Who Is Tarun Garg, to become first Indian MD & CEO Of Hyundai Motor India?

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) on Tuesday announced that its Chief Operating Officer Tarun Garg will take over as the Managing Director and CEO of the company effective January 1, 2026, as part of its succession plan.

After this appointment, Garg will become the first Indian to lead the Indian subsidiary of the South Korean automotive giant. In a late-night regulatory filing on the BSE, Hyundai Motor India said that the Board of Directors, in its meeting held on Tuesday, approved the succession plan for the company’s Managing Director position.

Under it, Garg will succeed Unsoo Kim, who is returning to South Korea to a strategic role at Hyundai Motor Company from  December 31, 2025,  it added.

Who Is Tarun Garg?

Garg, currently serving as Wholetime Director and Chief Operating Officer, will take over the new role from January 1, 2026, subject to shareholders’ approval and in the intervening period will be MD & CEO Designate.  

Garg had joined HMIL from rival Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, where he began as a management trainee and rose through the ranks, holding various roles and ultimately becoming Executive Director of Marketing, Logistics, Parts and Accessories. 

He was a mechanical engineering graduate from Delhi Technological University (formerly Delhi College of Engineering). He also did an MBA from IIM Lucknow.

Tarun Garg’s Career

Tarun joined Hyundai Motor India in 2019, Tarun Garg had a good career at Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), where he began as a management trainee. He was promoted to roles like Regional Sales Manager, Head of Commercial Business, and Executive Director for Marketing, Logistics, Parts, and Accessories.

At Hyundai, Garg progressed from Head of Sales, Service & Marketing to Chief Operating Officer (COO) in 2023.

After his elevation, Garg said he was “deeply honoured by the trust and confidence placed in me by Hyundai Motor Group,” adding that India’s automotive industry is entering “an exciting phase of transformation.”

(With Inputs PTI)

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