Res Sofa interview
Supply chain isn’t a cost centre, it’s a growth engine: Stellantis’ Ashwani Muppasani
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By treating logistics not as an after-thought but as a core business lever, Stellantis aims to turn one of the industry’s most complex regions into a competitive advantage.
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At the inaugural Automotive Logistics & Supply Chain ASEAN conference in Singapore, Ashwani Muppasani, chief operating officer for Stellantis India & Asia Pacific, joined the Red Sofa to discuss how the carmaker is transforming its supply chain across one of its most diverse regions.
Muppasani stressed that logistics and supply chain functions must be seen as strategic growth drivers, not overheads. “If you’re not converting your raw materials into sales and receiving the cash, you’re just sitting on it, paying interest, detention and demurrage,” he said.
He outlined Stellantis’ plan to localise production, shorten order-to-delivery times and improve resilience through greater visibility, accountability and digital forecasting. The company is targeting sub-40-day delivery cycles by leveraging AI-driven prediction models and hub-and-spoke vehicle processing to move cars faster to market.
Reacting swiftly to disruption is essential, Muppasani noted. “Interruptions are bound to happen, it’s how quickly you react. You can’t wait for someone else to take ownership.” He added that exploring alternative routes, such as rail movements from Europe to China, shows the need to think creatively about logistics.
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Muppasani also called for stronger collaboration with logistics providers. “I don’t call them suppliers; they’re partners,” he said. “The right partner challenges us, shares best ideas and helps us move faster.”
With Stellantis investing in new consolidation hubs in India, Thailand and South Korea and a regional parts centre in Malaysia, Muppasani said the region is becoming a key production and export base for the group. “Every euro lost in supply chain is a euro off your profit,” he concluded.
