Nissan India Appoints Keerthi Prakash As New Plant MD

Nissan India has appointed keerthi Prakash as the new Managing Director of Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd (RNAIPL), to lead operations at the company's Alliance plant in Chennai, India, from September 1, 2022. At present, Prakash is working as the Deputy Managing Director, RNAIPL and he had joined the plant in 2008. Prakash has over 20 years of automotive manufacturing experience and he will be replacing Biju Balendran, who has decided to pursue opportunities outside of Nissan after four successful years as plant Managing Director. In his new role, Keerthi will report to Frank Torres, President- Nissan India Operations and functionally to Roddy Macleod, Vice President of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management for Africa, Middle East and India.

Frank Torres, President- Nissan India Operations said: "I am pleased to announce Keerthi's appointment as Managing Director of our Chennai plant. He has a wealth of production and engineering experience, having held numerous management and senior management positions within the plant since 2008. I also thank Biju for his dedication to RNAIPL throughout his 14 years at the plant. His contribution has been pivotal to RNAIPL's transformation, and I wish him every success in his future career."

Keerthi joined RNAIPL as Bodyshop Manager in 2008 and was later promoted to Senior Manager - Stamping, Body, Trim & Chassis Assembly in 2010. Following promotion to Vice President - Vehicle Production & Plant Engineering in 2016, he undertook an overseas assignment at Nissan's headquarters in Japan. He came back to Chennai in 2021 when he was promoted to Deputy Managing Director Engineering, Quality Assurance, Production Control & Parts Arrangement.