On 1 June 2026, Bajaj Auto announced the promotion of its Chief Product Officer, Kailash Zanzari, to the role of Chief Operating Officer, while welcoming Madhusudan Gopalan from Procter & Gamble as the new Chief Product Officer—an internal shuffle that puts a fresh focus on production efficiency.
Zanzari, who joined Bajaj in 2023 to spearhead the development of the Chetak EV, will now oversee manufacturing and supply‑chain operations, a move that signals the company’s intent to accelerate the delivery of its electric line‑up to meet the growing demand in the Tier‑2 and Tier‑3 markets.
Gopalan brings a decade of consumer‑goods experience to Bajaj, having led grooming and oral‑care categories across Asia Pacific for P&G. His role will be to infuse global product‑innovation practices into Bajaj’s scooter designs, potentially raising quality benchmarks and expanding the brand’s appeal beyond its traditional customer base.
In addition to the senior‑management shake‑up, the board approved the appointment of Pallavi Joshi Bakhru as a Non‑Executive Independent Director for a five‑year term starting 1 January 2027—an effort to strengthen corporate governance and bring external perspectives to the company’s strategy.
For buyers, the leadership changes could translate into quicker deliveries, tighter quality control and a more stable pricing structure as Bajaj ramps up production of its electric scooters. The company has hinted at a Q4 2026 launch of the upgraded Chetak 2.0, which is expected to hit the market with a 140‑km range and a price around ₹1.4 lakh, positioning it directly against Hero’s new EV models and TVS’s upcoming e‑mobility offerings.