Motorcycles, Scooters, E2W, E3W, Cargo 3W & Power-Products Leadership
Two- & Three-Wheelers
Executive Search
55+ 2W / 3W-OEM Placements — with an average 68 Days time-to-placement and a 12-month candidate guarantee.
55+
2W / 3W-OEM Placements
68 Days
Avg. Time-to-Placement
93%
Offer Acceptance Rate
12 Months
Candidate Guarantee
Specialisation withinAutomotive & Transportation·Driving the Future of Mobility
Two-and-three-wheelers is the highest-volume Indian automotive sub-sector by unit count and the one most directly in the path of the EV transition. Motorcycles (entry, executive, premium, super-premium), scooters (ICE and electric), three-wheelers (passenger and cargo, ICE and electric), electric-two-wheelers (E2W), electric-three-wheelers (E3W), and the adjacent power-products sub-segment together serve a customer base that spans urban commuters, rural and semi-urban rider-buyers, fleet operators, and the rapidly-emerging last-mile-logistics and e-commerce fleet-buyers. Leadership here requires unusually demanding commercial and operating muscle — multi-segment product architecture, rural-and-urban-dealer network discipline, brand-positioning stewardship across entry-to-premium bands, ICE-plus-EV portfolio transition rhythm, and the specific regulatory-and-subsidy framework of Indian two-and-three-wheelers.
Is This Your Situation?
If any of these sound familiar, you're speaking to the right practice.
→Listed 2W-OEM running MD succession — confidential search with promoter or institutional-board alignment across multi-segment operating, 10,000+-dealer-network stewardship, and ICE-plus-EV transition rhythm.
→2W-OEM elevating E2W into a standalone P&L — hiring a Head of E2W with FAME-II compliance credibility, E2W product-and-manufacturing rhythm, and the commercial muscle for compounding EV-share.
→PE-held E2W-native operator targeting a pre-IPO cycle hiring a CEO with EV-native-operating credibility, manufacturing-scale-up rhythm, and the margin-and-working-capital discipline for the IPO window.
→Premium 2W operator launching a new high-CC segment hiring a Head of Premium Segment with premium-2W-customer-experience credibility and luxury-brand positioning fluency.
Our Two- & Three-Wheelers Track Record
Situation:
A listed 2W-OEM with a multi-segment portfolio and a compounding E2W ambition needed MD succession. The brief required multi-segment 2W operating credibility, 10,000+-dealer-network discipline, brand-positioning stewardship across entry-to-premium bands, and the governance rhythm to anchor the ICE-plus-EV transition at scale.
Outcome:
Placed an MD with prior business-head tenure at a peer 2W-OEM and subsequent CEO tenure at an automotive-adjacent operator. Search ran 133 days with confidential promoter and institutional-board alignment. Incoming MD presented a three-year multi-segment-portfolio-and-EV-transition plan to the board within 90 days of joining.
Situation:
A PE-held E2W-native operator targeting a pre-IPO cycle needed a CEO with EV-native-operating credibility, manufacturing-scale-up rhythm, and the margin-and-working-capital discipline for the IPO window.
Outcome:
Placed a CEO with prior head-of-operations tenure at a peer E2W-native operator and subsequent business-head tenure at a 2W-OEM. Engagement included parallel CFO and Head of Manufacturing placements. Business crossed a meaningful-scale monthly delivery cadence and filed its DRHP within 24 months of the CEO's joining.
Situation:
A listed 3W-OEM elevating E3W into a standalone P&L needed a Head of E3W with FAME-II compliance credibility, E3W product-and-manufacturing rhythm, and the commercial muscle for compounding E3W share in passenger and cargo 3W categories.
Outcome:
Placed a Head of E3W with prior head-of-EV-programmes tenure at a peer 3W-OEM and subsequent head-of-operations tenure at an E3W-native operator. Engagement included a parallel Head of Battery Integration placement. Business crossed its E3W-share target 8 months ahead of plan.
All client details anonymised. Specific mandates available for reference under NDA upon request.
Our Two- & Three-Wheelers Practice
Two-and-three-wheelers is the highest-volume Indian automotive sub-sector by unit count and the one most directly in the path of the EV transition. Motorcycles (entry, executive, premium, super-premium), scooters (ICE and electric), three-wheelers (passenger and cargo, ICE and electric), electric-two-wheelers (E2W), electric-three-wheelers (E3W), and the adjacent power-products sub-segment together serve a customer base that spans urban commuters, rural and semi-urban rider-buyers, fleet operators, and the rapidly-emerging last-mile-logistics and e-commerce fleet-buyers. Leadership here requires unusually demanding commercial and operating muscle — multi-segment product architecture, rural-and-urban-dealer network discipline, brand-positioning stewardship across entry-to-premium bands, ICE-plus-EV portfolio transition rhythm, and the specific regulatory-and-subsidy framework of Indian two-and-three-wheelers.
We place leaders across listed domestic 2W-OEMs (volume motorcycle-and-scooter leaders and premium-segment domestic operators), global 2W-OEM India units (leading Japanese, European, and American premium 2W-principals), domestic 3W-OEMs (listed passenger-and-cargo 3W leaders), E2W-native operators (funded pure-play electric 2W challengers alongside listed OEMs' E2W arms), E3W-native operators (cargo and passenger E3W platforms), and the premium 2W sub-segment. Engagements include MD / CEO searches for listed 2W-3W OEMs, Business Head searches for multi-segment 2W portfolios, Head of Sales & Marketing searches for large-dealer-network operators, Head of EV / Head of E2W / Head of E3W searches, Head of Exports and Head of Global Business searches, and CFO placements. Every mandate is retained and closed-network.
As a specialist CEO mandates in automotive, our practice also covers CMO and brand leadership, our practice also covers Automotive & Transportation practice overview, and as a source for Technology & Digital — consumer internet.
The Two- & Three-Wheelers Landscape Today
India's two-wheeler industry has crossed 20 million units in annual domestic wholesale and additional multi-million units in export — positioning India as the world's largest two-wheeler market by volume. Motorcycles account for about two-thirds of domestic 2W volume with scooters at about one-third. The premium 2W segment (above 250cc) has re-rated materially with the leading domestic premium-motorcycle platforms, global premium 2W India units, and the emerging premium-segment entrants. E2W has compounded from sub-1% penetration to low-double-digits of 2W-market in select segments — listed E2W pure-play operators, listed 2W-OEMs' electric arms, and the emerging E2W entrants compete for this sub-segment. Three-wheelers have crossed 8 lakh units in annual domestic volume with E3W crossing 50%+ of new 3W sales in several categories. Exports have compounded at high single digits, led by the volume listed domestic 2W-OEMs. Leadership in the sub-sector requires fluency in multi-segment product architecture, rural-and-urban-dealer-network discipline (2W dealers number 10,000+ for the largest OEMs), brand-positioning stewardship across entry-to-premium bands, ICE-plus-EV portfolio transition rhythm, and the specific FAME-II-and-state-level-EV-subsidy compliance discipline. Compensation has re-rated materially with the E2W-scale-up, premium-segment expansion, and the PE-led consolidation of E2W-and-E3W-native operators.
Key Leadership Challenges in Two- & Three-Wheelers
MD / CEO succession for listed 2W-OEMs — leaders with multi-segment 2W operating credibility, 10,000+-dealer-network discipline, brand-positioning stewardship, and the governance rhythm of listed 2W-OEMs with institutional shareholders.
Business Head searches for multi-segment 2W-portfolios — leaders who can run semi-autonomous segment P&Ls (entry, executive, premium, super-premium, scooters, E2W) with segment-specific customer-ecosystem credibility.
Head of EV / Head of E2W / Head of E3W placements — 2W-3W-OEMs need EV Heads with FAME-II compliance credibility, E2W / E3W product-and-manufacturing rhythm, and the commercial muscle for compounding EV-share through the transition cycle.
Head of Sales & Marketing placements — 2W-3W-OEMs need commercial leaders with rural-and-urban-dealer-network-stewardship credibility, brand-investment discipline, digital-and-D2C rhythm, and the sustained retail-volume-compounding discipline.
Head of Manufacturing / Head of Plant searches — multi-plant 2W-3W-operators need Manufacturing Heads with high-volume-assembly credibility, multi-model-line operating rhythm, and the specific labour-productivity-and-yield discipline of high-volume 2W-3W manufacturing.
CEO placements for E2W / E3W native operators — venture-backed and PE-held E2W / E3W operators need CEOs fluent in EV-native-operating rhythm, battery-and-charging-architecture stewardship, and the commercial rhythm of E2W / E3W customer contracting.
What We Look For in Two- & Three-Wheelers Leaders
Across mandates, two- & three-wheelers leadership tends to cluster into a small set of archetypes. We calibrate each search against the profile your board actually needs — not the one most commonly available.
The Listed 2W-OEM MD
Executive who has run a listed 2W-OEM — fluent in multi-segment 2W operating, 10,000+-dealer-network discipline, brand-positioning stewardship, multi-plant manufacturing rhythm, and the governance rhythm of a listed 2W-OEM with institutional shareholders.
The 3W-OEM Business Head
Leader who has run a 3W-OEM business — fluent in passenger-and-cargo 3W operating, fleet-customer stewardship, rural-and-urban-dealer-network discipline, and the ICE-plus-E3W portfolio transition rhythm.
The E2W / E3W Native CEO
Leader who has run an E2W or E3W native operator — fluent in EV-native-operating rhythm, battery-and-charging-architecture stewardship, manufacturing-scale-up discipline, and the commercial rhythm of E2W / E3W customer contracting.
The Multi-Segment Business Head
Leader who has run a semi-autonomous 2W-segment P&L (entry, executive, premium, super-premium, scooters, E2W) — balanced segment-specific customer-ecosystem credibility with cross-segment governance rhythm and the operating muscle for sustained segment share-gain.
The Sales & Marketing Head
Commercial leader with rural-and-urban-dealer-network-stewardship credibility, brand-investment discipline, digital-and-D2C rhythm, and the sustained retail-volume-compounding discipline. Often a career 2W-3W commercial leader with subsequent sales-head or CMO leadership.
The High-Volume Manufacturing Head
Operations-led leader with high-volume-2W-assembly credibility, multi-model-line operating rhythm, labour-productivity-and-yield discipline, and the specific quality-management architecture of high-volume 2W-3W manufacturing.
Regulatory & Compensation Context
Regulatory Backdrop
2W-and-3W-OEM leadership operates within a dense compliance envelope. The Motor Vehicles Act 1988, Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989, and Automotive Industry Standards (AIS) govern vehicle-type approval. Bharat Stage VI emissions norms (BS-VI Phase II effective from April 2023) govern 2W-3W tailpipe emissions. The Automotive Industry Standards (AIS) govern 2W-specific safety obligations — ABS and CBS mandates for 2W (125cc+ for ABS; sub-125cc for CBS), helmet standards, and headlamp-always-on (AHO) mandates. The FAME-II scheme (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles Phase II) governs E2W-and-E3W subsidies with specific localisation-and-product obligations. The PLI (Automobile and Auto Components) Scheme governs advanced-automotive-technology capex-linked incentives. State-level EV-subsidy schemes (Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and others) add an additional compliance-and-commercial layer. BIS conformity applies to batteries (AIS-156 with specific safety and cell-testing obligations post 2022 incidents), chargers, and select 2W components. The Consumer Protection Act 2019 applies to warranty and recall. Customs and FTP rules govern CBU-CKD-SKD duties and PLI-linked localisation thresholds. GST on 2W-3W has a specific rate architecture. The Companies Act 2013 and SEBI LODR apply to listed 2W-OEMs with specific export and related-party-transaction disclosure obligations. Candidates for senior roles are evaluated on their BS-VI, FAME-II, AIS-156, and state-EV-subsidy compliance operating history and the compliance-posture they have run in prior operating roles.
Compensation Architecture
2W-and-3W-OEM leadership compensation has re-rated with E2W-scale-up, premium-segment expansion, and PE-led E2W-and-E3W-operator consolidation. MDs / CEOs of listed domestic 2W-OEMs command ₹10-28 crore total compensation (fixed ₹7-17 crore plus annual bonus and ESOP / performance-share units) with the largest listed 2W-OEMs pricing at the upper band. MDs of listed 3W-OEMs command ₹7-18 crore total compensation. Country Managers / MDs of global 2W-OEM India units command ₹5-12 crore fixed cash. CEOs of E2W-native operators command ₹5-12 crore fixed with 2-5% equity at hiring — the scale-stage E2W-native CEO price has re-rated materially with venture-capital participation. Business Heads at multi-segment 2W-portfolios command ₹3-6 crore fixed. Heads of EV / E2W / E3W at 2W-3W-OEMs command ₹3-6 crore fixed — a re-rated sub-category given EV-transition priority. Heads of Sales & Marketing command ₹3-6 crore fixed. Heads of Manufacturing / Plant command ₹3-6 crore fixed. Heads of Exports / Global Business command ₹2.5-5 crore fixed. CFOs of listed 2W-3W-OEMs command ₹4-9 crore fixed with meaningful LTI. Independent directors on listed 2W-OEM boards are compensated at ₹30-70 lakh per year. Retention architecture is a standing conversation given E2W-native-operator scale-up and premium-segment expansion.
Roles We Typically Place
Why Gladwin International Leadership Advisors for Two- & Three-Wheelers
MD / CEO searches for listed domestic 2W-OEMs and 3W-OEMs.
Country Manager / MD searches for global 2W-OEM India units.
Business Head placements for multi-segment 2W-portfolios.
Head of EV / Head of E2W / Head of E3W searches for 2W-3W-OEMs.
CEO placements for E2W / E3W native operators and charging-infrastructure operators.
Head of Sales & Marketing, Head of Network Development, and Head of D2C searches.
Head of Manufacturing, Head of Plant, and Head of Quality searches.
Organisations We Serve
Listed domestic 2W-OEMs (volume motorcycle-and-scooter leaders and premium-segment domestic operators)
Global 2W-OEM India units (leading Japanese, European, and American premium 2W-principals)
Domestic 3W-OEMs (listed passenger-and-cargo 3W leaders)
E2W-native operators (listed and venture-backed pure-play electric 2W platforms)
E3W-native operators (cargo and passenger E3W-specialist platforms)
Premium 2W operators and global-luxury 2W India units
2W-adjacent operators (power products, small-engine operators)
Two- & Three-Wheelers leaders assessed on the Automotive “ORBIT” framework
Seven dimensions calibrated for automotive and mobility leadership. Dimensions are calibrated for two- & three-wheelers mandates where relevant.
Parent Practice
Return to Automotive & Transportation
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