K Srinivas, president (motorcycle company) of Bajaj Auto, has resigned after nearly 15 years in the company. Eric Vas, President (Retail Finance), replaces him.
There are no details on Srinivas’ next mission, except that it will be in the non-automotive space. He is expected to officially end his tenure at Bajaj Auto in the coming weeks.
Srinivas took over the motorcycle business in October 2011 following the resignation of S Sridhar, now CEO of Escorts Agri Machinery. At that time, Vas took over as President (Retail Finance). Srinivas was part of the core team at Bajaj Auto which spearheaded the focus on motorcycles and, more specifically, the Pulsar and the Discover. The change process had started in 2009 when the company decided to move to a brand-centric approach where the Pulsar would be part of the sports segment with the Discover in the commuter category.
The strategy worked and by the time Srinivas took the lead, both brands were well established in their targeted niches. The Discover, in particular, was finally doing the trick for Bajaj in a segment where Hero MotoCorp is the leader with its Splendor and Passion brands.
Srinivas also saw the launch of new platforms for these two brands which, in turn, gave birth to models like the Pulsar NS and the Discover 100 and 125. “Today mileage is acquired and challengers like Bajaj Auto have to do something more. That’s why we are making a statement with speed, power and extra functionality, â€Srinivas said. Activity area during the unveiling of the Discover 100M in Pune last October.