Nitin Chandran
Chennai
Summary
Dynamic automotive executive with proven expertise in Manufacturing Engineering, Harness Development, Vehicle Integration, and Chief Engineer roles at Tata Motors, Pune, and Renault India. Career highlights include capacity expansion projects at Tata Motors, concept to SOP of the Renault KWID wiring harness, development of the Dacia Spring as an expat in China, development of last-mile Born EV LCV for the European market, and Triber and Kiger twin-cylinder CNG with turbo CVT.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
4
4
Certifications
Work History
General Manager (Head of Department)
Renault India
Mahindra City, Chennai
07.2023 - Current
- Led Platform Packaging team of 82 engineers, including three people managers and three project managers.
- Developed new Renault Duster, transitioning from LHD five-seater to RHD five/seven-seater, achieving COCA ratio of 70% (20%+50%) in compliance with regulations.
- Directed CMFA+ platform development for Renault Kiger Electric Vehicle under tight 110-week timeline, featuring 98KW e-motor and 35 kWh LFP battery with over 400 km range.
- Spearheaded Born EV Compact Van project with team of 15 engineers, collaborating with CMO and SCA architects.
- Implemented local technical leadership to establish global platform competency for mules, platform geometry studies, and upstream benchmarking studies to enhance design efficiency across platforms.
- Now focused on the upstream phase of four fuel multi-energy Sub4m India for the India platform.
Deputy General Manager | Chief Engineer | Global Development Leader
Renault Nissan India
China and Chennai
04.2017 - 06.2023
- Led development phase of Renault Master, awarded International Van of the Year 2025 for Phase 4 (ICE/EV/H2), overseeing team of 34.
- Received Annual Award for XDD in December 2022 for outstanding contributions.
- Served as subject matter expert for vehicle engineering vice presidents at Renault and Nissan, enhancing corporate network insights.
- Prepared for General Manager role through strategic engagement with executive leadership.
- Acted as Deputy Chief Vehicle Engineer in Wuhan, China, during industrialization phase of Renault City K-ZE until SOP.
- Collaborated with Dongfeng Motors on successful upstream phase of Dacia Spring, Europe’s most affordable electric car.
- Managed investments and R&D budgets totaling approximately 300 MRMB (€39 million).
- Oversaw tooling launch for 139 components, including 26 with early TGA (15 XL and 11 L components).
Senior Manager and Manager | Vehicle Harness Development Leader | Technical Leader
Renault Nissan India
04.2012 - 03.2017
- Directed development and industrial phase of complete vehicle wiring harness over three years.
- Spearheaded crash menu implementation for LATIN NCAP as Technical Synthesis Engineer for CMFA platform.
- Co-implemented serial life changes on Brazil LHD, enhancing market adaptability.
- Received Annual Award for KWID Climber launch in 2017, recognizing outstanding project contributions.
Deputy Manager | BIW Process Engineer | Team Leader
Renault Nissan India
Chennai
06.2008 - 03.2012
- Conducted feasibility study for Dacia Sandero production at Mahindra Nasik plant.
- Completed three-month mission at Tecnocentre, France, specializing in Wiring Harness Digital Development.
- Established Wiring Harness Digital Development Team in India, achieving cost savings of over two-thirds compared to Western European vendors.
Weld shop and Trim shop Manufacturing Engineering Engineer and Asst Manager
Tata Motors
Chinchwad Pune
03.2004 - 05.2008
- Increased weld shop capacity from 500 to 750 cars daily through strategic enhancements.
- Managed procurement and commissioning of equipment, including guns, rails, and robots.
- Conducted layout optimization to minimize unnecessary robot movements and maximize efficiency.
- Performed plant layout studies while leading cost reduction initiatives and managing ISO-TS documentation.
Pipe Plant Trainee
Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd.
Jalgaon
08.2003 - 03.2004
- Supported the implementation of preventive maintenance schedules on water pumps, chillers, and cooling towers for operational efficiency.
- Supervised cooling system performance at pipe plant, ensuring continuous operations with shift workers.
Education
M.Tech - Electronics
BITS Pilani
WILP07-2024
Masters - Business Studies
IBMR
Pune10-2014
B.E. - Mechanical
RMCET
Mumbai06-2002
Skills
- Global Engineering (GCC)
- Vehicle engineering
- Battery technology
- Platform development
- Wiring harness D&D
- Weld shop process
- Full-cycle electric vehicle development
Languages
English
Proficient (C2)
C2
Hindi
Proficient (C2)
C2
Marathi
Proficient (C2)
C2
Tamil
Beginner (A1)
A1
Certification
Project Management Professional - PMP® (#1992792)
Timeline
General Manager (Head of Department)
Renault India
07.2023 - Current
Deputy General Manager | Chief Engineer | Global Development Leader
Renault Nissan India
04.2017 - 06.2023
Senior Manager and Manager | Vehicle Harness Development Leader | Technical Leader
Renault Nissan India
04.2012 - 03.2017
Deputy Manager | BIW Process Engineer | Team Leader
Renault Nissan India
06.2008 - 03.2012
Weld shop and Trim shop Manufacturing Engineering Engineer and Asst Manager
Tata Motors
03.2004 - 05.2008
Pipe Plant Trainee
Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd.
08.2003 - 03.2004
M.Tech - Electronics
BITS Pilani
Masters - Business Studies
IBMR
B.E. - Mechanical
RMCET