Hero MotoCorp on Monday named Harshavardhan Chitale as its next Chief Executive Officer, effective January 5, 2026. The appointment was approved by the company’s board and announced in a stock exchange filing. Chitale will succeed Vikram Kasbekar, who has been serving as acting CEO since the resignation of Niranjan Gupta earlier this year. Kasbekar will continue as executive director and Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
Who is Harshavardhan Chitale?
Chitale brings more than three decades of leadership across business-to-business and business-to-consumer sectors. He is currently the Global CEO of Dutch lighting major Signify’s EUR 4-billion professional business where he oversees operations in 70 countries with a 12,000-strong workforce.
During his tenure, the business doubled profitability, expanded innovation pipelines with over 100 product launches annually and rolled out IoT-enabled lighting ecosystems.
Before joining Signify, Chitale was Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Philips Lighting India, successfully leading its spin-off into a listed standalone company and consolidating its market leadership. He has also held top executive roles at HCL Infosystems and Honeywell Automation India.
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An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Chitale was awarded the Director’s Gold Medal for best student in his graduating class. Beyond his corporate roles, he is also an angel investor in sectors including electric mobility, clean energy, health-tech, and agri-tech.
Hero said Kasbekar will work closely with Chitale to ensure a seamless handover. The board acknowledged Kasbekar’s contributions during the interim period, noting he would continue to focus on product development and technology strategy in his role as CTO.
Meanwhile, shares of Hero MotoCorp closed at Rs 5,440.5, up 1.5 per cent on BSE today, September 8.
