India Yamaha Motor Appoints Hajime Aota as New Chairman

India Yamaha Motor (IYM) Pvt. Ltd. has announced the appointment of Hajime Aota as the new Chairman of the Yamaha Motor India Group, effective January 1, 2026. The leadership move signals Yamaha’s focus on strengthening its long-term strategy in one of the world’s most dynamic two-wheeler markets.

Aota brings deep expertise in corporate strategy, planning and new business development within the global automotive sector. Before taking charge in India, he served as Executive Officer, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., and Chief General Manager – Corporate Strategy Center (CSO) at Yamaha’s global headquarters in Japan. In this role, he led corporate strategy, sustainability and digital initiatives, with a strong emphasis on digital transformation across the organisation.

He has also held international leadership roles across Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom, and previously served as Chairperson of Yamaha Motor Ventures & Laboratory Silicon Valley (YMVSV), the company’s strategic venture capital arm. There, he oversaw early-stage investments in emerging areas such as robotics, mobility, fintech, insurtech, digital health and data-driven technologies.

Aota has played a key role in driving Yamaha Motor’s new business development and corporate planning functions, and was instrumental in shaping the group’s long-term vision, “Art for Human Possibilities 2030.” He continues to be closely involved in its execution, contributing to the company’s future-ready growth agenda.Academically, Aota holds a Program for Leadership Development (PLD) from Harvard Business School and a degree in Political Science from Keio University, Japan.

Commenting on his appointment, Aota said he is excited to begin his journey in India, highlighting the country’s rapidly evolving consumer aspirations particularly among younger riders. He noted that these trends align strongly with Yamaha’s focus on premium products, innovation and a customer-centric approach. Aota added that his priority will be to strengthen the brand by delivering products that blend Yamaha’s global engineering excellence with the evolving needs of Indian consumers, while working closely with teams and partners to drive sustainable growth and deepen Yamaha’s presence in the market.