Business
‘A Totally Different World’ at the 6th GCO Meet

Disturb the universe in positive and powerful ways – this was the call given by Chairman, Anand Mahindra to employees at the recently held Group Corporate Office (GCO) Annual Communication Meet. The theme ‘A Totally Different World’, acknowledged the pace and complexity of change in the coming years.

Each year, at this Meet, the GCO employees spend time sharing highlights from the last year, priorities for the year ahead, our aspirations for the future and actions we are taking today – all of which reflects who we are, who we aspire to be, and a call to action for us all. In his Fireside Chat, Mr. Mahindra discussed a variety of topics. In this issue of Echo we highlight his views on how innovation and new technologies would radically change the business landscape, opportunities that it would create for business and for each of us in the future.

We bring you excerpts from the chat with Mr. Navin Raju, General Council and Executive Vice President Group Legal.

In this age of fast-evolving automation-related technologies like IoT and Bot, how and where do you think people power can be leveraged for the benefit of our organization?
I haven't seen a chatbot which can come up with a vision statement. The day somebody tells me that you can devise an algorithm and replace a human being to create a vision statement for an organization, then I'll tell you humans are in danger. Until then, they won’t be.

Thanks to technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and Blockchain, jobs are likely to reduce. How should we maneuver through these complexities and remain relevant in business?
Every time there's been a quantum leap in technology, probably since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, there has been concern about jobs being lost. There is an ecosystem around every kind of technology. What we fail to recognize is that even as we are pessimistic about the loss of jobs, every new technology results in the creation of a new ecosystem and new jobs. Am I being a little too complacent? Yes, I guess I must temper that by saying that these new jobs are going to require new skills.

Give us a glimpse of the Future of Mobility, which Mahindra is aiming to enable. What are our next big bets in the Electric Vehicle (EV) space?
I see mobility evolving into three distinct segments, the commoditized commuting end, with ride sharing solutions using electric and autonomous vehicles. Then you will have lifestyle and recreational vehicles for leisure usage and finally high performance cars for those who love driving. That's the broad scenario, I see for the future.

Watch Anand Mahindra share his thoughts on digitization and it's impact on people, processes and jobs.
Click here to see the video

Business
Mahindra Among Select Few Industrialists To Meet Korean President

Mahindra Group Chairman, Anand Mahindra was among a select few top industrialists invited to meet the visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in, during his first ever visit to India. During this meeting, Mahindra reaffirmed the Group’s commitment to Korea, and to SsangYong.

The South Korean automotive company, in which Mahindra is a majority shareholder, plans to invest USD 1.2 billion over the next three to four years to drive its growth.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Mahindra said, “Working together with our Korean colleagues over the last seven years, and by pooling our different but complementary strengths, we have together restored the company’s status and pride. Sales volume has tripled. Ssangyong has invested USD 1.3 billion in product development and brand building. I believe that looking East instead of West was one of the best decisions we ever made, and we aspire to grow Ssangyong into a global company.”

Rise For Good
Mahindra Leads Fight Against Climate Change With Science Based Targets

The dream of building a better world for our children is at the top of everybody’s minds. That’s the only way forward – getting everybody involved. According to Anirban Ghosh, Chief Sustainability Officer, Mahindra Group, “At Mahindra, our businesses are demonstrating that decarbonization is possible while boosting employment, investment, and innovation. This gives us all a clear signal that using Science Based Targets is becoming a mainstream business practice. The transition to a low-carbon economy is a huge business opportunity, as well as the only way to secure sustainable prosperity for all.”

Science Based Targets is a joint initiative of Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the UN Global Compact (UNGC), the World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Wide Fund (WWF). Their goal is to enable leading global companies in setting ambitious and meaningful corporate Green House Gas (GHG) reduction targets.

At the Bonn Climate Conference held in April this year in Germany, 11 more companies of the Mahindra Group, joined Tech Mahindra and Mahindra Sanyo Special Steel in their commitment to Science Based Targets.

The 11 companies include Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., Mahindra Finance, Mahindra Logistics, Mahindra Susten, Mahindra Holidays, Mahindra Accelo, Mahindra Lifespace, Bristlecone, Mahindra World City Jaipur, Mahindra World City Developers, and Mahindra First Choice Services.

Our Chairman Anand Mahindra urged the leading 500 global corporations to commit to these Science Based Targets before the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS), which is scheduled to be held in San Francisco, USA, in September this year. The response has been overwhelming, with 400 corporations worldwide signing up for this initiative.

Global
Mahindra GenZe and Ford Introduce Electric Bikes in USA

No waiting at gas stations, no emissions, no noise, no stress, and charging is convenient. The all new Mahindra GenZe-Ford smart electric bicycle called the Ford GoBike is making news in San Francisco since April this year. This initiative adds 250 electric bicycles to the existing fleet of 3,000 Ford Gobikes in the US.

This clean mobility project -- zero emission ebikes – is a collaboration between two key automotive players, Mahindra and Ford. The Ford GoBike is manufactured by Mahindra GenZe at its Ann Arbor assembly facility just outside Detroit, Michigan, which also manufactures GenZe scooters.

The e-bike features a 345-kWh lithium ion battery that can be easily removed and conveniently charged. The bicycle also features a smart interface and a screen that allows riders to view their speed and battery charge levels.

The stylishly designed bikes have a top speed of 30 kmph and can be booked via a mobile app.

Lifestyle
The Great Escape in Lonavala

July 14 was a day of fun-filled off-roading, as over 60 vehicles from the Mahindra stable, both 2WD and 4WD, maneuvered the challenging and slushy terrain of Lonavala. Since Lonavala is located close to both Mumbai and Pune, the 150th edition of the Great Escape of Season 8 of Mahindra Adventure saw enthusiastic participation from Mahindra customers from Mumbai, Nashik, Pune and neighboring areas. For auto enthusiasts, this was the perfect opportunity to enjoy the monsoon and tackle the challenging route.

Boleros, Scorpios, XUVs, KUVs and the extreme off-roader -- the Mahindra Thar CRDe 4x4 -- took on the arduous and slushy terrain of Lonavala. From slippery and steep inclines and descents, to driving through flowing streams and slush, the participants had a chance to experience the true capability of their 2WD and 4WD vehicles and at the same time enjoy the thrill of off-roading.

The eighth season kicked off with the Monastery Escape (June 16 - 27, 2018), which started from Delhi, to Leh, via Manali, Jispa, and Tso Moriri, and after a break in Leh, moved to Kargil and passed through the Zanskar Valley and Batalik.

The Mahindra Adventure calendar includes a Royal Escape (6 days), Authentic Bhutan (8 days), Himalayan Spiti Escape (10 days), and the Summit - a drive to the Everest base camp (14 days).