Vijay Rahul Venkatesan has been appointed as the Plant Head at YANMAR India, based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. In his new leadership role, he will oversee end-to-end operations at the YEMI Factory, focusing on driving operational excellence, process innovation, and strategic alignment with YANMAR’s global business objectives. His appointment marks a significant milestone in his distinguished manufacturing and operations career, reflecting his deep expertise in plant management, business transformation, and sustainable industrial practices.
Bringing over 15 years of rich experience, Vijay has built a formidable reputation in the manufacturing sector with his exceptional ability to lead large-scale operations and optimize production performance. Before joining YANMAR India, he served as Senior Director – Manufacturing at Ohmium, where he spearheaded transformative initiatives in the green hydrogen manufacturing space. His work at Ohmium played a key role in advancing sustainable production methods and enhancing plant efficiency across major manufacturing sites.
Prior to Ohmium, Vijay spent over a decade at Cummins India, where he held multiple leadership positions including NBPS Leader, Plant Head – CPG SEZ (Phaltan), and Site Integration Leader – Power Generation. During his tenure, he successfully led the establishment of Cummins’ first power solutions plant in India, managed multi-site manufacturing operations, and implemented advanced Lean, Six Sigma, and TPM methodologies. His ability to merge strategic foresight with executional precision helped Cummins enhance output quality, operational safety, and supply chain efficiency across business verticals.
Vijay’s early career includes impactful roles at Caterpillar India and Hewlett-Packard, where he gained cross-functional experience in analytics, purchasing, and business operations. This diverse background has enabled him to bring a holistic approach to manufacturing leadership—balancing people management, process excellence, and data-driven decision-making to deliver measurable results.
At YANMAR India, Vijay is set to lead the organization into its next phase of industrial growth and innovation. His leadership will be central to strengthening operational systems, integrating new manufacturing technologies, and building a performance-driven culture aligned with YANMAR’s mission of advancing sustainability through engineering excellence.