As one of the leading car manufacturers in the automotive industry. Mahindra has seen turbulence in a dynamic environment that has pushed the company to its limits. Starting out as a steel trading venture, the company has since evolved into a global powerhouse as it operates in over 100 countries currently. It is now renowned as a car company that the world is quite fond of. However, the journey and challenges faced by the company are no secret. This article will extensively cover details about Mahindra, its founding history, the challenges and obstacles faced by it, the operational models, and much more.
About Mahindra
Mahindra is an Indian automobile manufacturing company that has its headquarters located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The company was established in 1945 as Mahindra & Mohammed, but it eventually got renamed to Mahindra & Mahindra.
Being part of the Mahindra Group, M&M is one of the largest vehicle manufacturers in terms of production made in India. In fact, the Mahindra Tractors subsidiary is also the largest tractor manufacturer in the world! The numbers are so steep that it was ranked number 17 on the list of top Indian companies, marked by the Fortune India 500.
Some of its major competitors in the Indian market include Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors.
History of Mahindra
M&M was started in 1945 by two brothers J.C Mahindra and K.C Mahindra, and Malik Ghulam Muhammad in Ludhiana, Punjab. Their sole reason for starting the business was to trade steel. But after the Partition of India in 1947, Muhammed was separated from the company. After that he emigrated to Pakistan, where he ruled as the first finance minister of the new state before going on to become the third Governor General in 1951.
J.C and K.C Impact
In 1948, J.C and K.C changed the name of the company to ‘Mahindra & Mahindra And soon enough they were working with UK suppliers. The brothers won a contract to manufacture Willys Jeeps in India and thus they started producing them in 1947.
By 1956, M&M gained enough popularity to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. By 1969, the company started exporting utility vehicles and spare parts.
In 1982, the company created a tractor division whilst launching a tech section in 1986.
1994 Challenge
By 1994, the group had created quite a name and it had become diverse enough to undertake a fundamental reorganization – dividing itself into 6 different Strategic Business Units namely automotive, farm equipment, infrastructure, trade and financial services, information technology, and automotive spare components.
Along with the reorganization, Its managing director Anand Mahindra also reorganized a new logo back in 2000 followed by the successful launch of the ever-famous Mahindra Scorpio in 2002.
In January 2011, the Indian car company launched a brand-new corporate brand named ‘Mahindra Rise’ whose main aim was to unify the overall brand image across various industries geographically. The brand positions its products and services as being aspirational and supporting its customer’s ambitions to ‘Rise’.
Currently, M&M boasts a powerful position as being one of the 20 largest companies in India.
In 2009, this was confirmed as Forbes ranked the group amongst the top 200 most reputable companies in the world.
By April 2012, the company had expressed some interest in purchasing the bankrupt automobile company ‘Saab’ and went on to place several bids but was ultimately outbid by National Electric Vehicle Sweden, Saab’s new owner.
Manufacturing Automobiles Cars
The company had began assembling the Jeep C3 in 1954, in addition to manufacturing light commercial vehicles a few years later in 1965.
In 1979, there was a transmission of Peugeot diesel four-cylinder engines and by 1982. The company had a tie-up with Kia Motors to build their four-speed KMT90 transmission.
The company first started making passenger vehicles with the Logan back in April 2007 under the Mahindra-Renault joint venture. However, the company made its debut entry into the heavy trucks segment with the Truck and Bus Division in a joint venture with International Truck USA.
At the 2008 Delhi Auto Show, executives of the company mentioned that they were pursuing market expansion aggressively. It would be expecting to see the launch of several new vehicles in the next three years. Including an entry-level SUV designed to seat five passengers whilst being powered by a small, Diesel engine which would be turbocharged.
True to their word, the company launched the Xylo in January 2009 and sold over 15000 units in the first six months of its launch.
Back in 2011, It launched its relatively heavily marketed and publicized SUV ‘XUV500’ and this was designed in-house which eventually became the first global SUV platform that could be used for developing more SUVs.
In 2021, Mahindra had launched the XUV700 and in the next year, the company released the Scorpio N, also known as the ‘Big Daddy of SUVs. The previous generation is called the Scorpio Classic.
Who Are the Leader?
Although the company was founded by J.C and K.C Mahindra, and Malik Ghulam Muhammed, the current owners of the group are:
- Anand Mahindra – the Chairman
- Dr. Anish Shah – Group’s CEO and also managing director
- Mr. Rajesh Jejurikar – the Executive Director and CEO of the Auto and Farm sectors
- Mr. TN Manoharan – Independent Director
- Ms. Shikha Sharma – Independent Director
- Ms. Nisaba Godrej – Independent Director
- Mr. Ranjan Pant, Sat Pal Bhanoo – Nonexecutive and non-independent director
Challenges Faced
Despite emerging as a top-leading manufacturer in India, and a strong reputation, the company has encountered several obstacles and challenges abroad and in India.
- Poor Market Performance: The company’s car models which were anticipated to make a rather notable impact in international markets, have struggled significantly. Although the marketing efforts were supreme with promotional campaigns. M&M has failed to generate sales and this has affected attempts to expand its presence abroad.
- Lack of Market Response: The absence of buyers certainly highlights the obstacles and challenges faced by the company. Although it has emerged as a prominent player in the Indian markets. Mahindra’s success is not anywhere near felt in the international markets and this is a reason for concern for the stakeholders and the company.
- Over-dependence on Automobiles: A major part of the company’s revenues come from its automobile industry which actually makes it quite vulnerable to make a breakthrough in the industry.
- Top Competitors Already Ahead: For M&M, several other automobile companies are already in the lead especially its main competitors namely Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors. This might cause a setback for the company’s revenues.
Models
Passenger Vehicles
| Bolero (2000) | INR 9.79 lakhs | Mid Size SUV |
| Bolero Neo (2021) | INR 9.95 lakhs starting | Mini SUV |
| Thar (2010) | INR 11.50 lakhs starting | 4×4 Compact SUV |
| Scorpio (2002) | INR 13.62 lakhs | C – Segment SUV |
| Scorpio N (2022) | INR 16.11 lakhs | D – Segment SUV |
Crossover SUV
| XUV 3XO (2019) | INR 7.99 lakhs | B-segment crossover SUV |
| XUV 700 (2021) | INR 13.9 lakhs | C-segment crossover SUV |
Light Commercial Vehicle
| Scorpio Getaway (2006) | INR 8.99 Lakhs | Pick up truck |
| Roxor (2018) | INR 10 lakhs | 4×4 off-road sports utility vehicle |
Electric Vehicles
| XUV 400 (2023) | INR 15.49 lakhs | B-Segment crossover SUV |
| BE6 (2024) | INR 18.9 Lakhs | C Segment coupe SUV |
Discontinued Models
- Armada was discontinued in 2001
- Voyager was discontinued in 2002
- Major was discontinued in 2010
- Xylo was discontinued in 2019
- Maxximo was discontinued in 2015
- XUV500 was discontinued in 2021
- KUV100 was discontinued in 2023
- TUV 300 was discontinued in 2020
Naming of Vehicles with last letter “O”
Most commercial and passengers that are manufactured by the company have followed the age-old rule of ending the model names with an ‘O’ as seen on top models like Scorpio, Verito, and XUV7OO. Back in 2013, the president of the company Pawan Goenka confirmed that the ‘O’ had something to do with luck because the model names were stylized with an ‘O’ only after the success of the Bolero and Scorpio. Since then this tradition stuck on.
Mahindra New launch Cars in 2025-26
| Model | Price | Expected Launch Date |
| XEV 9e | Rs. 30.50 Lakh* | Mar 15, 2025 |
| XEV 4e | Rs. 13 Lakh* | Mar 15, 2025 |
| Thar 3-Door | Rs. 12 Lakh* | Apr 15, 2025 |
| BE 07 | Rs. 29 Lakh* | Aug 15, 2025 |
| Global Pik Up | Rs25 Lakh | Jan 16, 2026 |
Disclaimer
The information and prices given are initial estimates and may change at any time without warning. The final details, features, and prices may change when the car officially launches or based on dealership pricing. We suggest reaching out to your local authorized dealer for the latest and most correct information.
Controversies
Troubles over trademark
In 2024, a dispute arose between Indigo Airlines and Mahindra regarding the latter’s use of ‘6E’ for their model.
The dispute revolves around the car company’s electric SUV known as the ‘BE 6e’ which IndiGo has claimed is an infringement on the airline’s trademark which could mislead consumers.
This legal battle which is currently being fought in Delhi High Court, has highlighted the importance of using and protecting a brand identity. In terms of the dispute, both companies stand firm in their stance with IndiGo asserting its right over ‘6E’ whilst the Indian car company has denied any wrongdoing and infringement.
Anand Mahindra’s befitting tweet to criticism
Sometime in 2024, a particular tweet came up on social media that criticized the company and expressed massive dissatisfaction with the company’s current vehicle designs, service standards, and customer experience. The user also mentioned that there was a lack in the appeal of aesthetics and called the company out for improvements in their ground-level operations like the availability of spare parts and employee behavior.
This criticism had quite an impact given that it was over social media. But the company’s chairman Anand Mahindra gave a befitting response which successfully proved that he was a master in leadership and humility. Anand retaliated by reflecting on the company’s evolution since the early 1990s and how there were global consultants who constantly doubted the company’s ability to compete with foreign manufacturers.
However, the company has managed to stand out as a formidable player despite the challenges. Ultimately, Anand emphasized that the company’s perpetual driving force for improvement served as the greatest motivation to aim for excellence.
Final Words
With all the challenges faced by the company since the time of its inception back in 1944. When the trio of founders focused on steel trades to this date where it has become one of the leading Indian automotive companies. Mahindra has gone a long way, and has an even longer to go. Under the humble leadership of Anand Mahindra, the company is expected to reach further milestones. That it will reach new horizons of success and more development because this is what the company really believes in. The determination to aim for perfection whilst constantly improving its products and services. Such a goal only breeds and raises perfection and excellence.
FAQs About Mahindra
Ans. This company is set to release new models, including updated versions of famous SUVs like the XUV700 and Scorpio.
Ans. The XUV 2024 is expected to cost between ₹13 to 14 lakh (before any additional fees), but prices might change.
Ans. It might launch a refreshed version of the XUV700 in 2025, with new style and technology.
