Ashok Leyland, one of India’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers and the flagship company of the Hinduja Group, has announced the appointment of K M Balaji as Whole-Time Director and Chief Financial Officer for a period of two years, effective May 28, 2026. The appointment is subject to shareholder approval.
The decision was approved by the company’s Board of Directors based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Mr Balaji currently serves as President – Finance and Chief Financial Officer and brings over three decades of experience within the organisation.
Having joined Ashok Leyland 32 years ago in the internal audit function, Mr Balaji has held leadership responsibilities across several strategic finance domains, including treasury, costing, investor relations, business finance, pricing, product cost engineering, and indirect taxation. Over the years, he has played a significant role in strengthening the company’s financial systems and supporting its long-term growth initiatives.
A Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Mr Balaji has also completed executive management programmes from globally recognised institutions including Harvard Business School, Kellogg School of Management, Indian School of Business, and IIM Ahmedabad.Throughout his career, he has led several key financial and strategic initiatives for the company. His experience includes handling Qualified Institutional Placement documentation, enterprise valuation exercises for stake sales, mergers and acquisitions assessments, and complex cross-currency interest rate swap transactions.
He has also successfully raised more than Rs 2,000 crore through Non-Convertible Debentures, contributing significantly to the company’s capital management strategy. In addition to his domestic responsibilities, Mr Balaji has managed finance operations at a bus assembly facility in Leeds, United Kingdom, providing him with valuable international exposure in manufacturing finance and operations.
His contributions to the finance profession have also been recognised externally. During 2024–25, the Confederation of Indian Industry honoured him with the “Leading CFO of the Year for Excellence in Turnaround” award. He currently serves as Chairman of the CFO Forum under the CII Tamil Nadu State Council and also chairs the Finance Committee of the Global Automotive Research Centre functioning under the National Automotive Board, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India.
Part of the Hinduja Group, Ashok Leyland is one of India’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers with a strong presence across trucks, buses and mobility solutions. The company continues to focus on innovation, product development and network expansion to support customers across freight, logistics and passenger transportation segments.
