Balaji will take over from JLR veteran Adrian Mardell in September, who, in his three years as CEO, oversaw the elimination of £5 billion in debt, achieved decadal high profits, and had the best ever operational performance.

Mardell has been with Jaguar Land Rover, which is seen as the cash cow for Tata Motors, for more than three decades. Balaji has been Tata Motors' group chief financial officer since late 2017. His appointment is effective in November.

Balaji’s appointment was approved by JLR’s Board of Directors and disclosed in a regulatory filing by Tata Motors. Mardell will stay on until December to support the transition.