GM Exec to Head Tata Motors

Mumbai-based Tata Motors Ltd. has hired Karl Slym, former president of General Motors Co.'s India unit, at its managing director, effective Oct 1. He replaces Prakash Telang, who retired in June.

Slym will lead Tata Motors operations in India and overseas but not the company's U.K.-based Jaguar Land Rover unit. He follows in the footsteps of another former GM executive, Carl-Peter Forster, who was Tata Motor's global CEO in 2010-2011.

Slym, a 17-year GM veteran, was a senior executive since January at the company's Chinese joint venture with SAIC Motors and Liuzhou Wuling. In his previous job heading GM India, Slym helped orchestrate the unit's transformation in 2009 into a 50:50 joint venture with SAIC Motors.

GM plans to begin selling SAIC-based minitrucks in India next year, thus challenging Tata's grip on 90% of the country's commercial minivehicle market.