Private equity firm Carlyle has hired an industry veteran with experience of working in a clutch of multinational companies to head its Indian auto components platform Highway Roop Precision Technologies Ltd.
The PE firm has named Dharmesh Arora as the chief executive officer of Highway Roop, it said in a press release Monday.
The appointment comes after Carlyle in February announced picking up a controlling stake in the company created by the merger of component manufacturers Highway Industries Ltd and Roop Automotives Ltd to foray into India’s auto parts industry.
Arora joins Highway Roop from German auto parts marker Shaeffler, where he served as the CEO of the Indian arm. He started out as a product engineer in Maruti Suzuki, India’s biggest carmaker, before serving in various capacities in American automaker General Motors for 20 years.
“Dharmesh will be focusing on accelerating growth, driving operational excellence, and leveraging innovation to deliver enhanced value for the platform’s customers and strengthen its market position,” Mohit Oswal, non-executive chairman of Highway Roop, said in the statement.
Arora said the platform’s “strong manufacturing capabilities, diverse product portfolio, and global customer base create a powerful foundation” for expansion.
Highway Roop manufactures forged and precision-machined components, steering system assemblies, transmissions and other powertrain applications for electric, hybrid and internal combustion engine-powered vehicles. It manufactures over 1,500 products and has 55 clients across 17 countries, the statement said. It operates 12 factories and 14 warehouses, employing over 3,400 skilled people, the company said.
