Former Managing Director of Maruti Suzuki India, and veteran of the Indian Auto Mobile Industry, Jagdish Khattar passed away on Monday (26 April 2021) due to cardiac arrest. He was 78 years old.

Jagdish had joined the company as director of marketing in July 1993 and went on to become the Managing Director in 1999.

He was first appointed as a government nominee, and then in May 2002 as Suzuki Motor Corporation nominee (SMC).

He had served Maruti Udyog for 14 long years and guided the company towards remarkable growth. His last day at Maruti as MD, at age 65, on 18 December 2007.

Before this, he had worked as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Steel, Government of India, for about five years and held several administrative positions in the Uttar Pradesh government.

In 2008, Jagdish launched his next venture- Carnation Auto to develop a multi-brand automobile sales and service network.