Mahindra & Mahindra has announced a senior leadership transition within its human resources function as part of its succession planning. Ruzbeh Irani, president – group human resources, will retire from the company effective 1 April, 2026, upon reaching the age of superannuation.
Irani’s retirement will mark the culmination of a nearly two-decade-long journey with the Mahindra Group, during which he played a defining role in shaping the organisation’s people philosophy, leadership architecture and values-driven culture. As a member of the Group Executive Board, he was instrumental in building leadership depth across businesses and embedding Mahindra’s core purpose, Rise, into the group’s talent and organisational practices.
Over the years, Irani held multiple leadership roles within the group, including president–group communications & ethics and chief brand officer, before taking on the group HR mandate. His responsibilities spanned human resources, corporate communications, ethics, corporate social responsibility and corporate services, giving him a unique vantage point at the intersection of brand, culture and people strategy. Prior to joining Mahindra in 2007, Irani spent over two decades with Hindustan Unilever and Unilever, working across geographies including India, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East in senior marketing, customer development and general management roles.
Succeeding him, Rohit Thakur will be appointed group chief human resources officer with effect from 2 April, 2026. He will also join the company’s senior management personnel, ensuring continuity in Mahindra’s people and leadership agenda.
Thakur currently serves as chief human resources officer for Mahindra’s Auto and Farm Sectors, where he leads HR strategy for one of the group’s largest and most complex businesses. In this role, he oversees talent, leadership development and workforce strategy across manufacturing, engineering and global operations, supporting the sector’s transformation and growth priorities.
With over three decades of HR leadership experience, Thakur brings deep expertise across technology, financial services, manufacturing and education-led organisations. Prior to Mahindra, he held CHRO roles at Paytm and LEAD School, where he helped scale organisations by building high-performance cultures anchored in strong values and learning-led growth. His earlier career includes senior HR leadership positions at Accenture India, Microsoft India and GE, where he worked across India and the United States and led complex global HR programs spanning organisation design, M&A integration, leadership development and large-scale workforce transformation.
An alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur, Thakur holds a commerce degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi. He began his career in HR with organisations such as Eicher Group and Bausch & Lomb, building a strong foundation in industrial relations, manufacturing HR and people development before moving into global leadership roles.
The leadership transition underscores Mahindra’s continued emphasis on internal talent development, leadership continuity and long-term succession planning, as the group navigates evolving workforce expectations while scaling its businesses across sectors and geographies.
