Sathyanandan Mahadevan

Daimler Truck Innovation Center India (DTICI) has appointed Radhakrishnan Kodakkal as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. In this role, he will lead the company’s innovation initiatives, technology strategy, and operational growth in India. Kodakkal brings extensive experience in engineering leadership and technology innovation. Before joining DTICI, Radhakrishnan Kodakkal was associated with Whirlpool Corporation, where he served as Global Head of Integrated Technology, leading innovation and advanced development across global teams spanning the US, Italy, Brazil and India.  Earlier, he spent nearly 15 years at Philips in global R&D leadership roles, where he led end-to-end product development, technology roadmaps, global R&D strategy, and cross-site integration across multiple geographies. His experience also includes leadership roles focused on building and scaling R&D centres, post-merger integration, and managing innovation programs. He began his early career with roles at ICT-Embedded (UG) LTD B.V., ABB, and the Electronic Research and Development Centre, Trivandrum. Congratulations to Radhakrishnan Kodakkal on his appointment. His appointment highlights the organisation’s focus on strengthening its innovation ecosystem and advancing mobility solutions. #daimlertruck #daimlertruckinnovationcenterindia #dtici #ceoappointment #managingdirector #leadershipannouncement #businessleadership #corporateleadership #executiveleadership #leadershipnews #industryleaders #innovationleadership #automotiveindustry #truckinnovation #indiaautomotive #businessupdate #corporatenews #appointmentnews #techleadership #engineeringleadership #mobilityinnovation #futureofmobility #indianbusiness #theportfoliomagazine #businessmagazine #leadershipjourney #executiveprofile #industryupdate #innovationindia

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The evolution of the Indian automotive ecosystem is undeniable and fascinating to watch. We have moved far beyond the days when marketing was limited to glossy visuals and superficial explanations of specifications. The modern Indian consumer is maturing, and consequently, sellers are adapting their narrative to match this sophistication. Today, marketing collateral is no longer just about allure; it is about education. We are seeing a distinct shift toward transparent, deep-dive content that explains not just what a feature is, but exactly how it works and keeps passengers safe. The recent Tata Motors Sierra crash test content is a perfect case in point. It serves as a prime example of this new wave of detailed, technical communication that respects the buyer's intelligence and prioritizes substance over style. This transition marks a significant milestone in how vehicles are bought and sold in India. #AutomotiveIndustry #MarketingTrends #IndianMarket #ConsumerBehavior #TataMotors #AutomotiveSafety #BrandStrategy #India https://lnkd.in/g34scgkg

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The latest in Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Private Limited's saga is early exits for its factory workers - those that want it, that is. The carmaker is offering early retirement to all 2,300 blue-collar workers across its two India plants, a move that comes weeks after it internally revealed a restructuring plan to improve its competitiveness amid market pressures. While 2025 is turning out to be Skoda Auto's best year in India so far in terms of sales, its two factories have been operating well below capacity. The voluntary scheme is being offered at the behest of its unions and is aimed at rationalising the manpower while keeping wage structures sustainable. Skoda is at a crucial point in India - it wants to invest more in the country as it looks for growth outside China and after its exit from Russia, it is fighting a $1.4 billion tax dispute - the largest ever - and is looking for a local partner as it looks to grow its market share which has stubbornly stayed around 2%. #India #autos #VW #Skoda #VRS #retirement #employees #factory #growth #business #strategy https://lnkd.in/gE6D7UhH

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Maruti Suzuki just imported the most critical part of its first EV - and I barely see any reporting agencies talking about it. For years, Maruti Suzuki championed India's EV future with a promised ₹10,000* crore battery cell plant in Gujarat through its TDSG joint venture. Localisation was the pitch. Self-reliance was the story. Then came its first electric car. The battery Pack? Imported end to end from BYD. Now compare this with Tata and Mahindra , they also use Gotion & BYD's Blade cell technology respectively , but they do the assembly and battery management system (BMS) development in India. That's a meaningful distinction. So why is Maruti skipping even that? Why avoiding all the R&D, why so much dependency on China? Because Toyota-Maruti's partner-has a 50:50 joint venture with BYD, integrating Blade architecture directly into its own platforms. The cells flow through that relationship, with zero domestic processing. The irony is hard to miss. With hybrids , we had a Japanese car with an Indian Soul. With this EV, we have a Japanese car with a Chinese soul. The localisation story hasn't just stalled it's been quietly replaced. Worth asking: what exactly is the ₹10,000* crore Gujarat plant now for? Will it just produce cells for hybrid cars? #EVIndia #Automotive #MarutiSuzuki #MakeInIndia #ElectricVehicles #BYD #Toyota

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🚗 Mahindra Cushions Dealers Amid ₹2,500 Cr Cess Challenge 💰📉 As India’s auto industry faces a ₹2,500 crore cess burden on festive stock, Mahindra & Mahindra has taken steps to ease pressure on its dealer network while awaiting government clarity. 🔎 What’s happening? Cess Impact: Dealers face locked-up working capital as GST and compensation cess already paid on unsold inventory cannot be recovered after September 22’s tax cut. Mahindra’s Response: • Scaled back billings in late August to reduce stock pressure. • Rolled out a GST-equivalent scheme (effective Sept 6) across its ICE SUV portfolio, allowing customers to get upfront benefits equivalent to post-tax-cut pricing. Sales Effect: Domestic UV wholesales dipped 9% YoY in August to 39,399 units, compared with 49,871 in July. 💬 CEO Nalinikanth Gollagunta stressed that while Mahindra may face short-term adjustments, supporting dealers is the priority: “I would rather do that than get to a point where the money rotation for the dealers is completely stuck.” 📊 Industry Context: FADA estimates cess on unsold festive inventory could reach ₹2,500 crore. Collective action and government intervention are expected to be key to resolving the issue. Read more - https://lnkd.in/d92R6PPq #AutomotiveIndustry #Mahindra #Dealers #GST #TaxPolicy #Cess #SIAM #FADA #FestiveSeason #IndiaAuto Mahindra Group Mahindra and Mahindra Limited [Automotive and Farm Equipment Business] Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations Darshan Nakhwa

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