Countries across the world are engaged in fighting against the Coronavirus pandemic. The USA is in the midst of a serious crisis and various agencies are involved in containing the spread of the contagion.

Mahindra Automotive North America’s (MANA) Michigan employees have taken an all-hands-on-deck approach in the fight against COVID-19. According to Rick Haas, President and CEO, “We have a company full of people who love to design and make things, and they’re not people who like to stand on the sidelines. We have ideas coming in from across the company, and we’re looking hard at all of them.”

The company has announced several initiatives that will be planned and executed from its headquarters and manufacturing facility at Auburn Hills, Michigan. These include retooling the manufacturing facility to produce Aerosol boxes with an innovative easy-to-use design; face shields and masks for frontline healthcare workers and first responders; and other products.

Aerosol boxes are clear protective boxes that are used as protective shields by healthcare professionals who have to be in close contact with COVID-19 patients. They act as an insulator between the doctor and the patient, thus significantly reducing the possibility of COVID-19 transmission to doctors and medical staff treating coronavirus patients. MANA is making these protective shields of the same material used to make ROXOR windshields, said Rich Ansell, Vice President, Marketing, adding, “They are scratch-resistant and won’t fog up despite multiple cleanings.”

In another initiative, MANA’s food trucks will be used to distribute free meals to Oakland County’s healthcare workers and first responders. MANA is also launching the ‘ROXOR Delivers’ initiative that supports ROXOR dealers and their customers across the country. It will deliver ROXORs directly to the customers’ doors thus limiting social interaction.

The company continues to work closely with the State of Michigan, its congressional delegates, the National Association of Manufacturers, Michigan’s Manufacturers’ Association, Oakland County and others in aiding the fight to contain the global pandemic. The company also organized a specific link for healthcare professionals and others who may need PPE products during this period of crisis.

In South Africa, Mahindra launched the ‘Hero Campaign’, a nation-wide drive to thank ‘everyday South African heroes’ to boost the morale of frontline health workers.

“We’ve all heard countless stories of ordinary South Africans who faced personal risk to support their countrymen,” said Rajesh Gupta, CEO, Mahindra South Africa. “This is true not just of healthcare workers, but for the many essential services workers that help to keep us safe and our food shelves stocked.”

The company’s ‘Hero Campaign’, which ended on April 14 with a special candle-lighting ceremony on social media, encouraged the company’s dealer network, employees, suppliers and other South Africans to share their stories of selfless service during this global crisis.

Employees lit a candle to honour the extraordinary service of ordinary South Africans. “Like a candle, each of these essential workers has selflessly given of themselves to bring light and warmth to their fellow South Africans,” said Mr. Gupta. The company hopes that this small act of appreciation will grow into an overwhelming show of support for those who are a part of this critical workforce.

Giving back to the communities it operates in has always been the credo of Mahindra & Mahindra. It is hardly a surprise then that the Group was among the first from the corporate world to begin the fight against the Coronavirus.

Employees from Mahindra’s Igatpuri and Mumbai plants worked day and night to make a working prototype of a ventilator. Soon, based on research and expert feedback, they had developed a lighter, more compact, low cost prototype and were collaborating with an existing ventilator manufacturer to ramp up production. The ventilators have been christened AIR100.

Mahindra’s Kandivali plant in Maharashtra and Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh have started manufacturing face shields, based on a design shared by partner Ford. Starting with 500 masks a day; the plant has already ramped up production to meet the huge requirement for these shields across the country.

Mahindra has also produced a low-cost sanitiser. The product has already undergone a series of tests and the firm has just received the license to begin mass production which has already begun.

Alyte emergency cab services, launched by Mahindra Logistics in Hyderabad to provide transport facilities to those affected by the pandemic, has now teamed up with the police force in four more cities - Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. The company has provided six vehicles for the benefit of citizens especially the disabled, elderly and pregnant women in Mumbai. The service will be free round-the-clock cab service.

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL AAA/Stable/CRISIL A1+' ratings on the debt programmes and bank facilities of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, a testament to the company’s leadership in the Indian tractor industry and its healthy market position in light commercial vehicles (LCVs).

Mahindra continues to maintain a leadership position in the domestic tractor industry in all major regions and retains a market share of over 40% on the back of its superior channel reach and understanding of market dynamics.

The company also has a strong presence in LCVs with over 40% market share in the goods LCV (lower than 7.5 metric tonne gross vehicle weight division while its share in the pick-up segment (2.0-3.5 MT GVW) was over 60%. The company's strong presence in these segments has ensured healthy cash flows and fairly resilient profitability.

While giving this strong rating Crisil acknowledged Mahindra’s key strengths such as good product development capabilities, proficient channel management along with sufficient production capacity are expeected to help it maintain a strong market position over the medium term. Increasing competition and inherent cyclicality of the business notwithstanding, the company’s strengths coupled with revenue and geographic diversity are likely to ensure a stable business risk profile.

According to CRISIL, M&M's strong financial risk profile will help it absorb the impact of cyclicality and competitive intensity in its core auto and farm equipment business.

Mahindra Accelo has ranked 23rd among Small & Medium Workplaces in the recently announced 2020 Best Workplaces in Asia listing by the Great Place to Work institute.

The winning companies range from those with more than 400,000 employees to companies with just 25 employees. The companies hail from more than 15 broader industries and eight diverse countries and cultures: India, Japan, South Korea, the UAE, Greater China, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka.

The award is based on a rigorous assessment which measures a host of parameters. The quality of employee experience is studied through a globally validated survey instrument known as the Trust Index.

The survey helps in seeking anonymous feedback from employees. The second analysis is called the Culture Audit, which is a proprietary tool of the Institute that evaluates the quality of people practices of an organization, covering the entire employee lifecycle.

Nora Bhatia, Vice President – HR & Corporate Administration, Mahindra Accelo, said, “Our Accelo culture is built on trust and transparency which helps us to consistently nurture our ‘employee first’ philosophy. We believe that our culture is the glue that keeps us together along with living our brand credo of ‘’Agility Keeps Us Ahead’’. This recognition is dedicated to each employee at Mahindra Accelo.”