Nissan has revealed a significant leadership change in its operations in India as the Japanese automaker aims to navigate a phase of underachievement in this market and prepare for its upcoming growth trajectory. 

Vatsa will report directly to Leon Dorssers, senior vice-president and chief commercial officer for the AMIEO region, as stated in the circular issued on Wednesday and signed by Guillaume Cartier, chief performance officer and chairperson of MC-AMIEO (management committee for Africa, Middle East, India, Europe, and Oceania). 

Dorssers will manage the Indian division following the anticipated exit of Frank Torres, who served as divisional vice-president of the AMIEO Region Business Transformation and president of Nissan India. 

Torres, who has been credited with revamping Nissan India's operations since 2022, is resigning for personal reasons and will assist with the transition until the end of August, according to the circular. 

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This leadership shift occurs amid Nissan India's disappointing performance.

The Indian branch of the Japanese manufacturer delivered 27,881 vehicles, reflecting sales figures, to its dealers in the fiscal year 2025, which ended in March, a decline of 7.5 percent from the previous fiscal year's 30,146 units, as per information from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

 

Meanwhile, the overall passenger vehicle market in India grew by two percent during this timeframe. 

Nissan has initiated a recall of over 440,000 vehicles due to a manufacturing flaw that could lead to engine failures and raise the likelihood of a crash. The recall, identified as 25V437 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), affects specific Nissan and Infiniti models that are equipped with either 3-cylinder 1.5-litre or 4-cylinder 2.0-litre variable compression turbo engines. 

According to the automaker, dealerships will examine the engine oil pan for metal particles. If any debris is detected, the engine will either be repaired or replaced free of charge. If no debris is found, a routine service—including an oil change and gasket replacement—will be performed. 

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For vehicles featuring the 1.5L VC-Turbo engines, should there be no metal debris discovered, dealers will change the oil pan gasket, replace the engine oil, and reprogram the engine control module. Cars with the 2.0L VC-Turbo engines will receive new engine oil as a precautionary measure. 

Nissan aims to start notifying dealers on July 15 and impacted customers by August 25. Owners of the affected vehicles can reach out to Nissan customer service at 800-647-7261 or Infiniti customer support at 1-800-662-6200. Comprehensive details about the recall can be found on the NHTSA website under recall number 25V437.