Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, January 2026 — Mahindra Group has announced that Rohit Thakur will assume charge as Group Chief Human Resources Officer, succeeding Ruzbeh Irani, who is set to retire on April 1, 2026, after nearly two decades with the Group. Thakur will join the Group Executive Board (GEB) and will report directly to Anish Shah, Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director.
Ruzbeh Irani, the outgoing Group CHRO, has spent 19 years with Mahindra and has played a pivotal role in shaping the Group’s brand identity, organisational culture, and leadership development agenda. He has held several senior leadership roles including Chief Brand Officer, Head of Group Strategy, and Chief Executive of International Operations for the Auto & Farm Sector. In his most recent role, Irani worked closely with Mahindra’s leadership team on talent development, culture building, and group-wide transformation initiatives.
Anish Shah, Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra, said in an internal note to employees:
“Ruzbeh has been an invaluable partner to me in his role as Group CHRO, with his positive attitude and willingness to help others. He truly exemplifies our CAB behaviours and lives our values. We will really miss him,” Shah said.
“On behalf of the Mahindra Group, I would like to thank Ruzbeh for his partnership and his valuable contributions across multiple roles. I also welcome Rohit and Rajeev as members of the GEB and wish them the very best,” he added.
Following his retirement, Irani will continue to be associated with Mahindra in a non-executive and advisory capacity.
Rohit Thakur most recently served as Chief Human Resources Officer – Auto & Farm Sectors at Mahindra & Mahindra, where he led HR strategy for two of the Group’s largest businesses.
Before Mahindra, he served as CHRO at Accenture in India, overseeing talent strategy and HR operations for more than 200,000 employees. He also held the role of CHRO at Microsoft India, leading people and cultural transformation initiatives across the company’s India operations.
Thakur has further held senior HR leadership roles at Paytm and LEAD School, and spent over a decade with General Electric across energy, capital, engineering and aviation businesses in both India and the United States.
He holds a commerce degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, and an MBA in Human Resources from XLRI Jamshedpur.
Mahindra Group is currently undertaking a broader leadership refresh as it sharpens its focus on growth areas including electric mobility, agriculture, and energy transition.
Founded in 1945, Mahindra Group is one of the world’s largest multinational federations of companies, with more than 324,000 employees across over 100 countries. The Group operates across 20+ industries, including automotive, agriculture, IT, financial services, renewable energy, logistics, hospitality, and real estate, and is globally recognized for its strong ESG leadership, rural prosperity initiatives, and commitment to driving positive social impact under its “Rise” philosophy.
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