Maruti Suzuki India appoints Sunil Kakkar to its board; becomes first Indian to serve as a whole-time director

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) has announced the appointment of Sunil Kakkar as Additional Director and Whole-time Director, designated as Director (Corporate Planning), for a period of three years. As per the company's exchange filings, the appointment will be effective from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2028.

The decision was approved at the Board of Directors' meeting held on March 26, 2025.

In his new role as Director (Corporate Planning), Kakkar will be responsible for steering Maruti Suzuki’s long-term vision, strengthening localization efforts, and preparing the company for future challenges.

Additionally, the Board has re-designated Kenichiro Toyofuku from Director (Corporate Planning) to Director (Sustainability), also effective April 1, 2025.

A veteran in the automobile sector, Kakkar brings over 35 years of experience at Maruti Suzuki. As the current Senior Executive Officer, he leads the Corporate Planning division and plays a pivotal role in strategic growth initiatives, organizational restructuring, and long-term business planning.

An engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur, Kakkar went on to earn an MBA from the Asian Institute of Technology, where he was a gold medalist.

Throughout his tenure at Maruti Suzuki, he has held key leadership positions, including heading the Supply Chain vertical and serving as the Plant Head of the company’s Gurgaon production operations. He has been instrumental in establishing supply chain ecosystems for critical projects and has led joint ventures with Japanese, Italian, and French companies in areas such as automated manual transmission (AMT) technology, plastic fuel tanks, and high-tensile sheet metal components.