After four years at the helm of Royal Enfield, President Rudratej Singh is resigning, triggering a game of musical chairs among company executives.
"Rudratej Singh (Rudy) has decided to pursue opportunities outside of Royal Enfield owing to personal commitments," said Royal Enfield in a statement. "With this decision, Rudy will cease to be the official media spokesperson for Royal Enfield with immediate effect." Lalit Malik, Royal Enfield's Chief Financial Officer, will temporarily take on Singh's role as Chief Commercial Officer in addition to his other duties.
While Singh may not be speaking for the company anymore, Singh clarified on Twitter that he will be staying on in an advisory role until May 31 to help with the transition.
After joining Royal Enfield in January 2015, Singh took the lead on sales, marketing, branding, and new product strategy. He helped build the Royal Enfield brand and its merchandising campaigns. The company introduced several new models during Singh's tenure, such as the Classic 500, the Continental GT 650, the Interceptor 650, and the Himalayan, as well as several additional models sold elsewhere in the world. Under Singh's management, sales grew tremendously, including 50 percent growth in 2015, his first year at the helm. December 2018 sales dropped somewhat from the previous year, however, with 58,278 sold last month compared to 66,968 in December 2017.
Royal Enfield is currently in the process of designing a new platform for its 300 to 400cc motorcycles. Additionally, the company has plans to address its ongoing issues with quality control and high service costs. Royal Enfield has become a bigger player in the industry in recent years, and will hopefully continue this trend under new management.
Sources: Overdrive, Rush Lane, AutoCar India