By Areeb Khan
Mahindra is accelerating its EV push through faster product development, premium positioning and higher production. The automaker plans six new EVs by 2031 while ramping up monthly output beyond 8,000 units.
Formula E racing ek strategy hoti hai jise 'Attack Mode' kaha jata hai, jahan ek racing driver deliberately decide karta hai ki right moment par acceleration kab karni hai, even when conditions prefect nahi hoti hai. Anand Mahindra ne Mahindra Group ki annual report mein shareholders ko apne message mein isi strategy ka example dete hue kaha ki ideal conditions mein overtaking karna difficult hota hai, because everyone is already running at speed. And agar is approach ko business perspective se dekha jaaye, so maybe yahi strategy aaj Indian companies ke liye bhi kaahi important ho sakti hai jo global level par apni presence or ambitions ko expand karna chahti hai. Mahindra ka khud ka automotive business, including its EV operations, bhi same approach se benefit sakta hai, jahan perfect conditions ka wait karne ke instead right opportunity ko identify karke aggressively accelerate karna most important ho jaata hai. Accelerating speed and innovation New-age automotive industry ki baat karein so ab requirements sirf growth tak limited nahi reh gayi hai, rather innovation or speed bhi equally important ho gayi hai, especially when it comes to growing sustainably. Indian automakers abb globally apni position ko stronger establish karne ki try kar rahe hai, or isi reason se Chinese manufacturers ke saath comparisons bhi kaafi frequently dekhne ko mil rahe hai. In fact, China ki fast pace of development, jise commonly 'China speed' kaha jaata hai, abb Indian auto industry ke liye ek important benchmark ban chuki hai. R Velusamy, President (Automotive Business, M&M, and MD), Mahindra Electric Automobile Limited believes that Indian automotive players ko benchmark sirf technology ke basis par nahi karna chahiye, but execution ke level par bhi khud ko benchmark karna important hai. Unke according, three capabilities hai which will determine the long-term competitiveness of an automaker. Talk about first is product quality ismein fit and finish, craftmanship and overall customer experience jaise aspects include kiye jaate hai, jo ultimately customer ko vehicle ke saath ek better overall experience dene ka role play karte hai. Development speed ki baat karein so Chinese manufacturers ne apne product development cycles ko dramatically shorten kar diya hai, while existing models ko bhi ek aise pace par refresh kiya jaa raha hai which has forced global automakers to rethink their conventional timelines. Velusamy ke according, is speed ko comprehend karna or uske according respond karna current era mein success ke liye kaafi essential hone wala hai. The third point is delivering a compelling price-value equation. In simple words, aapko yeh understand karna hoga ki competitors kitni quickly apne products ko develop kar rahe hai, kitni frequently unhe refresh kar rahe hai and kis price value equation ke saath market mein compete kar rahe hai. Velusamy ne recently ETAuto ke saath ek interview mein interact karte hue kaha it is about understanding how quickly competitors develop products, how frequently they refresh them and at what price-value equation they compete. Mahindra ki baat karein so over the past few years company has attracted quite a lot of attention in the industry for compressing the development timelines of its electric SUV programmes. In his previous role as President-Technology and Product Development, Velusamy led the team in developing Mahindra's first set of born-electric SUVs-BE 6 and XEV 9e in a record time of just three years. Company ke new benchmark ke regarding question kiya gaya, so also to meet the 'China speed' Velusamy smiles and says that they do it, he will let us know what the next benchmark is. Unke according, these are the arsenals that you keep in the cover. Starting with Mahindra's upcoming EV plans, so company is planning to launch a total of 6 new electric vehicles by 2031. These new EVs gradually introduce in over the coming years, as Mahindra looks to strengthen its presence in the electric SUV segment. Prioritize premium positioning India ka passenger EV market abhi bhi overall car sales ka relatively small share account karta hai, but M&M ke liye toh yeh transition already kuch zyada fundamental aspect ko change karna start kar chuka hai. Sirf sales volumes mein change nahi dekha jaa raha hai, rather yeh bhi change ho raha hai ki actual mein M&M ki cars ko kaun purchase kar raha hai and kis type ke customers abb brand ki taraf attract ho rahe hai. Homegrown SUV maker ki baat karein so company ke according, a large majority of customers jo iske new-generation born-electric SUVs ko opt kar rahe hai, woh actually first-time Mahindra buyers hai. Isse yeh signal milta hai that the company's premium EV strategy ab sirf existing Mahindra customers ko target nahi kar rahi hai, but it is also helping the brand expand beyond its traditional utility vehicle customer base. In fact, premium electric SUVs ke through Mahindra abb un buyers ko bhi attract karne ki try kar raha hai jo otherwise global ya luxury car brands ko consider kar sakte the. Ye products Rs.25 Lakh se above priced hai. Hum ab what used to be seen as a typical UV Mahindra, usko convert kar rahe hai into a luxury-segment Mahindra. These comments offer an early indication that how Mahindra's aggressive investment in its INGLO-based born-electric platform is starting to reshape the brand's market positioning. Unlike its earlier electric offering, the BE 6 and XEV 9e have been conceived as technology-led premium SUVs, so yahan par the focus is no just on lower running costs but also on buyers who are looking for software-rich and feature-intensive products. They also lead Mahindra's Software defined vehicle or SDV journey, which is another important aspect of the brand's new age electric strategy. EV resurrection is accelerating Velusamy ke comments aate hai against the backdrop of a sharp improvement in India's passenger EV market after a relatively subdued phase last year. New launches, improving charging infrastructure and increasing consumer confidence ke saath, electric passenger vehicle sales ne recent months mein momentum regain kiya hai, with industry growth broader passenger vehicle market ke comparison mein significantly faster rahi hai. Mahindra ka believe hai ki EV ecosystem abb ek important inflection point ko touch kar chuka hai. Overall passenger vehicle market mein EVs ka share abb around 9 per cent estimate kiya jaa raha hai. As per FADA (Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations) Research data, Indian electric PV market mein retail sales grew a whopping 108 percent in June, although yeh growth ek lower base par dekhi gayi hai, with 15,318 units sold in June last year. Mahindra ki baat karein so retail sales of 7,766 units ke saath, company abb number two position par hai, with a market share of 25 percent. While infrastructure, localisation or policy support gradually evolve ho rahe hai, he believes that over the past few years larger ecosystem kaafi considerably mature ho chuka hai. Iske baare mein baat karein so unhone kaha "there has been an orbit shift", adding that because of geopolitical developments fuel prices par jo impact dekhne ko mil raha hai, uske saath-saath government ki taraf se electrification ko continue support bhi diya jaa raha hai. In dono factors ki wajah se consumers mein electric vehicles ko lekar interest or bhi stronger hua hai. Demand surpasses supply More than generating demand ki baat karein so immediate challenge Mahindra or most other EV makers ke liye however, is demand ko fulfill karna hai. In other words, customers ke interest or demand ko actual deliveries mein convert karna abb ek bigger challenge ban gaya hai. Mahindra currently produce kar raha hai around 6,500-7,000 born electric SUVs every month and expect kar rahe hai ki production abb near future mein 8,000 units ko cross kar jayega as their manufacturing operations gradually stabilize ho rahe hai. EV plant ki baat karein so Chakan mein located is plant ki installed annual manufacturing capacity 2,00,000 units ki hai, although so far around 1,20,000 units ki capacity hi operationlised ki gayi hai. Velusamy ke according, yeh ek good problem to have hai, because company market mein jitna demand hai usko completely fulfill nahi kar paa rahi hai. In fact, woh kehte hai that they are not able to supply enough to the market. Conventional capacity expansion programmes ki baat karein so Mahindra ka production ramp-up thoda different hai, because it is closely linked to the common INGLO electric architecture which multiple future products ko underpin karega. Jaise-jaise is platform par volumes increase honge, manufacturing efficiencies bhi improve hone ki expectation hai and at the same time component economics mein bhi improvement dekhi jaa sakti hai. This means same architecture ko multiple products mein use karne ke saath Mahindra scale ka benefit bhi achieve kar payega. New consumers brings new expectations Starting with perhaps the biggest change, so according to Velusamy, the major difference lies in the kind of customer that Mahindra is now serving. Customer profile mein kaafi significant change dekha jaa sakta hai, which reflects how the company's focus and product strategy have evolved over time. Yeh humare liye ek completely new learning hai. Humne kabhi aise customers nahi dekhe hai, humne kabhi aise products nahi banaye hai and humare paas kabhi is tarah ka experience bhi nahi raha hai. Traditional SUV buyers ki comparison mein, premium EV customers se expectations thodi different ho sakti hai, so yahan par aap notice kar payenge that frequent software update, seamless digital interfaces, connected services or continuously new features add hona kaafi important ho jaata hai. Mahindra ke according, is new ownership base se milne wala customer feedback already future products ki development mein feed kiya jaa raha hai, which means company apne upcoming models ko develop karte time real-world customer experience ko bhi consider kar rahi hai. Company isse ek one-time product launch ki tarah dekhti, instead yeh ek ongoing learning process hai jahan product ko continuously improve kiya jaata hai. Aap product launch karte hai, and after that customers se feedback receive karte hai and then us feedback ke basis par product mein further improvements continue kiye jaate hai. Velusamy ke according, "You launch the product, receive feedback and continue improving it". Continuous improvement ki baat karein so a good quality baseline par continuously improve karna will also be very crucial for Mahindra, especially when it comes to successfully tapping into international EV markets. Beyond a new technology for propulsion Mahindra ki baat karein so electrification abb sirf ek growing vehicle segment mein participate karne ya ek new propulsion technology ko adopt karne tak limited nahi lagti hai. In fact, company ke liye electrification ka role isse kaafi massive strategic purpose serve karta hua nazar aa raha hai. Company ka born electric programme brand ko premium mobility mein reposition karne mein help kar raha hai, while saath hi ek completely new customer demographic ko attract karne or software led vehicle development mein capabilities build karne ka role bhi play kar raha hai. Iske saath company ek aise future ke liye bhi prepare kar rahi hai jahan global competitiveness sirf engineering excellence par depend nahi karegi, rather speed of execution bhi equally important hone wali hai. Whether this transformation ultimately translates into sustained global success, so woh depend karega on the company's ability to scale manufacturing, maintain quality and at the same time development cycles ko or bhi shorten karne par. Source: ETauto