• Nearly half of all moves at the CEO/MD level, showing sharp churn at the top
  • Auto sector shows the highest movement of women executives at 26% while all sectors put together account for 14% of executive movements

CIEL HR Services, India’s leading talent solutions company, today released findings from its latest study on executive movements in the manufacturing sector. The research shows that 62% of senior-level hires over the past year were external appointments, a clear sign of the industry’s growing appetite for fresh leadership to drive growth, transformation, and competitiveness.

The study further revealed that leadership churn was most visible at the very top. Nearly half (47%) of all tracked movements were at the CEO/President/MD level, highlighting that boards are actively rethinking leadership for the future. The automotive and auto components sector emerged as the most active segment, accounting for 35% of all senior-level movements, reflecting the sector’s size, strategic importance, and fast-paced transformation agenda.

Beyond the leadership churn, the report reflects the broader story of India’s manufacturing sector. Over the past 12 months, manufacturing contributed 23% of all leadership movements across industries, ranking second only to IT & ITeS (30%). This signals the rising importance of experienced leadership in steering scale, innovation, and operational excellence at a time when the industry is benefiting from government incentives, exports growth, and renewed domestic demand.

Gender diversity remains a mixed picture. While women accounted for only 14% of overall movements, they were more likely than men to rise through internal promotions (42% vs. 36%). The auto sector distinguished itself as a leader in gender representation, with women making up 26% of its executive hires, nearly double the industry average. Yet the research also shows that women leaders remain heavily concentrated in HR (30%), pointing to the need for greater inclusion in operations, technology, and core business leadership roles.

Aditya Mishra, Group CEO – CIEL HR Services, said:
“When nearly half of leadership moves are happening at the CEO and MD level, it tells us something profound, manufacturing firms are not shying away from tough choices at the very top. This level of churn points to companies preparing themselves for digitalisation, energy transition, and new global supply chains. Leadership today is being seen less as a position of stability and more as a lever of transformation.”

Other Highlights from the Report

  • 74% of executive movements took place in large enterprises (1,001–10,000+ employees), reaffirming their role as the main hubs of leadership hiring.
  • Digital & IT leadership gained momentum, with 75% of moves in this function happening in the last 6 months, driven by automation and Industry 4.0 adoption.
  • Delhi/NCR emerged as the top hub for manufacturing leadership transitions, capturing 27% of moves, followed by Mumbai (18%), Bengaluru (11%), and Pune (11%).
  • Companies that saw more executive movements – Tata Motors, Mahindra Group, Hero MotoCorp, P&G, Ingersoll Rand, MAHLE

This study analyses executive-level movements within the Indian manufacturing sector over a 12-month period. The insights are based on proprietary data collected through a combination of publicly available sources, including professional networking platforms, company announcements, press releases, and verified databases tracking senior management appointments.