MAM
Stellantis bolsters leadership team with key appointments in India
Mumbai: Automotive company Stellantis on Tuesday announced a slew of appointments to bolster its leadership team in India. All appointees will report to Stellantis India, CEO & managing director Roland Bouchara, the statement said.
The latest development follows the recent remodeling of the brands’ leadership in India with Saurabh Vatsa and Nipun J Mahajan taking over as brand heads for Citroen and Jeep, respectively.
“The Stellantis India organisation is firmly in place with a rock-solid leadership,” Bouchara said. “The appointed senior executives, with their extensive experience, will support me in integrating our operations, strengthening our processes, and driving Stellantis India’s operations to the next level.”
According to the automaker’s recent announcement, Joel Verany will be responsible for sales & marketing (S&M) efficiency for Stellantis in India. Joel, an automobile engineer by qualification, has worked with PSA, including Citroen India, for 20 years. Based in India since 2017, Joel previously was PCA India’s VP sales and network, Citroën.
“Going forward, Joel will support both Jeep and Citroën brands in India to achieve volumes, maintain quality and profitability. Besides providing processes and tools for the entire ecosystem of sales & marketing, he will drive synergies for the overall scope of this function and deploy best practices for both brands,” the company said.
Ashish Sahni will be at the helm of the customer journey & digital transformation for Stellantis in India, and also for digital transformation and performance marketing for the India & Asia Pacific (IAP) region. “Ashish has a strong track record and reputation as a digital strategist, marketing maven and business builder over 20 years, across industries such as automobiles, travel & tourism, insurance, and media. Under his leadership, Citroën India shaped its digital customer journey, which offers Indian customers a rather unique and seamless online experience and retail journey. His previous job was PCA India director of digital marketing,” the company said.
Hitesh Jain, is appointed as general counsel, India within Stellantis IAP region and is responsible for legal functions for all Stellantis entities in India. Hitesh, a science and law graduate has two decades of work experience in a variety of legal and corporate secretarial roles across diverse organisations. He is also a member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. Previously, Hitesh was responsible for legal and company secretary functions at the erstwhile FCA India.
Puneet Sabharwal is responsible for finance at Stellantis India, and also assumes responsibility as the sales & marketing controller for Jeep as well as Citroën brands. He will be responsible for accounting, reporting, and taxation for India operations. Puneet is a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and has diverse work experience spanning 25 years in the automotive industry. Previously, Puneet was responsible for the finance function at PCA India.
Samuel Jacob will be the head of human resources for the Stellantis IAP region as well as the India market. Samuel has 26 years of overall work experience, in India and overseas, across diverse industries such as hospitality, manufacturing, and aviation.
Sreeji Kumar is responsible for information technology and digital transformation at Stellantis India. His role encompasses IT and technology solutions across sales and marketing, after-sales, manufacturing, import & export, connectivity, and R&D. A digital technology expert with over 21 years of work experience, Sreeji has worked with a variety of MNCs and industries. He joined the erstwhile PCA India as chief information officer, in 2020 and is credited to spearheading end-to-end IT solution deployment and activation of Citroën India manufacturing operations, including the C5 Aircross SUV launch in the market.
M Raj Kalyanarajan, is responsible for vehicle manufacturing for the Citroën brand. His experience of 27 years spans automotive and earthmoving industries in India and in the US. Raj has been instrumental in reviving the brownfield car manufacturing facility at Thiruvallur from its idle state to its current operations, for manufacturing of the C5 Aircross SUV and future products.
Xavier de Gaudemaris takes charge of supply chain operations at Stellantis India. Xavier has worked in the supply chain industry for over 20 years and his new role includes production planning, vehicle domestic, and export logistics.
Moreover, Jerome Dubrac will oversee manufacturing finance in India and Vincent Baron for Hosur plant operations.
Goëry Weymuller is responsible for customer experience in India within Stellantis India & Asia Pacific (IAP) region. He has spent 42 years working in PSA in R&D and quality positions in Europe, Latin America, and China before beginning his automotive customer and product stint in India four years ago. ” Goëry will be responsible for Citroën customer satisfaction including setting quality targets for new products till the final approbation of the vehicles after the completion of the manufacturing of the vehicle and before delivery to customers,” the company added.
Brands
Jubilant Foodworks to end Dunkin’ franchise in India
Pizza chain operator will not renew agreement when it expires at end of 2026.
MUMBAI: When the doughnuts stop turning and the coffee goes cold, even a global giant like Dunkin’ can find the Indian market a tough brew to crack. Jubilant Foodworks has decided not to renew its franchise agreement with Dunkin’ when the pact expires on 31 December 2026, according to a Reuters report. The operator, best known for running Domino’s outlets in India, said it would evaluate options for its existing Dunkin’ stores, including a potential sale or transfer of franchise rights, in consultation with the US-based brand.
The decision follows years of underperformance in a market where local tastes and intense competition have made it difficult for international coffee-and-doughnut formats to gain traction. Jubilant, which has increasingly focused on its core pizza business and newer bets like Popeyes, indicated that the exit would not materially affect its financial or operational position.
Dunkin’ accounted for just 0.61 per cent of Jubilant’s revenue in the fiscal year ending 2025 and recorded a loss of approximately Rs 191 million, according to a regulatory filing. The company operated 27 outlets as of December 2025, having shuttered seven stores over the preceding year.
The retreat comes even as Jubilant’s broader business shows signs of momentum. The company reported a 65 per cent rise in quarterly profit for the October to December period, reaching Rs 70.9 crore, up from Rs 42.91 crore a year earlier.
For Jubilant, the exit reflects a sharpening strategic focus. For Dunkin’, it marks another setback in a market that has proven resistant to imported café concepts without significant localisation.
In the cut-throat world of Indian quick-service restaurants, sometimes the sweetest deals are the ones you quietly walk away from leaving more room for the brands that truly rise to the occasion.
