MANU SAALE
Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI)
As the Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI), Manu leads the largest R&D setup for Mercedes-Benz Group AG outside of Germany. Manu holds more than 26 years of experience in the automobile innovation and engineering sector. He has served across various leadership positions and played an instrumental role in achieving organizational transformation by effectively navigating complex business challenges.
With a special focus on ensuring safety of passengers and road users, Manu leads an extensive team of 6000+ talented engineers, who play a key role in accelerating the future of smart and sustainable mobility and delivering world-class solutions across global projects.
Driving ‘Digital Transformation’ at MBRDI for various innovative product portfolios of Mercedes-Benz AG, he launched the Mercedes-Benz Startup Autobahn in India, to develop cutting-edge solutions in collaboration with India’s startup ecosystem.
Manu is a keen follower of latest global technology trends. He also closely collaborates with the ER&D Council of NASSCOM to enable India’s emergence as a leading digital engineering solutions destination. Under his leadership, MBRDI has won the ‘ER&D Organization of the Year’ award at the 1st Engineering & Innovation Excellence Awards 2021 by NASSCOM. The company was also recognized as the ‘Top Innovative Company in Service’ by CII in 2021.
Manu received his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronics and Communication from the University of Mysore, India in 1995.