Kia India has appointed automotive industry veteran Ashis Pratihari as Head – Sales Strategy. Pratihari joins the company after a 14-year stint with Honda Cars India, where he held several sales and business management roles. His appointment comes as Kia India seeks to strengthen its sales strategy and accelerate growth amid intensifying competition in the Indian passenger vehicle market.
Pratihari most recently served as Head – Sales Strategy, Business Planning, Budgeting and Compliance at Honda Cars India, a position he held from April 2020 to August 2026. In this role, he was responsible for developing sales strategies, business planning and budgeting, as well as overseeing institutional and fleet sales and dealer profitability.
With more than 16 years of experience in automotive sales and business functions, Pratihari has held various leadership positions during his career. Prior to becoming head of sales strategy at Honda Cars India, he served as Regional Sales Manager from 2017 to 2020 and Area Sales Manager from 2012 to 2017.
Pratihari began his automotive career with Force Motors in June 2010 as Territory Sales Manager. His responsibilities included managing sales operations for light commercial vehicles, dealer engagement and customer acquisition. He remained with the company until August 2012. Earlier, he also worked as an Analyst – International Sales & Trading at TAG Italia SRL.
Announcing his move on LinkedIn, Pratihari described the automotive industry as being at an “inflection point”, with evolving customer preferences, rapid technological developments, artificial intelligence and increasing competition reshaping the sector.
He said his new role at Kia India would go beyond conventional sales planning, with a focus on identifying emerging trends, converting market insights into actionable strategies and driving sustainable growth. Pratihari also expressed his appreciation to Kia India’s human resources and senior leadership teams for their support during his onboarding.
With his extensive experience in sales strategy, business planning and dealer operations, Pratihari’s appointment is expected to add further depth to Kia India’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the competitive Indian passenger vehicle market.
