Royal Enfield Appoints Vinod K Dasari As CEO

Indian motorcycle manufacturer Royal Enfield has appointed former Ashok Leyland CEO Vinod K Dasari as its new Chief Executive Officer. Dasari replaces Siddhartha Lal, who will continue on as the Managing Director & CEO of Eicher Motors, the parent company of Royal Enfield. Royal Enfield has stated that Lal will continue to help Dasari and the team at Royal Enfield on product and brand related areas.

Prior to his appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Enfield, Vinod K Dasari served in the same position with Indian commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland. Dasari had been serving as the CEO of Ashok Leyland since 2011. Dasari had started his career in 1986 with General Electric and has worked with Cummins India Limited and Timken Company over his long career.

Dasari served as the President of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), from 2013 to 2015 after which he served in the same position for the next two years with the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

Speaking about his appointment Royal Enfield's new CEO, Vinod K Dasari stated, "Royal Enfield is an inspiring story and I am very excited to be part of such a fantastic brand. Personally for me, working with a consumer brand will be a tremendous learning opportunity, and professionally, I am looking forward to the challenge of creating a global consumer brand from India."

Speaking about the appointment of Vinod Dasari as the CEO of Royal Enfield, Siddhartha Lal, the Managing Director of Eicher Motors said, "After a phenomenal success story in the last decade, Royal Enfield is now building the foundations of its next level of growth. As we commence another exciting chapter, I believe, there is no better person than Vinod Dasari to lead Royal Enfield into its next phase of evolution to a global brand. Vinod is a proven leader who combines business vision and people skills. He has been a catalyst in reviving the fortunes of his previous company and re-shaping the dynamics of a hitherto slow-moving industry."

Lal continued stating, "Vinod's fearless entrepreneurial leadership, experience of managing complex businesses globally, deep understanding of customers and his vision of how digital technology will be used and experienced around the world are precisely the qualities that Royal Enfield needs as it aspires to lead and catalyse the global motorcycling industry towards middleweights (250-750cc)"