Chennai: Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) has appointed Alejandro Rodriguez Cuadra as its new Head of Research & Development, while also naming him Global Head of Engineering Backbone at Mercedes-Benz Trucks, in a dual role aimed at strengthening global engineering collaboration and more closely integrating India’s technical capabilities into Daimler Truck’s international network.
DICV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, said Rodriguez Cuadra — also known as Alex — will focus on improving collaboration between Mercedes-Benz Trucks, DICV and the Daimler Truck Innovation Centre India (DTICI).
His responsibilities will include harmonising engineering processes, developing more efficient global engineering structures and connecting Indian engineering resources more closely with Daimler Truck’s worldwide product-development network.
The appointment also underlines the growing role of India within the company’s engineering operations, particularly as DICV serves as the anchor entity for the India, South-East Asia and Australia-Pacific, or ISEAA, customer region.
Experience Across Germany, Türkiye, Japan and India
Rodriguez Cuadra most recently held senior leadership responsibilities within Mercedes-Benz Trucks spanning Manufacturing Engineering, Product Preparation, buildability validation, ramp-up management and series support.
His responsibilities also included R&D activities related to pneumatic lines and wiring geometries across Germany and Türkiye.
During his international assignments, he has worked on improving cross-border cooperation, harmonising processes and establishing engineering and operational structures across different markets — the sort of work where getting teams on the same page can be nearly as important as getting the engineering drawings there.
Rodriguez Cuadra also brings experience from assignments in both Japan and India, where he worked on strengthening Kaizen culture, developing lean capabilities and managing strategic manufacturing initiatives.
At FUSO Japan, he oversaw Production Preparation and supported several vehicle launches, including the eCanter electric truck.
Career at Daimler Began in 2005
Rodriguez Cuadra holds dual degrees in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering from the Technical Universities of Madrid and Munich.
He joined Daimler in 2005 as a Career Trainee at the Mercedes-Benz Trucks plant in Wörth, Germany.
Since then, he has held leadership positions across Manufacturing Engineering, Powertrain Operations, Production Preparation and Ramp Management, with his career centred on international collaboration, lean transformation, process optimisation and the development of global operating structures.
Torsten Schmidt, Managing Director & CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, said:
“Alejandro brings extensive international engineering experience and a strong track record in connecting teams, optimizing processes and establishing effective global setups. His leadership will further strengthen DICV’s R&D capabilities while helping us leverage the broader engineering strengths available in India. As DICV takes on an increasingly important role within Mercedes-Benz Trucks segment and the ISEAA region, his experience will be valuable in strengthening collaboration across markets and contributing to our global engineering network.”
Rodriguez Cuadra said:
“India has strong engineering capabilities and talent that can contribute to Daimler Truck’s global ambitions. I look forward to strengthening collaboration across DICV, DTICI and our global engineering network, while supporting the evolving needs of the ISEAA region.”
India Engineering Capabilities Gain Wider Role
In his new position, Rodriguez Cuadra will work to connect the engineering capabilities of DICV and DTICI with the broader priorities and engineering network of Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
The collaboration is intended to create a stronger link between engineering expertise based in India and the varying product and technology requirements of markets across the ISEAA region.
For DICV, the appointment goes beyond a change in R&D leadership. By combining responsibility for its Indian engineering operations with a global Mercedes-Benz Trucks role, the company is signalling a more integrated approach in which India is expected to contribute not only to regional requirements but also to engineering programmes across the wider Daimler Truck network.
