NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Fremont, CA, June 11, 2025 — Tesla Inc. has appointed Indian-American engineer Ashok Elluswamy, currently Vice President of Autopilot Software, to lead its Optimus humanoid robot program following the departure of Milan Kovac, the project’s previous head. The leadership transition comes amid Tesla’s ongoing efforts to scale up development and production of the Optimus robot.
Kovac, who served as Tesla’s Vice President of Engineering and oversaw the Optimus initiative, reportedly stepped down on June 6 to spend more time with his family abroad. The company confirmed the leadership change earlier this week, with Elluswamy assuming responsibilities for the robotics division in addition to his current role directing the Autopilot and artificial intelligence software stack.
Elluswamy, a Carnegie Mellon University graduate originally from Chennai, India, was the first engineer hired to work on Tesla’s Autopilot team in 2014. He has since played a pivotal role in building the full self-driving (FSD) software and vision-based neural network system that powers Tesla’s autonomous driving capabilities.
The Optimus humanoid robot, first unveiled by CEO Elon Musk in 2021, is envisioned as a general-purpose bipedal machine capable of performing repetitive or dangerous tasks in industrial and household settings. Musk has said Optimus could eventually become more valuable than Tesla’s electric vehicle business.
Tesla aims to have thousands of Optimus units operating in its factories by the end of 2025 and to scale production to 50,000 units annually by 2026. The robot shares key software components with Tesla’s self-driving vehicles, making Elluswamy’s dual role strategically aligned with the company’s broader vision of autonomy.
The leadership transition is viewed as a move to maintain momentum within the Optimus project and deepen integration between Tesla’s autonomous vehicle technologies and its robotics efforts. However, industry analysts note that significant challenges remain, including technical complexity, supply chain constraints, and competition from other robotics firms.
Tesla has not announced a successor for Kovac’s hardware leadership role but indicated that Elluswamy will coordinate closely with engineering teams across both divisions.
The company is expected to provide further updates on Optimus and its AI roadmap during its upcoming AI Day event.
