Chetan Maini quits, Mahindra Reva names Arvind Mathew CEO

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.), India's leading SUV manufacturer, has appointed Arvind Mathew as CEO of its electric vehicle subsidiary, Mahindra Reva.

This followa CEO Chetan Maini, who founded Reva Electric Car Company in 1994 before M&M acquired a controlling stake in it in 2010 (See: M&M acquires controlling stake in Reva),  moving to a new and diversified role within the group, the company said in a statement.

Maini will have a wider role in the group and will be responsible for incubating new technology ventures and also lead other technology initiatives of the Group. He will continue to be associated with Mahindra Reva and Formula-E Racing in an advisory capacity.

''Chetan Maini has been synonymous with electric vehicle technology and his vision and expertise has been instrumental in pioneering innovations in this space. Maini is globally recognised for this achievement and I wish to place on record our sincere appreciation for his immense contribution to electric vehicles evolution,'' said Pawan Goenka, executive director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said.

Both the roles of Chetan Maini as well as Arvind Mathew are effective 1 May 2015.

A post graduate in mechanical engineering and an MBA from the University of Michigan, Mathew comes with over two decades of experience with Ford Motor Company. He is credited with playing a major role in the development of new vehicle and power train program for Ford India and went on to become the President and Managing Director of Ford India in 2005.

In his last role, he held the position of CEO, Tata Advanced Materials Ltd.

''While welcoming Arvind to the Mahindra family, I am sure he will take Mahindra Reva to newer heights with his diverse international exposure, technical background and proven ability to drive innovation and growth,'' Goenka added.

Mahindra Reva, founded in 1994 as the Reva Electric Car Company, was a joint venture between the Maini Group of Bangalore and AEV LLC of USA. Mahindra Reva is headquartered in Bengaluru.