Vinay Raina has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at JSW MG Motor India Pvt. Ltd., taking charge of sales and commercial operations following Satinder Singh Bajwa’s exit late last year. His appointment comes as the company is undergoing a strategic pivot—sharpening its focus on New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), expanding its premium product portfolio, and scaling its MG Select retail format under the JSW–SAIC joint venture.
Raina’s entry follows a broader leadership transition at JSW MG. Earlier this year, Rajeev Chaba, who had led MG Motor India since its inception, moved into an advisory role as CEO Emeritus, while Anurag Mehrotra took charge as MD. Gaurav Gupta, former head of MG Select, moved on to join TVS Motor Company, and very recently, Rakesh Sen, head of sales, moved on from his role due to personal reasons.
These changes come amid heightened competitive pressure to realign commercial priorities, improve operational efficiency, and regain an edge in a rapidly evolving passenger vehicle market.
Reuniting with a Familiar Partner
Raina and Mehrotra previously worked together at Ford India, where they held senior commercial responsibilities. As Vice President of sales, Raina succeeded Mehrotra after the latter transitioned to lead marketing, sales, and service before taking over as Managing Director. Their previous collaboration focused on dealer transformation, volume recovery, and channel profitability—learnings that will likely help them in their strategy at JSW MG.
As CCO, Raina is tasked with leading sales strategy, channel development, and dealer network performance, alongside overseeing the growth of MG Select, the company’s experience-driven, premium retail model.
While the brand has seen strong traction in the EV segment over the last 12 months, it faces falling volumes in the mainstream internal combustion engine market amid slowing demand.
Scaling volumes, retaining dealer confidence, and ensuring sustained consumer interest in an increasingly fragmented and value-driven market remain key execution challenges ahead of Raina.
The success of MG Select, and the premium push will depend not only on differentiated experiences but also on sustained product excitement, localisation, and market responsiveness—areas where the brand will look to improve.
Vinay Raina’s appointment adds commercial depth to JSW MG’s evolving leadership structure. However, with the core team stabilising and the market becoming more competitive, the focus shifted from leadership change to on-ground execution. The company’s ability to scale its NEV ambitions and elevate its brand positioning will determine whether it can break into the big league.