Keshub Mahindra & Anand Mahindra

J.C. & K.C. Mahindra, the founders of the Mahindra Group, had the same ambition: to prove to themselves and the world that Indians were capable of being the best at whatever they chose to do. Accordingly, they gave up their professional careers at TISCO and Martin Burn respectively, and risked becoming entrepreneurs by setting up their own company: Mahindra & Mahindra.


It was under their inspiring leadership that Mahindra & Mahindra made the first indigenous Jeep in the country in 1949. Their innovative spirit also showed during the days when the Company was the leading importer of steel in the country. J.C. & K.C. Mahindra had to persuade the Indian Government to buy French rails for the fledgling Indian Railways because they felt that the British specifications were obsolete and not the best suited. To convince government officials of the superiority of the French product, they laid down a short length of rail line with French rails and invited the government authorities for a ride. During the journey, chilled champagne was served in glasses filled to the brim. Legend has it that the train raced along, but not a single drop of champagne was spilled, so smooth were the French rails. Needless to say, they made their point.

K.C. Mahindra
Interestingly, J.C. & K.C. Mahindra believed in globalisation decades before it had become a buzzword. Even in the fifties, the Company had British and German engineers on its rolls, and international tie-ups with Mitsubishi, Willys, Perrine and Chrysler. Every venture they set up delivered satisfactory financial results and their company, Mahindra & Mahindra, has grown into one of India's largest corporate groups. Even today the Group is driven by the same vision that drove them then.

Mr. Keshub Mahindra - Chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.


Mr. Keshub Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., is a graduate from Wharton, University of Pennsylvania, USA. After joining the Company in 1947, he became the Chairman in 1963. Over five decades, his continuous involvement has enabled the Mahindra Group to reach where it is today.

He is a well-known philanthropist who redefined corporate governance by effectively channelising funds into the social sector. He has contributed immensely to the cause of building ethical corporations in India and is currently a part of numerous prestigious organizations and committees. He was also appointed by the Government of India to serve on a number of Committees including the Sachar Commission on Company Law & MRTP; Central Advisory Council of Industries etc. Today, he is an icon, an inspiring business leader and a distinguished corporate citizen that everyone looks up to.

Mr. Keshub Mahindra is on the Board of Directors of the following organisations:

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Chairman of Mahindra Holdings & Finance Limited, Mahindra Ugine Steel Company Limited
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Chairman of the Board of Governors of Mahindra United World College of India
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Vice-Chairman of Housing Development Finance Corp. Ltd.
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Chairman of Kema Services (International) Private Ltd.
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Chairman, Tech Mahindra Foundation
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Chairman, Mahindra Holdings Limited
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Director in Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited, The Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Co. Limited, United World Colleges (International), Ltd., UK, Rodal Investments Private Limited Pratham-India Education Initiative and Tech Mahindra Foundation.




He is a member of the following organisations & committees:

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Prime Minister's Council on Trade & Industry, New Delhi
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Apex Advisory Council - ASSOCHAM
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Founder Member - Indo-Hellenic Friendship League
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Founder Member of Governing Council, Integrated Research & Action for Development (IRADe) New Delhi
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President - Centre for Research in Rural & Industrial Development Society, Chandigarh
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Chairman, Governing Body, Centre for Research in Rural & Industrial Development, Chandigarh
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President Emeritus - Employers' Federation of India
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President of the Governing Council - University of Pennsylvania Institute for the Advanced Study of India, New Delhi
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Hon. Fellow - All India Management Association, New Delhi



Positions held by Mr. Keshub Mahindra: A Timeline

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1966-67 President of Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry
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1969-70 President of ASSOCHAM
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1991-92 President of Indo-American Society
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1978-95 President of M.V.I.R.D.C. - World Trade Centre
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1975-85 Chairman of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
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1971-75 Chairman of Housing & Urban Development Corporation Limited
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1984-89 Member of the Foundation Board - International Management Institute, Geneva
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1986-96 Hon. Member, Business Advisory Council - International Finance Corporation, Washington
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1983-97 Member, International Council - Asia Society, New York
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1998-2005 Chairman, India Nominating Committee 'Single Nation Programme', Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships, USA



Spearheading social causes:

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Chairman - Mahindra Foundation
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Chairman, Board of Trustees - Population First
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Member, Governing Board - United Way of Mumbai
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Member of the International Advisory Board of University of Pennsylvania, Center for the Advanced Study of India, Philadelphia
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Vice President - National Society for Clean Cities
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Chairman and Founder Trustee - Bombay City Policy Research Foundation
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Member, Governing Board - Bombay First
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Chairman - Bombay First, Health & Environment Committee
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Chairman & Trustee - K.C. Mahindra Education Trust
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Hon. Member - Rotary Club of Bombay
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Member of the Governing Body of HelpAge India from 2000-2004
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Member of the Board of Governors of Bharat Shiksha Kosh from 2002-2005



Recipient of the following prestigious awards:

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1987 Chevalier De La Legion D'honneur
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1985 Companion - British Institute of Management
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1972-82 Giants International Business Leadership Award
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1980 NIF-Mody Enterprises Man of the Year Award
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1983 Madras Management Association Business Leadership Award
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1989 Business India - Businessman of the Year, India
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1990 Honorary Fellowship of All India Management Association
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1992 Rotary Award for Vocational Excellence
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1992 Shiromani Award
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1993 Vikas Jyoti Award for Outstanding Services, Contribution & Achievements
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1994 FIE Foundation - Rashtra Bhushan Award
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1994 The Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Industrial Peace - XLRI, Jamshedpur
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1996 Rotary Vocational Excellence Award in the field of Industry
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1998 IMC Diamond Jubilee Endowment Trust Award
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2000 Motorindia Automan Award
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2000 Dadabhai Naoroji International Award for Excellence & Lifetime Achievement
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2003 All India Management Association Lifetime Achievement Award for Management
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2004 Award from Overdrive for Excellence in the Indian Automotive Hall of Pride
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2004 Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance
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2005 Qimpro Platinum Standard - Statesman for Quality - Business Award
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2006 Lakshya Business Visionary Award - NITIE
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2007 Indian Business School (IBS) Kolkata Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI).
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2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr. Anand G. Mahindra

BRIEF CAREER HISTORY OF MR. ANAND G. MAHINDRA
Mr. Anand G. Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., graduated from Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Magna cum Laude (High Honours). In 1981 he secured an MBA degree from the Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts. He returned to India that year and joined Mahindra Ugine Steel Company Ltd (MUSCO), the country's foremost producer of speciality steels, as Executive Assistant to the Finance Director. In 1989 he was appointed President and Deputy Managing Director of the company.

During his stint at MUSCO, he initiated the Mahindra Group's diversification into the new business areas of real estate development and hospitality management.

In the summer of 1991, he was appointed Deputy Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., the country's dominant producer of off-road vehicles and agricultural tractors.

He has since been engaged in a comprehensive change programme in Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. to make the company an efficient and aggressive competitor in the new liberalised economic environment in India.

In April 1997, he was appointed Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd and in January 2003 given the additional responsibility of Vice Chairman.

Mr. Mahindra was a co-promoter of Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd., which in 2003 was converted into a bank. Kotak Mahindra Bank is one of the foremost private sector banks today.

Mr. Mahindra frequently shares his views and ideas on Indian economy and business through his writings in some of India's leading business magazines.

Mr. Mahindra is the recipient of the following awards:

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'Knight of the Order of Merit' by the President of the French Republic
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Rajiv Gandhi Award 2004 for outstanding contribution in the business field
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2005 Leadership Award from the American India Foundation for his, and the Mahindra Group's commitment to corporate social responsibility
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Person of the Year 2005 from Auto Monitor
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CNBC Asia Business Leader Award for the year 2006
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The Most Inspiring Corporate Leader of the Year 2007 from NDTV Profit.



OTHER ACTIVITIES

Mr. Mahindra is the co-founder of the Harvard Business School Association of India, an association dedicated to the promotion of professional management in India. The association has grown substantially over the years.

He is Past President 2003-04 of the Confederation of Indian Industry and has also been President of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

Mr. Mahindra is a Director of The National Stock Exchange of India Limited appointed under the "Public Representatives" category.

He takes a keen interest in matters related to education and apart from being a Trustee of the K.C. Mahindra Education Trust, which provides scholarships to students, he is also on the Board of Governors of the Mahindra United World College of India.

Mr. Mahindra is the Founder Chairman of the Mumbai Festival, which was launched in January 2005. The event was the first comprehensive festival to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the city.

He is the Co-Chairman of the International Council of the Asia Society, New York.

Mr. Mahindra is a Member of the following organisations:

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Harvard Business School - Asia-Pacific Advisory Board
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Harvard Business School - Member of the Board of Dean's Advisors
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Harvard University Asia Centre - Advisory Committee
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Asia Business Council
5.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), Government of India - Council and Executive Committee
6.
The Nehru Centre, Mumbai - Executive Committee
7.
National Council of Applied Economic Research
8.
National Institute of Bank Management, Pune - Governing Board

The Mahindra Group is a US $6.7 billion Group and a leading manufacturer of multi-utility vehicles with significant presence in key sectors like automotive, farm equipment, financial services, trade and logistics, automotive components, after-market, IT and infrastructure. Mahindra Group. The company was set up in 1945 as Mahindra & Mohammed. Later, after the partition of India, Mr. Ghulam Mohammad migrated to Pakistan and became that nation's first finance minister. Hence, the name was changed from Mahindra & Mohammed to Mahindra & Mahindra in 1948. Initially set up to manufacture general-purpose utility vehicles, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) was first known for assembly of the iconic Jeep in India.
The company later branched out into manufacture of light commercial vehicles light commercial vehicles (LCVs)and agricultural tractors agricultural tractors and rapidly grew from being a manufacturer of army vehicles and tractors to an automobile major with a growing global appetite. At present, M&M is the leader in the Utility Vehicle (UV) segment in India, and its flagship UV, the Scorpio (known as the Mahindra Goa in Italy), has carved a distinct niche for itself with its unique combination of rugged utility and style.
By 2005, M&M had become the largest producer of SUVs in India.
Business
Mahindra & Mahindra rapidly grew from being a maker of army vehicles to a major automobile and tractor manufacturer with a growing global appetite. M&M initiated a process of product enhancement and globalization. It made strategic acquisitions of plants in China and the United Kingdom, and has three assembly plants in the USA. M&M has partnerships with international companies like Renault SA, France and International Truck and Engine Corporation, USA.
M&M made its entry into the passenger car segment with the Logan in April 2007 under the Mahindra Renault JV. M&M will make its maiden entry into the heavy trucks segment with Mahindra International, the joint venture with International Truck, USA.
M&M’s Automotive Sector makes a wide rage of vehicles including MUVs, LCVs and three wheelers. M&M is the largest manufacturer of MUVs, offering over 20 models including new generation multi-utility vehicles like the Scorpio and the Bolero. The company is a market leader in the Utility Vehicle segment.
M&M's products are being exported to several countries including Italy, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, Sudan and the Middle East. Its global subsidiaries include Mahindra Europe Srl. based in Italy, Mahindra USA Inc., Mahindra South Africa and Mahindra (China) Tractor Co. Ltd.
Mahindra Farm Equipment Sector has come to be recognized as a powerful symbol of productivity and performance. M&M is the third largest tractor company in the world. It is also the largest manufacturer of tractors in India with sustained market leadership of around 25 years. It designs, develops, manufactures and markets tractors as well as farm implements. The Sector has also found significant success in the international market. Mahindra (China) Tractor Co. Ltd. manufactures tractors for the growing Chinese market and is a hub for tractor exports to the USA and other western nations. M&M has a 100% subsidiary, Mahindra USA, where it assembles products for the American market. FES received the coveted Deming Application Prize for manufacturing in 2003, for establishing Total Quality Management in all operations. This was followed by the prestigious Japan Quality Medal in 2007, making M&M Ltd. the only tractor company in the world to receive both coveted quality accolades.
Formed in 2004, by M&M, the Systech Sector is a response to the increasingly competitive automotive components industry. Providing an extensive range of services from design to delivery, Systech intends to create the world's most valuable and innovative auto components business by partnering with global customers to satisfy their business needs. Towards this goal, M&M has acquired three international companies in the forging space -- Stokes Forgings in the UK, Jeco Holding AG, and Schöneweiss GmbH in Germany. Most recently, M&M acquired Metalcastello S.p.A., a leading Italian independent gear manufacturer which will augment Systech’s ability to serve its customers from multiple locations i.e. Italy, UK, Germany and India for their auto component needs. It also strengthens the Mahindra Group’s position as a leading auto component player in the global market. This was followed by the acquisition of Engines Engineering S.p.A.which is in the business of two wheels design and developing of motorcycle prototype.Through these acquisitions and by finding value wherever it may be, Mahindra has created the fifth largest forging company in the world.
Mahindra bought Auto Designing co., G.R. Grafica Ricerca Design S.r.l (GRD), an Italian auto designing, feasibility and styling company based out of Turin, Italy to help it increase its presence in overseas markets.
At the recent Delhi auto show, Mahindra executives said the company is pursuing an aggressive product expansion program that will see the launch of several new platforms and vehicles over the next three years, including an entry-level SUV designed to seat five passengers and powered by a small turbodiesel engine. Later in 2008, it will unveil the all-new Ingenio SUV, which will be joined in 2009 by a pickup derivative.
At M&M, business is characterized by a relentless focus on the customer and his needs. Whether it is developing a world-class vehicle or creating a memorable holiday experience, processes are fine tuned to ensure enhanced customer satisfaction and technology is effectively leveraged to create innovative products for the consumer. Today, the company aims to become the most customer-centric corporation in India and eventually the world.
The Group employs over 65,000 people and has several state-of-the-art facilities in India and overseas. The company’s world-class Plant at Nashik, near Mumbai, produces the Scorpio, the Bolero and the Logan passenger car range and boasts of fully equipped manufacturing facilities in the Press Shop, Body Shop, CED Line, Paint Shop and Assembly. The Plant has an annual production capacity of 1.45 lakh/year and has won several awards and accolades since inception. In addition, M&M has one tractor manufacturing plant in China, three assembly plants in the United States and one at Brisbane, Australia.
In early 2008, Mahindra commenced its first overseas CKD operations with the launch of the Mahindra Scorpio in Egypt, in partnership with the Bavarian Auto Group. This was soon followed by assembly facilities in Brazil. Vehicles assembled at the Plant in Bramont, Manaus, include Scorpio Pik Ups in single and double cab pick-up body styles as well as sports utility.
Over the years, Mahindra has transformed itself into a group with a leadership position in all the sectors it operates in and has a growing global footprint. The Mahindra Group has ambitious global aspirations and has a presence on five continents. Mahindra was honoured with the Bombay Chamber Good Corporate Citizen Award for 2006-07 and the Businessworld FICCI-SEDF Corporate Social Responsibility Award – 2007. The US based Reputation Institute recently ranked Mahindra among the top 10 Indian companies in its ‘Global 200: The World’s Best Corporate Reputations’ list.
Mahindra is also gearing up to sell the Scorpio SUV and pickup next year in North America, through an independent distributor, Global Vehicles USA, based in Alpharetta, Georgia.