Kanaglekar will focus on scaling industrial partnerships, strengthening local engineering capabilities, and delivering advanced solutions across defence, aerospace, and digital domains.
French multinational Thales, a global leader in aerospace, defence, and digital security, has appointed Ankur Kanaglekar as Vice-President for India, effective September 10.
With over 25 years of experience spanning aerospace, defence, and strategic consulting, Kanaglekar brings deep expertise in industrial collaboration, market development, and high-impact partnerships. He joins Thales after a 14-year tenure at Boeing India, where he most recently served as Executive Director. His portfolio included co-development and co-production of defence platforms, large-scale sales campaigns, and strategic growth initiatives tailored to the Indian market.
Kanaglekar has played a pivotal role in advancing defence localisation, particularly through partnerships with Indian public and private sector entities aligned with the Make in India programme. Earlier in his career, as Engagement Manager at PRTM Management Consulting (now part of PwC), he advised Fortune 500 clients on mergers and acquisitions, operational strategy, and market entry across aerospace, automotive, and industrial domains.
Thales stated that the appointment reflects its commitment to deepening its presence in India and supporting the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision through innovation, talent development, and technology transfer.
“With Ankur’s proven leadership and insight into the Indian ecosystem, we aim to strengthen our support for India’s self-reliance goals, co-develop next-generation technologies, and nurture local talent,” said Pascale Sourisse, President & CEO, Thales International.
In his new role, Kanaglekar will oversee Thales’ strategic direction and operations in India, with a focus on scaling industrial partnerships, enhancing local engineering capabilities, and delivering advanced solutions across defence, aerospace, and digital sectors.
“India is central to Thales’ global strategy. I am honoured to lead our operations at this transformative moment and look forward to collaborating with partners and stakeholders to accelerate growth and contribute meaningfully to India’s technological ambitions,” said Kanaglekar.
Kanaglekar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pune University, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, US, and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.