Swaraj Engines Appoints Devjit Sarkar as New CEO, R.V. Kanoria as Independent Director
The Board of Directors of Swaraj Engines Limited has approved the appointment of Devjit Sarkar as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Key Managerial Personnel (KMP) with effect from September 15, 2024. He will replace Giju Kurian, whose resignation has been approved by the Board as Whole-Time Director and CEO with effect from August 31, 2024.
The Board has also approved the appointment of Rajya Vardhan Kanoria as an Additional Director (Independent and Non-Executive) with effect from July 31, 2024, and for a term of five years commencing from July 31, 2024. Shareholder approval is pending.
Devjit Sarkar has over 36 years of experience in design, operations, projects, and sourcing functions. He is currently working as the COO and Member of the Board at Erkunt Traktor, Turkey (under International Operations, FES Mahindra).Earlier, he worked as Head of Strategic Sourcing at Asia Pacific and Head of Country Sourcing, supporting enterprises outside of India. In his 12-year stint at Mahindra, he held numerous positions within the Mahindra Group. Before his current assignment, he was the Head of Component Development & Material Management (CDMM) in the Farm Division, and prior to that, he was the VP of Sourcing and Supply Chain in the Mahindra Truck & Buses Division (MTBD). He is a mechanical engineer.
Kanoria, 69, has five decades of experience, and he is the Chairman and MD of Kanoria Chemicals & Industries. He was President of FICCI, headed the International Chamber of Commerce (India), and chaired the Commission on International Trade and Investment Policy of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Paris. He was also the Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry and the Indian Jute Mills’ Association. He has also worked with the Population Foundation of India, of which he is Vice Chairman, and Operation Smile (now Mission Smile). He is also a trustee of the Sambhava Foundation. He is the recipient of the Swiss Ambassador’s Award for Leadership and Business Ethics. Additionally, the Belgian King awarded him the distinction of Commander of the Order of Leopold II. He is currently also on the Board of Kirtivardhan Finvest Services, KPL International, Ludlow Jute & Specialities, R V Investment & Dealers, J K Paper, and Vardhan. In addition, he serves as Director of APAG Elektronik Corp. and Chairman of APAG Holding AG and APAG Elektronik AG. He has also held a position on the Nestle India Board. He is an MBA (honours) from IMD, SWitzerland, and an alumnus of both Wharton School and Harvard Business School, USA.
