Richard Haas, CEO of Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.’s North American unit, is about to retire on the finish of March, based on the corporate.

Viren Popli will take over as interim CEO at Mahindra Automotive North America. Popli presently is CEO of Mahindra Ag North America, the corporate’s tractor and farming gear retail division within the U.S.

“I’ve really loved working with Mahindra each in India and right here in Detroit, and I cherish the experiences and relationships that outlined this journey,” Haas stated in an announcement.

Haas, 61, has been with Mahindra since 2011 and has been CEO of the North American unit since 2013. He was concerned with rising the conglomerate’s presence within the Detroit area in 2013, when it opened the Mahindra North American Technical Middle in Troy, Mich.

The group’s North American division was fashioned in 2017. It manufactures, sells and distributes the Roxor, an off-road utility car.

Mahindra’s presence in North America notably took a hit in 2020 with layoffs and furloughs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and authorized woes involving Fiat Chrysler Vehicles’ successful bid for a block on U.S. imports of the Roxor. FCA, now a part of Stellantis, stated the Roxor copies the look of its Jeep Wrangler.