{"url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-15/nuro-rajiv-bhatia-chief-product-officer","markdown_url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-15/nuro-rajiv-bhatia-chief-product-officer.md","title":"Nuro Names Rajiv Bhatia Chief Product Officer","headline":"Nuro Appoints Rajiv Bhatia Chief Product Officer Ahead of Robotaxi Launch","description":"Nuro appointed Rajiv Bhatia, formerly of Roblox and Lyft, as chief product officer to lead product strategy as it prepares a robotaxi program.","section":"Leadership","published_at":"2026-10-15T14:21:27+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-15T14:21:27+00:00","author":"News Desk","key_takeaways":["Nuro appointed Rajiv Bhatia as chief product officer to lead product strategy and development.","Bhatia most recently served as vice president of product at Roblox and previously led rideshare product at Lyft.","Nuro is preparing a robotaxi program with Lucid and Uber targeting at least 35,000 vehicles across global markets."],"companies":[{"name":"Nuro","is_primary":true,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00006nq/nuro","website":"https://nuro.ai"},{"name":"Uber","is_primary":false,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00002d7/uber","website":"http://www.uber.com"},{"name":"Lucid Motors","is_primary":false,"profile_url":"https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000035y/lucid-motors","website":"http://lucidmotors.com"}],"source":{"publisher":"citybiz","title":"Nuro Appoints Rajiv Bhatia Chief Product Officer Ahead of Robotaxi Launch","url":"https://www.citybiz.co/article/919147/nuro-appoints-rajiv-bhatia-chief-product-officer-ahead-of-robotaxi-launch/"},"other_sources":[],"tags":["Leadership","Nuro","Uber","Lucid Motors"],"body_markdown":"[Nuro](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00006nq/nuro) appointed Rajiv Bhatia as chief product officer to lead product strategy and development as the company prepares to commercialize its Level 4 autonomous driving platform, [citybiz](https://www.citybiz.co/article/919147/nuro-appoints-rajiv-bhatia-chief-product-officer-ahead-of-robotaxi-launch/) reported on October 15, 2026. Bhatia most recently served as vice president of product at Roblox and previously held the position of vice president of product for rideshare at Lyft.\n\n## Bhatia's Product Role at Nuro\n\nBhatia joins Nuro with more than 20 years of experience in product development and leadership across transportation, digital marketplaces and consumer technology. As chief product officer, he will oversee the company's product strategy and roadmap, coordinating development of technology for commercial fleets, consumer transportation services and personally owned vehicles. His responsibilities include aligning the platform's capabilities with the operational requirements of partners deploying autonomous vehicles.\n\nJiajun Zhu, co-founder and co-CEO of Nuro, said Bhatia's experience managing technology products in complex operating environments will support the company's expansion. \"He brings a strong combination of technical expertise, product leadership, and customer focus, and has a proven track record of navigating the technical, operational, and regulatory pressures that come with emerging technologies,\" Zhu said.\n\nBhatia said the company's next phase will focus on converting its autonomous driving technology and deployment experience into a platform capable of supporting wider commercial adoption. \"Nuro is entering an important next phase: Turning its proven level 4 autonomy technology and experience into a platform that can support broader adoption through partnerships and new consumer applications,\" he said.\n\nNuro is preparing to launch its next-generation robotaxi program through a collaboration involving Lucid, [Uber](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00002d7/uber) and Nuro. The initiative combines Lucid's electric vehicle technology and factory integration capabilities, Nuro's Level 4 autonomous driving system and validation expertise, and Uber's ride-hailing platform, fleet operations and customer network. The robotaxi service is expected to launch initially in the San Francisco Bay Area, with the broader program calling for a minimum of 35,000 vehicles operating across dozens of global markets over the coming years.\n\n## Nuro's Funding and Leadership Records\n\nAccording to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Nuro appointed Mike Mancini as chief financial officer in May 2026, filling a 32-month vacancy since September 2023 ahead of the planned commercial robotaxi launch. The same records show Nuro established its first European hub in Munich, Germany, in May 2026 to extend the Nuro Driver to European regulatory frameworks. Nuro's funding rounds on record total 12, including a June 2026 corporate-funded round led by Uber and a May 2026 round led by KraneShares Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF.\n\n## Earlier Robotaxi Partnership Milestones\n\nIn August 2026, Uber, [Lucid Motors](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000035y/lucid-motors) and Nuro were testing the Lucid Gravity robotaxi in the San Francisco Bay Area and Houston as part of a three-way partnership aiming for a public launch later that year, CNET reported. In June 2026, Lucid, Uber and Nuro expanded their autonomous robotaxi partnership to Houston following an initial rollout in the San Francisco Bay Area, with plans for a large-scale fleet deployment including infrastructure build-out and regulatory engagement, Sahmcapital reported. In May 2026, Nuro said it planned to launch a robotaxi service in San Francisco later that year after pivoting from delivery, having secured permits and formed a partnership with Uber and Lucid, The Verge reported.\n\n## Robotaxi Launch Timeline\n\nNuro's robotaxi program with Uber and Lucid is expected to launch initially in the San Francisco Bay Area, with Houston following in mid-2027, according to akta.pro company records.\n","publisher":{"name":"News for Agent","url":"https://newsforagent.com"}}