Tata Motors names P B Balaji first Indian CEO of Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced on Monday the appointment of P B Balaji as its next Chief Executive Officer, marking the first time an Indian executive will lead the Tata Motors-owned luxury carmaker.

Balaji, currently Group Chief Financial Officer at Tata Motors, will take over as CEO of JLR in November 2025. He will succeed Adrian Mardell, who will retire at the end of his contract. The decision was approved by JLR’s Board at its meeting on August 4, the company said in a regulatory filing.

Balaji is a member of Tata Motors’ Executive Committee and sits on the boards of several Tata Group companies, including Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc (UK), Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, and Air India, among others.


A seasoned finance professional, Balaji began his career with Unilever in 1995 and held senior roles in corporate finance and supply chain across India, Singapore, the UK, and Switzerland. Prior to joining Tata Motors in 2017, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Hindustan Unilever.

He holds a post-graduate degree in management from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.