Mahindra Ropes In Ex-Skoda India MD Gurpratap Boparai

Ex-Skoda Auto Volkswagen India MD Gurpratap Boparai has found a new home in Mahindra, as the homegrown carmaker has appointed him as CEO of its automotive business in Europe. This is the second coup by the Mahindra Group after onboarding Pratap Bose – who had been with Tata Motors for 14 years – in June 2021 as Executive Vice President and Chief Design Officer of its newly formed Global Design vertical.

While Boparai’s appointment wasn’t formally announced, Mahindra & Mahindra’s executive director of auto and farm sectors, Rajesh Jejurikar, confirmed the news on Twitter. The carmaker’s European arm comprises brands such as Automobili Pininfarina and Peugeot Motorcycles, which Gurpratap Boparai is expected to oversee. 

Considering the key role Gurpratap Boparai played behind the activation of Skoda Auto VW India’s 2.0 strategy, we can expect big things from Mahindra going forward. For context, the India 2.0 strategy recently spawned the made-in-India Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq SUVs, with the Slavia sedan on course for a March 2022 launch.

Mahindra’s future roadmap for India includes the next-gen Scorpio, second-gen Bolero, the five-door Thar, and the XUV300 Electric and eKUV100.