MAM
Hardeep Singh Brar is Kia Motors’ national head of sales & marketing
NEW DELHI: Kia Motors India has appointed Hardeep Singh Brar as national head of sales and marketing. He will be responsible for enhancing Kia’s leadership position in the Indian market and for enabling the next wave of growth.
Brar brings over two decades of experience in the automotive industry to Kia, having most recently served at Great Wall Motors as director marketing and sales.
Prior to this, Brar has held senior leadership positions across sales, network, and marketing functions at Maruti Suzuki, Volkswagen, General Motors and Nissan.
Kia Motors India MD & CEO Kookhyun Shim said, “Kia has been able to disrupt the Indian automobile industry and emerge as a market leader in a record time and with Brar onboard, we are confident of consolidating our position further through a more consumer focused approach.”
“I have followed Kia’s India journey and witnessed the way Kia has disrupted the market with three segment-leading products. It is an exciting phase that Kia Motors India is in right now and I look forward to continuing Kia’s phenomenal run and shaping the future for the brand,” Brar said.
Brands
Maharashtra panel orders Lodha to refund Rs 5 crore to homebuyers
Consumer court flags unfair practices in long-running property dispute case
MUMBAI: In a sharp rebuke to one of India’s biggest real estate players, the Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed Macrotech Developers to refund nearly Rs 5 crore to a senior citizen couple, Uttam and Anindita Chatterjee. The ruling, delivered on March 13, 2026, calls out the developer for “deficiency in service” and “unfair trade practices”, bringing closure to a dispute that has stretched over a decade.
The case traces back to 2015, when the couple booked a 3-BHK flat at World Towers in Lower Parel for Rs 12.22 crore, with possession promised within a year. What followed was a series of changes that complicated matters. After deciding to exit the project, they were persuaded to shift to a 4-BHK in another development priced at Rs 8 crore, with delivery scheduled for 2018. However, within months, the price was allegedly increased to Rs 10 crore. After demonetisation reshaped the market, similar flats were reportedly being offered at lower prices, but the couple were not given the benefit.
Despite paying over Rs 2.83 crore, the couple neither received possession nor clarity. Instead, in 2018, the developer unilaterally cancelled the booking, retained part of the amount as earnest money, and argued that the buyers were investors rather than consumers. The commission rejected this claim, observing that casual references to “investment” do not take away consumer rights when the purchase intent is residential.
The bench also held that the developer could not penalise buyers for payment delays while failing to meet its own delivery commitments. It noted the lack of formal documentation for revised terms and termed the prolonged retention of funds without delivering a home as exploitative.
As part of its order, the commission directed the developer to refund Rs 2.83 crore paid by the couple, along with interest at 10 per cent per annum, amounting to around Rs 2.12 crore. In addition, Rs 1 lakh has been awarded for mental agony and Rs 50,000 towards litigation costs, taking the total payout to over Rs 5 crore. The developer has been asked to comply within two months.
For now, the ruling serves as a reminder that in real estate, shifting terms and delayed promises can carry a significant cost.
