Hyundai Motor India names Tarun Garg as first Indian MD & CEO

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) on Wednesday announced the appointment of Tarun Garg as its next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer,

It is the first time an Indian national will lead the automaker’s India operations in its 29-year history.

Garg, currently the Whole-time Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hyundai Motor India, will assume the new role from January 1, 2026, subject to shareholder approval, the company said in a statement.

He succeeds Unsoo Kim, who will return to a strategic role at Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) in South Korea after a transition period.

HMC President and CEO José Muñoz described Garg as a “transformative leader who brings a progressive vision combined with deep understanding of the Indian market.”

“Tarun’s appointment as the first Indian national to lead HMIL is a defining moment in our nearly three-decade history,” Muñoz said. “Under his guidance as COO, HMIL achieved record sales for three consecutive years, record-breaking profits, and completed India’s largest IPO in 2024.”

Garg, who has over 32 years of experience in the automotive industry, joined Hyundai Motor India in 2019 and has since played a key role in driving the company’s growth. His leadership helped the automaker deliver its highest-ever sales, record profits, and the highest EBITDA margin in FY24.

He also led HMIL’s 2024 initial public offering, then the largest in Indian capital market history.

“I am deeply honoured by the trust and confidence placed in me by Hyundai Motor Group,” Garg said in a statement. “India’s automotive sector is in an exciting phase of transformation and I aim to contribute to HMIL’s continued growth in this market by stepping into this role.”

Garg plans to focus on future strategy, market and people centricity, customer orientation, and strengthening the ‘Make in India’ initiative, the company said in a statement.

Garg is also credited with spearheading the company’s digital transformation initiatives, including the MyHyundai app, HSMART for dealers, and a direct-to-consumer EV channel, which helped achieve over 90% Net Promoter Score (NPS) in sales and service.

Before joining Hyundai, Garg spent nearly three decades at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, where he held several leadership roles across sales, logistics, and marketing, ultimately serving as Executive Director (Marketing, Logistics, Parts and Accessories).

A mechanical engineer from Delhi Technological University, Garg also holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow.