Imperial Auto Appoints Sandeep Bathla as Chief Global Operations Officer

Imperial Auto, a global provider of fluid transmission solutions, has appointed Sandeep Bathla as Chief Global Operations Officer, strengthening its senior leadership team as the company focuses on advancing its manufacturing and operational capabilities.

Bathla will take responsibility for the company’s global manufacturing operations and lead initiatives aimed at improving productivity, accelerating automation and technology adoption, and enhancing supply chain performance.

He will report to Vikram Wagh, Managing Director and CEO of Imperial Auto.

The appointment comes as manufacturing companies across the automotive and industrial ecosystem increasingly focus on building more efficient, technology-enabled and resilient operating models to support global growth.

Leading Imperial Auto’s Global Operations Agenda

In his new role, Bathla will work across Imperial Auto’s manufacturing network with a mandate to strengthen operational excellence and bring greater consistency to manufacturing processes.

His responsibilities will include driving improvements across several critical operational areas, including:

• Manufacturing productivity
• Automation and technology adoption
• Operational excellence
• Supply chain capabilities
• Manufacturing consistency
• Responsiveness across operations
• Scalable production systems

As Imperial Auto expands its presence and capabilities across global markets, the ability to create standardised and high-performing operations will become increasingly important.

Bathla’s appointment is expected to support the company’s efforts to strengthen its manufacturing foundation while preparing its operations for future growth.

Focus on a Future-Ready Manufacturing Organisation

Manufacturing organisations are navigating significant changes in how products are designed, produced and delivered.

Automation, digital technologies and increasingly complex supply chains are pushing companies to rethink traditional operating models. At the same time, customers are demanding greater speed, consistency and responsiveness.

For Imperial Auto, the focus is expected to be on combining operational discipline with technology-led improvements.

Commenting on the appointment, Vikram Wagh said building a high-performing and future-ready manufacturing organisation would be an important priority as the company continues to scale and strengthen its position in international markets.

Bathla’s experience across manufacturing and automotive operations is expected to contribute to improving operational capabilities and creating greater value for customers.

More Than Three Decades of Manufacturing Experience

Bathla joins Imperial Auto with over 30 years of experience across the automotive and manufacturing sectors.

Before taking up his new role, he served as Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at Plasser India.

His career has also included leadership assignments with several major industrial and manufacturing organisations, including:

• Blue Star Limited
• Motherson Sintermetal Technology Limited
• Eicher Tractors

Across these roles, he has built experience in manufacturing operations, operational excellence, business leadership and industrial transformation.

This broad exposure across different manufacturing environments brings valuable experience to his new global leadership mandate at Imperial Auto.

Automation and Supply Chain Become Key Priorities

The appointment also highlights the increasing importance of operations leadership in today’s manufacturing environment.

Companies are investing in automation not only to improve efficiency but also to enhance quality, productivity and long-term competitiveness.

Similarly, supply chain resilience has become a major business priority. Global manufacturing companies are increasingly working to improve visibility, responsiveness and coordination across their supply networks.

Bathla’s new mandate brings these priorities together, covering both manufacturing performance and supply chain capability.

His focus on technology adoption and automation is expected to support Imperial Auto’s efforts to develop more efficient and scalable manufacturing operations.

Strengthening Global Manufacturing Capabilities

As industrial companies expand internationally, maintaining consistency across manufacturing locations becomes increasingly challenging.

Different markets, facilities and supply networks can create operational complexity. This makes common systems, processes and leadership practices essential for maintaining quality and performance.

Bathla will work towards bringing greater alignment across Imperial Auto’s global manufacturing network while strengthening the company’s ability to respond to changing customer and market requirements.

The appointment indicates a focus on creating an operational structure that can support both current business requirements and future expansion.

A Strategic Leadership Addition for Imperial Auto

Bathla’s appointment adds significant manufacturing and automotive leadership experience to Imperial Auto’s executive team.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from NIT Kurukshetra and a Doctor of Philosophy from European International University, Paris.

With extensive experience across operations and manufacturing leadership, he is set to play a key role in shaping Imperial Auto’s next phase of operational growth.

As the company continues to expand its global presence, the focus will increasingly be on creating manufacturing systems that are productive, technology-enabled and capable of supporting growth at scale.

Sandeep Bathla’s appointment as Chief Global Operations Officer reflects Imperial Auto’s emphasis on strengthening these capabilities as it builds for the future.