Ashok Leyland has named veteran HR leader Jasmeet Bhatia as president and head-human resources, effective 27 January 2026, marking a key senior leadership change at the commercial vehicle manufacturer. The appointment was disclosed in a regulatory filing under SEBI’s Listing Regulations.
Bhatia succeeds Raja Radhakrishnan, who will transition into a role handling special projects across Ashok Leyland and the Hinduja Group. The company said the move is aimed at ensuring continuity on strategic initiatives while strengthening leadership depth as the business enters its next phase of growth.
With over 25 years of experience in human resources, Bhatia brings a strong track record in leadership development, succession planning, organisational transformation and industrial relations. Most recently, he served as Chief Human Resource Officer and Executive Vice President at Thermax Limited, a role he held for more than five years. During his tenure, he worked closely with leadership teams to shape culture, capability and long-term people strategy.
In a farewell message to colleagues at Thermax, Bhatia reflected on his journey, noting that while the company is known for “engineering solutions,” he had learned that “the real engine of success is the people.”
Before Thermax, Bhatia held senior HR leadership roles at Carrier Corporation, where he was HR director for India and later for South Asia Pacific. His career also includes stints as vice presiden-HR at Valvoline and nearly eight years at Honeywell Automation India, where he led HR for large, multi-location manufacturing and sales organisations, handled complex labour relations, and supported mergers, acquisitions and business integration. Earlier in his career, he worked with MaFoi, Mphasis and CES, building a broad foundation across consulting and corporate HR roles.
Academically, Bhatia holds an MBA in Human Resources from the Management Development Institute and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Delhi University.
