Hero MotoCorp Gears Up: Harshavardhan Chitale to Drive the EV & Digital Push as Next CEO.

Hero MotoCorp is entering a new chapter. The company has named Harshavardhan Chitale as its next CEO, and he will officially take charge on January 5, 2026. The decision was confirmed by the board on September 8, 2025.

This isn’t just a routine leadership change. Hero is in the middle of a big push into electric mobility with its VIDA brand and is also investing heavily in digital tools and connected technologies. Bringing in Chitale — who has years of experience leading global businesses and driving digital growth — shows exactly where the company wants to head.

For the moment, Vikram Kasbekar will continue to hold the fort as interim CEO. Once the transition is complete, he’ll return to his role as Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

With this move, Hero MotoCorp is making it clear: the focus is on the future — electric, digital, and more premium than ever before.

Harshavardhan Chitale steps in as CEO of Hero MotoCorp, steering the company toward a bold future in electric mobility and digital innovation.

Key Announcement at a Glance

Hero MotoCorp has made its move. On September 8, 2025, the board announced that Harshavardhan Chitale will become the company’s new CEO. He officially takes charge on January 5, 2026.

In the meantime, Vikram Kasbekar continues to hold the fort as interim CEO. Once the handover is complete, he’ll return to his usual role as Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) — the job where he has long been shaping Hero’s R&D.

Now, here’s the interesting part: this change isn’t just about swapping one leader for another. Hero made it very clear that Chitale has a specific mission. He’s expected to push harder on electric mobility through the VIDA scooter brand, strengthen digital initiatives, and help the company move up the ladder in premium motorcycles and new mobility solutions.

In other words, Hero isn’t just planning for today’s market — it’s gearing up for the future. And the choice of Chitale, with his track record in digital and connected technologies, tells us exactly where the company wants to head next.

Who is Harshavardhan Chitale?

Let’s pause for a moment and look at the man stepping into the hot seat. Harshavardhan Chitale isn’t a stranger to big jobs. Right now, he runs the Professional Business at Signify — you might remember it as Philips Lighting — and he also sits on the company’s global board. His work there has been all about pushing digital solutions and connected technology, which already sounds like a good fit for where Hero wants to go.

But that’s only part of the story. Chitale has worn many hats before this. He was the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Philips Lighting India, he steered HCL Infosystems as its CEO, and earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at Honeywell. Each role put him in industries going through rapid change, and each time, his task was to modernise, scale up, and bring in new ways of thinking.

On the academic side, he’s an IIT Delhi graduate and even walked away with the Director’s Gold Medal — an award that’s given to all-rounders who stand out in both academics and leadership.

So when Hero’s board says Chitale has been brought in to speed up the company’s push into electric vehicles and digital transformation, it doesn’t sound like just a polite press release. His résumé shows he’s been there, done that, and now he gets to do it on one of the biggest stages in Indian industry.

Why Hero Chose Chitale

On paper, Hero MotoCorp could have gone with any seasoned executive. So why bring in Harshavardhan Chitale? The answer lies in timing.

Hero is at a crossroads. For decades, it has dominated India’s commuter motorcycle market. But the road ahead is very different — electric scooters, digital services, connected mobility. To stay ahead, Hero needs a leader who understands not just manufacturing, but transformation. That’s where Chitale comes in.

At Signify, he was responsible for making a traditional lighting business future-ready. Under his watch, the company doubled down on digital lighting systems, smart IoT platforms, and connected solutions. That experience translates neatly into Hero’s current challenge: taking a company built on petrol engines and retooling it for the age of electric, software, and services.

There’s also the matter of scale. Chitale has managed global businesses with thousands of employees spread across multiple markets. Hero, with its vast dealer network and manufacturing footprint, needs someone who can think both local and global at the same time.

In other words, Hero didn’t just hire a CEO. It hired someone with the credibility to push engineers, investors, and customers to believe in its next phase — whether that’s an affordable electric scooter for the masses or a premium motorcycle with connected tech built in.

This choice tells us something simple: Hero isn’t playing catch-up anymore. With Chitale, it wants to lead the race.

Hero MotoCorp’s EV Journey So Far

For years, Hero MotoCorp has been the face of the everyday motorcycle in India — reliable commuters that got people from point A to B. But times are changing, and so are the expectations of riders. Electric is no longer just the future; it’s already here.

Hero made its first big move in this space back in 2022 with the launch of its VIDA brand. The debut model, the VIDA V1, was more than just a scooter. It was Hero saying: we’re in the EV game too. Still, the launch came at a moment when rivals like Ola Electric and Ather had already built some buzz, so Hero had ground to cover.

By 2025, the company started to show more intent. The VIDA VX2 hit the market, pitched as a more affordable, practical option for everyday riders. Alongside that came a smart idea: Battery-as-a-Service. Instead of forcing buyers to pay upfront for a battery, Hero offered them the chance to swap or lease, easing the burden of ownership. For a price-sensitive market like India, this was a bold, customer-first approach.

But here’s the reality — while Hero has the size, reach, and trust that smaller startups can only dream of, it hasn’t yet established itself as the frontrunner in EVs. The VIDA story is still being written, and this is exactly why bringing in a leader like Harshavardhan Chitale matters. His track record in driving digital and connected technology could be the missing piece that helps Hero turn potential into dominance.

Digital Transformation Agenda

Electric scooters are only one part of Hero MotoCorp’s story. The other piece is digital — and that’s where the company is quietly reshaping itself.

Think about it: two-wheelers are no longer just about engines and wheels. Today’s riders expect apps that track rides, connected dashboards, software updates, and smarter service experiences. Companies that can deliver all of that will own the next generation of customers. Hero knows this, and that’s why digital transformation has become a boardroom priority.

We’ve already seen glimpses of it. The VIDA scooters come with connected features, integration with Hero’s mobility app, and options for over-the-air updates — the kind of tech more commonly associated with cars until now. Behind the scenes, Hero is also investing in digitising its supply chain and dealer network, making sure the customer experience feels seamless from showroom to service.

This is also where Chitale’s background stands out. At Signify, he worked on building out IoT-driven lighting systems and turning a traditional product business into a digital-first one. That’s not a small leap, and those lessons translate directly into Hero’s challenge: moving from a petrol-and-metal legacy to a software-driven, connected mobility ecosystem.

So when Hero says the new CEO’s mandate includes digitalisation, it’s not just a buzzword. It’s about making sure a Hero customer doesn’t just buy a scooter, but also gets a digital experience that feels modern, useful, and future-ready.

The Transition Timeline

Big leadership changes don’t just happen overnight. Hero MotoCorp has set out a measured path for this handover.

The decision was locked in on September 8, 2025, when the board confirmed Harshavardhan Chitale as the company’s next CEO. From that moment, the countdown began. But instead of rushing, Hero has given itself a few months to make the switch smooth.

During this time, Vikram Kasbekar is still in charge as interim CEO. He’s the steady pair of hands keeping things moving until Chitale officially takes over on January 5, 2026. Once the baton is passed, Kasbekar will go back to his original role as Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) — the space where he has long been driving R&D and innovation.

It’s a deliberate approach: keep the business stable in the short term, while preparing a new leader for the long haul. For employees and investors, it sends an important signal — Hero isn’t stumbling into this change; it’s pacing itself carefully to make sure the transition feels seamless.

Market and Industry Context

Here’s the reality: Hero MotoCorp might sell more two-wheelers than anyone else in the world, but when it comes to electric scooters, it hasn’t been leading the conversation. That space has been buzzing with names like Ola Electric and Ather Energy, who built their brands around being fast, flashy, and digital-first. Add TVS and Bajaj into the mix, and suddenly the market looks crowded.

Hero does have something the others don’t — reach. Its dealer network is everywhere, from metros to the smallest towns. That’s a huge advantage when it comes to scale. But reach alone won’t win the EV race. Customers looking for electric scooters also want connected features, slick designs, and the confidence that the product can stand shoulder to shoulder with what the newer players are offering.

That’s where the appointment of Harshavardhan Chitale comes in. His job is to convince not just Hero’s customers, but also investors, that the company can play at the cutting edge, not from behind. With him at the wheel, Hero is basically telling the market: “We know we were late to start, but we’re here to catch up — and maybe even set the pace.”

The question now is simple: will Hero’s size and brand trust be enough to outmuscle the newcomers, or will it need to reinvent itself more radically to stay on top? That’s the battle to watch.

Conclusion

Hero MotoCorp has been a giant in the two-wheeler space for years. But with the rise of electric scooters and connected tech, the company finds itself at a crossroads. The old ways won’t cut it anymore — and Hero knows it. That’s why they’ve brought in Harshavardhan Chitale as the new CEO.

Chitale isn’t just another corporate leader. His background in driving digital transformation and leading global businesses makes him a natural fit to help Hero evolve. 

So, what happens next? All eyes will be on how Hero navigates the next few years — from ramping up its electric lineup with VIDA to diving deeper into digital services and connected tech. If Chitale can pull this off, Hero’s next chapter might just be its most exciting one yet. 🚀 Ready to take your leadership journey to the next level?

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