Castagna to head Fiat India

Paolo Castagna will take over as the new chairman and managing director of Fiat India from Alberto Montanari on June 1.

Castagna, 41, has been associated with Fiat since April 1988. He has been active as a member on the board for group companies of Fiat, and has worked outside Italy for more than 18 years.

Castagna's last assignment has been as managing director, marketing and manufacturing, in one of the group companies in Austria and Germany. Montanari will be returning to Turin, Italy, taking charge of Fiat's power train project.

Montanari took over as chairman and managing director of Fiat India in September 2003 replacing MP Bianchi who moved back to the Fiat headquarters in Italy to take up a senior position.

Montanari was in South Africa as managing director of Fiat Auto South Africa before moving to India. Castagna is taking over the assignment at a time when Fiat is readying to make India its operational hub in Asia.