Sarma Chillara Named Executive Director, HR for Boeing India and South Asia

Boeing has appointed Sarma Chillara as executive director of human resources for India and South Asia.

In this role, Chillara will lead the company’s human resources function across India and South Asia, driving organizational capability, strengthening workforce capacity, and fostering an inclusive, high-performing culture. Chillara succeeds Ajay Sharma, who has taken on a new role as executive director, HR, for Boeing Europe, Israel & Ukraine, and HR Business Partner for Global Engineering.

“Sarma’s diverse industry experience and strategic approach to people leadership will be instrumental as we continue to grow our operations in the region,” said Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India and South Asia. “His leadership and expertise will help shape a future-ready workforce and talent strategy that supports the evolving needs of India’s aerospace and defence sector.”

Boeing’s commitment to safety and quality is at the forefront of how the company operates, reinforced through renewed values and behaviours that emphasise accountability, transparency, and ownership. Chillara will play a pivotal role in advancing our safety culture and these priorities across the organization, enabling employees to work and collaborate to accelerate capability development, operational excellence, and performance that supports customer success and industry growth.

Chillara brings nearly two decades of experience across the automotive, banking, consulting, and retail sectors. He joins Boeing from Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, where he spent over 13 years and served as a Member of the Board for Human Resources. He has a proven track record of delivering impactful people strategies that align with business transformation and growth.

Chillara holds an MBA in Human Resources from Welingkar Institute of Management and has completed advanced executive programmes at The Wharton School and the University of Michigan. Chillara also contributes to the education ecosystem through advisory roles with Mahindra International School and Welingkar’s HR Advisory Board.