vertical and is a key member of the Executive Committee. He is responsible for driving and preparing the roadmap to achieve the ambitious goals of the Company. He is driving restructuring initiatives to make the organization more agile and future-ready.
An engineering graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, he further pursued an MBA from the Asian Institute of Technology, where he was a gold medallist.
Throughout his career at Maruti Suzuki, he has held significant leadership positions, including Head of Supply Chain vertical and serving as the Plant Head of the Gurgaon production operations. He played a crucial role in establishing the supply chain for some of the most strategic projects and ensuring deep localization.
Additionally, he has been instrumental in forming joint ventures with companies from Japan, Italy and France for projects such as Controllers, AMT technology, Plastic fuel tanks, and high-tensile sheet metal technology.
Kakkar also serves as a Director on the boards of several MSIL’s Associate Companies, including Mark Exhaust Systems, SKH Metals, and Hanon Climate Systems India. He also actively contributes to industry bodies as the Chairman of SIAM’s Aatmanirbhar BharatSourcing Group, driving localization in the Indian auto industry. He has been nominated as the Honorary Chairman of the INVEST Northern Zonal Council. Additionally, he is the Chairman of ASSOCHAM’s National Council on Auto & Auto Ancillaries and a member of the CII Japan Council.
Additionally, the Board has re-designated Kenichiro Toyofuku from Director (Corporate Planning) to Director (Sustainability), also effective April 1, 2025.
