Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has announced a significant leadership transition in its human resources function, appointing Rohit Thakur as the company’s new Group Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), effective April 2, 2026. The appointment comes as part of a structured succession plan following the upcoming retirement of long-serving HR leader Ruzbeh Irani.
Thakur, currently CHRO for M&M’s Auto and Farm Sectors, will take over the top HR role from Ruzbeh Irani, who is set to retire on April 1, 2026, upon reaching superannuation after nearly two decades with the Mahindra Group. During his tenure, Irani played a key role in shaping organisational culture, leadership development, and talent strategy across the conglomerate.
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In addition to assuming group-wide HR leadership, Thakur will also join the company’s Senior Management Personnel and report directly to the Group CEO and Managing Director. The move reflects Mahindra’s emphasis on continuity in talent and organisational strategy as it navigates growth across diversified businesses.
Thakur brings over three decades of HR leadership experience spanning multinational corporations, technology firms, and high-growth startups. Before his current role at Mahindra, he held senior human resources positions at Accenture India, where he oversaw HR strategy and operations for more than 200,000 employees, and Microsoft India, leading talent and cultural transformation initiatives. His career also includes leadership roles at General Electric in both India and the United States, as well as CHRO roles at Paytm and LEAD School.
Thakur holds a commerce degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, and an MBA in Human Resources from XLRI Jamshedpur. His appointment signals a continued focus on strengthening leadership capability and organisational development across Mahindra’s diverse portfolio.
The transition aligns with Mahindra’s broader strategy of cultivating talent from within and ensuring a smooth handover of strategic people-centric responsibilities. The company continues to pursue initiatives aimed at enhancing workforce engagement and leadership depth as it scales operations across sectors including automotive, farm equipment, IT services, and financial services.
