Pankaj Kapoor takes charge of FORVIA’s India operations, bringing more than three decades of automotive and industrial experience to the group’s unified leadership across its Faurecia and HELLA businesses.
FORVIA has appointed Pankaj Kapoor as President of FORVIA India, effective immediately, placing him in a key leadership position across the group’s Faurecia and HELLA businesses in the country.
The appointment brings the group’s India operations under unified strategic leadership, with Kapoor responsible for advancing business strategy, customer engagement and operational performance across its Indian businesses.
Based in Pune, Kapoor will serve as President of FORVIA Faurecia India and Multi-BG Division Vice President, as well as President of FORVIA HELLA India. His responsibilities span the group’s activities across seating, electronics, clean mobility, lighting and lifecycle solutions.
A Career Spanning Automotive and Industrial Leadership
Kapoor brings more than 30 years of experience across the automotive and industrial sectors, including over 15 years in profit-and-loss leadership roles. His career has covered business transformation, product engineering, manufacturing, sales, marketing, supply chains and customer development.
Before joining FORVIA, he held senior leadership positions at Cummins India and Hyva India and was associated with Tenneco India for more than 15 years, progressing through roles spanning sales, marketing, programme management and business leadership.
His earlier professional experience also includes Omax Autos, Motherson Group, Federal-Mogul Motorparts and Uno Minda. This background gives him exposure to multiple segments of the automotive value chain, from engineering and components to manufacturing and commercial operations.
Kapoor holds a mechanical engineering qualification from Aryabhatt Institute in New Delhi, a postgraduate qualification in business management from the AIMA Centre for Management Education, and has completed an advanced management programme at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Unified Leadership Across Faurecia and HELLA
Under the FORVIA umbrella, Faurecia and HELLA bring complementary capabilities across automotive technologies. Their portfolios include seating systems, vehicle interiors, electronics, lighting, clean mobility and lifecycle solutions.
Kapoor’s appointment establishes unified strategic leadership across these businesses in India while preserving their distinct operating identities. In his FORVIA Faurecia role, he will lead the business’s strategic direction and operational performance. For FORVIA HELLA, he will act as the senior local leader and representative, supporting customer relationships, business development and collaboration across the group’s activities.
The combined portfolio positions FORVIA across several areas of automotive technology, as vehicle manufacturers respond to changing requirements around safety, electronics, energy management, emissions and the in-vehicle experience.
India Emerges as a Key Growth Market
India is an important market in FORVIA’s growth strategy. The group has set an ambition to double its India sales by 2030 from approximately €450 million in 2025.
Within seating, FORVIA is looking to expand beyond mechanisms and structures into complete seat systems. In electronics, FORVIA HELLA sees opportunities in technologies including radar, battery sensors and microcontrollers, alongside plans to expand local production capacity at its electronics plant in Dhankot, Haryana.
These priorities reflect the growing importance of local engineering, manufacturing capacity and closer collaboration with vehicle manufacturers in India’s evolving automotive market.
Kapoor’s remit across the group’s Indian businesses places him at the centre of these commercial and operational priorities, with an emphasis on strengthening customer partnerships and supporting the group’s broader growth objectives.
Leadership Transition
Kapoor succeeds Anil Khandekar, who is pursuing personal goals. The two executives are working together through the end of October to support the leadership transition.
Commenting on his appointment, Kapoor said India continues to be a critical growth market for FORVIA, highlighting opportunities across its businesses. He also emphasised the importance of building on existing foundations, strengthening customer partnerships and contributing to the group’s growth and global strategy.
Looking Ahead
Kapoor’s appointment brings extensive automotive and industrial leadership experience to FORVIA’s India operations at a time when the market presents opportunities across vehicle electronics, seating, lighting and clean mobility.
With unified leadership across Faurecia and HELLA, the focus will be on executing the group’s India strategy, strengthening customer relationships and supporting operational performance across its businesses.
The appointment marks an important leadership development for FORVIA as it pursues its growth ambitions in one of the world’s major automotive markets.
