C S Vigneshwar Takes Over As FADA's 37th President For The Year 2024-26

The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), the apex national body of automobile retail in India, has appointed C S Vigneshwar as FADA’s 37th President and for the years 2024-26. The decision was made at the 315th Governing Council Meeting, which was held immediately after the 60th Annual General Meeting.

Vigneshwar is the Managing Director of Anaamalais Toyota based out of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and has other dealerships of Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles (VECV) and Ather Energy. Besides this, his business group known as the ARC group has interests in goods transportation, drinking water, packaged foods, green energy alternatives, farming, FMCG distribution and education. The group has gained a strong environmental focus to add to its existing pioneering HR and CSR way of thinking.

Vigneshwar has been a member of the Apex Consultative Committee of VECV for the last 16 years. He has been part of the Toyota Dealer Council for 11 years and served the Head of the Toyota India Service Dealer Council for 7 years. He has been a council member of FADA for the last 12 years. Vigneshwar is also serving as the Area Commander for Home Guards in Coimbatore City.

The Governing Council also elevated the following for the years 2024-26:

Sai Giridhar, MD, Saisha Motors (Dealer for Skoda Volvo Cars & MG Motors) based out of Jaipur, Rajasthan, as Vice President.

Amar Jatin Sheth, Managing Director for Group Shaman (Dealer for Honda Cars, Volkswagen and Triumph) based out of Mumbai, Maharashtra, as Secretary.

The Governing Council unanimously elected Pradeep Agarwal, as Treasurer for the years 2024-26. Agarwal is the Managing Partner for JMG Group (Dealer of Hero MotoCorp) based out of Cuttack & Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.

While handing over charge, Manish Raj Singhania, said "It has been an immense privilege to serve as FADA's President during a time of significant transformation for the auto retail sector. Representing the most vital arm of the automotive industry—dealers—has been both an honour and a responsibility I hold deeply. Over the past two years, we have collaborated with all stakeholders to address key industry issues and ease challenges for the auto retail community.

We made significant progress with the Model Dealer Agreement, with two major brands already adopting it and others in advanced stages. Additionally, our efforts with financial institutions have helped align dealers and financial partners, ensuring better cooperation on critical concerns. One of our most notable achievements is the growing focus on retail figures over wholesale—an initiative FADA pioneered six years ago, now gaining recognition from OEMs. As they say, 'Rome wasn’t built in a day,' but this represents a true victory for our association."

Commenting on his appointment as FADA 37th President, C S Vigneshwar, said “Over the next two years, our focus will be on strengthening the foundation we have built, with key initiatives such as the Retail Protection Act and the Model Dealer Agreement taking centre stage. These efforts will be instrumental in safeguarding the future of dealerships and ensuring their sustainable growth.

Our mission at FADA is clear. To elevate the role of Auto Dealerships, drive inclusive growth and forge stronger partnerships across the industry. With a network of over 15,000 dealerships and 30,000+ outlets employing 5 million people, we will continue to advocate for reforms, foster innovation and shape the future of auto retail in India.”