Going Global: Mahindra’s Mission Statement

"Made in India, for the world,” was the slogan for the Mahindra Futurescape event that took place on 15th August 2023 in Laurensford, Cape Town, South Africa. At the very beginning, Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director and CEO, Auto and Farm Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra clarified the reason behind choosing Cape Town as the event's location. "Cape Town is a land of adventure and gorgeous farm lands and in a manner of speaking, that is what Mahindra and Mahindra’s auto and farm business really stands for,” stated Jejurikar.

The eventful day was divided in two parts. The morning consisted of the global launch of the new OJA platform tractors developed via a collaboration (worth INR 1,200 crore) between the Mahindra Research Valley, which is Mahindra India’s research and development centre and the Mitsubishi Mahindra Agriculture Machinery in Japan, while the later half of the day was dedicated to the Mahindra’s auto division launches which consisted of two concept unveilings.

The new OJA platform, deriving its name from the Sanskrit term ojas (meaning energy) aims to offer innovative and lightweight 4-wheel drive tractors that will work around Mahindra’s ‘Go Global’ agenda. Catering to consumers with diverse needs, Mahindra aims to launch the new tractors on three OJA platforms, namely, the Sub Compact, Compact and Small Utility platforms with 4WD as a standard feature. During the launch, Mahindra unveiled seven new tractor models for the Indian market on the Compact and Small Utility platforms. These models ranged from 20HP to 40HP (14.91kW to 29.82kW) targeting a wide array of applications for farmers. 

Hemant Sikka, President – Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra made it clear that Mahindra’s new range of OJA tractors will make their pitch to the global as well as the Indian markets based on technological innovation, versatility and efficiency. Aimed at progressive farmers who desire more productivity, the OJA tractors will look forward to empowering Mahindra to address 25 per cent of the Global Tractor industry and at the same time help Mahindra enter new markets such as Europe and ASEAN.

‘Redefining mechanised farming’ is what Vikram Wagh, CEO, Farm Division, Mahindra & Mahindra iterated repeatedly after the unveiling of the tractors. The tractors will operate on three technology packs – Proja (productivity pack), Myoja (intelligence pack) and Roboja (automation pack).

After the India launch, the OJA range of tractors will subsequently make their way to North America, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, Europe and the SAARC region. Mahindra will also be making its debut in the ASEAN region starting with Thailand in 2024. Going all in on the ‘built in India, for the world’ motto, these tractors will be exclusively manufactured at Mahindra's tractor facility in Zaheerabad, Telangana.

Currently, Mahindra has product development facilities in four countries including India, Finland, Turkey and Japan, manufacturing facilities in eight countries including the USA, Brazil, Algeria, Australia and India and on-ground present in eleven countries including the USA, Finland, Brazil, South Africa, Nepal, Bangladesh and, of course, India.

With its foothold in the Indian markets getting stronger every year (16 per cent year-on-year growth in FY 2023; 3,89,531 units sold in the domestic market), the Indian auto giant aims to expand its global footprint with a key focus on the USA, Indian and ASEAN markets with the launch of the new tractors. 

In the second half of this grand event, spectators at the event witnessed the launch of two brand new concepts, namely, the Global Pik Up and the Vision Thar.e. The former is a pick-up truck concept from the Indian auto giant while the latter is an EV concept of Thar, the already popular Indian four-wheel drive phenom.

Vijay Nakra, President – Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra stated that the new Global Pik Up concept marks a significant step in Mahindra's ‘Go-Global’ strategy. “This vehicle is not only versatile and capable but also meets high standards of safety. Our move with the Global Pik Up is poised to not only reinforce our presence in existing markets but also pave the way to new frontiers,” added Nakra.

The Global Pik Up was truly a sight to behold. The Scorpio-based pick-up truck concept will come into production (code name Z121) and will utilise Mahindra’s next generation ladder frame. The Global Pik Up concept has been created at the Mahindra India Design Studio (MIDS) with numerous wild out-of-the-box details. The Scorpio connection can be easily detected in features such as the headlight and fenders. Elements such as a front LED light bar, a colossal bash-plate and tow hooks seemed like great additions given that it is, after all, a pick-up truck. As expected from a 4x4 pickup, the concept also dons a snorkel-style exhaust for river crossings.

Pratap Bose, Chief Design Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra emphasised heavily on the importance of the concept’s design. "Design is the cornerstone of our success, shaping our identity and paving the way for our global acceptance. The satin-finish titanium-gold paint highlights the vehicle's new generation Ladder Frame platform, embodying the ‘GO FAR’ aspirations that define this Mahindra Pik Up,” added Bose.

Something that really caught the spectators' eyes during Bose’s presentation was the two spare tyres in the load area of the Pik Up. No specifications have been released yet but by the looks of it, the wheelbase appeared to be the same as the Mahindra Thar (2850mm).

Expected to arrive in 2025, the Mahindra Global Pik Up will be powered by the Gen-II all-aluminium mHawk diesel motor paired with a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. Given that its target markets are India, South Africa and Australia, the production version coming with a diesel engine does make sense.

The show stopper at the event was definitely the unveiling of the Thar.e concept, Mahindra Electric Automobile Limited’s brand new iteration of the iconic and immensely popular Thar. Although the vehicle looked nothing like anything you’ve seen on the Indian roads before, it did remind us of Ford Bronco. With an eccentric design, a mammoth ground clearance and the new INGLO EV platform, the Thar.e definitely stole the show towards the end of the event.

“This endeavour goes beyond creating another off-roader; it shapes a vision that represents a progressive step in automotive design, without losing sight of where we came from,” said Pratap Bose, Chief Design Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra.

The five-door concept offers great insight into what the production model would look like. Although in a statement to BW Businessworld, Bose, clearly states that the auto manufacturer is uncertain about how the production unit will turn out to be, the end result will for sure be fascinating to witness. Features such as the wider wheel track at the rear and the boxy form factor keep it rooted to its origins as a hardcore off-roader. However, at the same time, the cyber truck-esque design offers a completely new perspective.

Mahindra showcased its new dedicated INGLO EV platform, termed P1. The INGLOW platform, short for ‘Indian Global’, will also be utilised in five other all-electric SUVs from Mahindra. This platform uses what Mahindra termed 'a skateboard platform' during its presentation. 

Staying true to its Go-Global vision, Mahindra is eyeing the global EV market which was valued at USD 384.65 billion. The market is expected to grow from USD 500.48 billion in FY 2023 to USD 1,579.10 billion in FY 2030 growing at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.8 per cent. The Indian EV market, on the other hand, is projected to grow from USD 3.21 billion in 2022 to USD 113.99 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 66.52 per cent during this period. 

The event also witnessed the launch of Mahindra's new anthem composed by none other than Academy Award-winning songwriter, singer and music composer, A.R. Rehman. This was also followed by the unveiling of the new logo for Mahindra electric vehicles. Going forward, Mahindra EVs will don the new silver infinity logo instead of the currently used bronze twin peaks, as seen on the Mahjindra XUV400.