Martin Uhlarik replaces Pratap Bose as Tata Motors’ design head

A number of Tata Motors' vehicles have won design awards under Pratap Bose's watch

Celebrated designer Pratap Bose has resigned as Vice President at Tata Motors. Martin Uhlarik, Head of Design for Tata Motors European Technical Centre, UK will take over the position.

The news comes as a surprise considering Bose was practically an ambassador for the Tata Brand. Bose is credited for transforming the design language for all of Tata Motors Vehicles, s0ome of which have gone on to win design awards over their lifetimes.

Martin Uhlarik, a 27-year veteran in the industry first joined Tata Motors in 2016 as Head of Design, UK and has led the development of the Impact 3 generation.

According to a press release by Tata Motors, Uhlarik will continue to operate out of the UK and will lead three teams in the Tata Motors Design Centres in the UK, Italy and India.

Commenting on the development, Guenter Butschek, CEO & MD, Tata Motors, said, “I am delighted to announce the appointment of Martin Uhlarik as the new Global Design Head of Tata Motors. Martin is an experienced automobile designer with deep domain knowledge of design, keen understanding of international trends and extensive operational experience with leading automobile companies in several geographies. His rich experience and expertise will inspire our teams to further enhance our vehicle design philosophy and language. I take this opportunity to also thank Pratap for his services and wish him the best for the future.”

Currently, Pratap Bose has been with Tata Motors for 14 years and it isn’t clear where he is headed to next. It is known, however, that Bose will finish his tenure on leave, which means he may be moving on to a competitor. We could expect a new design philosophy out of another auto manufacturer soon.