Nissan Motor Co chief executive Ivan Espinosa is steering the Japanese automaker through a sweeping global overhaul while betting on India as a key pillar of its next growth phase.
The company, which has remained a marginal player in India in two decades of its presence, plans to launch three new models in quick succession starting early 2026-part of a strategy to expand beyond its lone volume driver, the Magnite compact SUV, and revitalise sales.
Espinosa said the India push is integral to ‘Re:Nissan’, the turnaround plan he crafted soon after assuming office in March. The plan is aimed at rebooting growth, trimming costs, and repositioning the brand for a competitive electric future. “India is a very important market for us. We’re committed to it and will continue leveraging its strong engineering and cost competitiveness,” he told ET on the sidelines of the Japan Mobility Show.
Earlier this year, as part of the global restructuring, Nissan sold its 51 per cent stake to Renault SA in a car manufacturing joint venture Renault Nissan Automotive India (RNAIPL), which runs a plant near Chennai. The plant, which is now wholly-owned by Renault, would manufacture Nissan-branded models under contract for the Indian market and exports.
Espinosa confirmed talks with Honda Motor Co, which broke down last year, have been revived to explore collaboration in software and vehicle development. “The first priority was to re-evaluate where we were and put a plan in place. We are fixing our cost structure, resizing our manufacturing footprint from 17 plants to 10, and driving thousands of cost-reduction ideas across our vehicle lines,” he said.
The next phase will focus on refreshing Nissan’s product lineup and accelerating EV innovation. Models unveiled at the show included the third-generation Leaf, offering more than 700 km of range, and the Micra EV, developed with Renault in France.
Describing Nissan’s progress as “prudent confidence,” Espinosa said the restructuring is on schedule and early market feedback has been positive.
“The world is complicated. Whatever brings value to customers and to Nissan, we are open to explore,” he added.
