Mahindra Navistar unveils 2 new heavy trucks, 25 tonner Tipper (MN25 Tipper) and 40 tonner Tractor Trailer (MN40)

Mumbai, February 17, 2011: After unveiling its entire range of high performance HCV trucks at the Auto Expo 2010, and announcing start of production of their first two truck offering the 25 tonner MN25 and 31 tonner MN31 last year, Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd. (MNAL) today unveiled two new offerings to expand their commercial vehicle range, the 25 tonne tipper, MN25 and the 40 tonner tractor trailer, MN40. The new 25 ton tipper, MN25 Tipper would cost Rs.23.26 lakhs and MN40 Rs. 19.3 lakhs (ex showroom Pune, BS III variant).

Speaking  on the occasion of the launches, Mr. Rakesh Kalra, Managing Director, Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd., said, “With the introduction of MN25 Tipper and MN40 we have entered new segments and further strengthened our range. These high performance offerings are set to redefine the existing parameters of power, fuel efficiency and driver comfort. The high performance MN25 Tipper and MN40 are among the most powerful, fuel-efficient, rugged and comfortable tipper and truck offerings to be launched in India. Designed and developed in India with technological assistance of our partner, Navistar, who have over 175 years of trucking experience, both vehicles comes with a world-class cabin which is spacious and ergonomically designed to suit Indian drivers for continuous long hauls. It’s powered by the world-renowned MAXXFORCE® engine which is highly fuel efficient and powerful.” 

 Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Nalin Mehta, Chief Operating Officer, Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd., said “With the launch of MN25 tipper and MN40 tractor trailer, coupled with the heavy trucks MN25 and MN31 launched earlier and the existing range of LCVs, we are now a full range Commercial Vehicle player. Our value-for-money pricing strategy along with far superior product performance itself will help the customers to earn higher profits and better return on their investments.”

 Mr. Mehta further clarified “We are focused on the sales and service infrastructure and filling the pipelines with our products. We have already started selling MN25 and MN31 and are receiving very favorable response from the customers. On the network front, by March 2011, we would start business from 45 new dealers, a number which would be scaled up to 100 in the next 18 months to two years. Also, 220 Service points have already been dedicated in the service of our customers”.

Extensive Sales & Service Network

The company has rolled out its mobile service workshop, yet another first in Indian trucking industry, with the objective of providing ‘anywhere, anytime’, on-road assistance to customers. Coupled with the multi-lingual, 24x7 call centre branded as ‘NOW’, which is manned by trained service experts, Mahindra Navistar is all set to unleash a new paradigm in customer service in Indian trucking. To add to this, nearly 430 Roadside Assistance centers are also in place to provide service.

Besides this, MNAL will also draw on the vast pool of M&M auto and tractor channel partners to use as an extended network for servicing customers’ needs. At this stage, 220 Service Points are already in place.

The company aims to create a channel which will be passionate about surpassing customer expectations and willing to go that extra mile. The dealer network aims to set new benchmarks in delivering requisite services and spares to customers in the HCV segment in India.

About Mahindra Navistar Automotives Ltd. (MNAL)

In 2005, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and International Truck and Engine Corporation - the operating company of Navistar - entered into a JV to manufacture light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles for India as well as global markets. The joint venture is in the process of addressing every segment of the commercial vehicle market from 3.5 tonne GVW to 49 tonne GVW with variants of passenger transport, cargo and specialized load applications. Mahindra Navistar is in the process of expanding its product line to emerge as a full range commercial vehicle player.

The new HCV product range has been engineered to meet Indian requirements with technological expertise from Navistar with the underlying philosophy of ‘Made in India, Made for India and Made with 175 years of international trucking expertise’. The new range of medium and heavy commercial vehicles is being manufactured at a new green field plant at Chakan, near Pune. The plant, which spans over 700 acres, has been set up with investments of over Rs.4000 crores and is producing other M&M products as well. This will help MNAL leverage the benefits of synergies of an integrated manufacturing facility.  

Mahindra unveils new brand position-'Rise'

The US $ 7.1 billion Mahindra Group, one of India’s leading business houses with a vast global footprint, today announced a new brand position - Rise. The latter represents a new chapter in the history of this iconic 65 year old brand and seeks to communicate the new face of this diversified federation of companies with its increasingly global ambitions.

This is the first time Mahindra as a Group which spans everything from Aerospace to Automotive, from farm equipment to IT and logistics, will communicate with one brand voice, one face and one ‘Mahindra’ core purpose.

The Group intends to invest Rs. 120 crore over 3 years, in activities related to promotion of the new brand position.

“Rise isn’t just a word – it is a rallying cry which enables people to unify around shared ideas, values, principles, a way of life or a common goal. It is a call to see opportunities where others can’t and to set an example for the world. For Mahindra,Rise means achieving world-class standards in everything we do, setting new benchmarks of excellence and conquering tough global markets,” said Mr. Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group.

“Mahindra has always been known for its ingenuity and never say die spirit. Whether we’re transforming the lives of millions of farmers through our agri-prosperity initiatives, creating green and innovative urban living spaces or investing in new automotive technologies and factories that leave the lowest carbon footprints, Mahindra is many companies with just one purpose: Enabling people to Rise,” he added.

Two years ago, Mahindra’s Corporate Brand Council mandated StrawberryFrog, a New York based global advertising agency, to undertake anthropological and semiotic research across India and around the world which enabled it to create this unique positioning.

“Rise is a simple yet powerful verb which defines our Group and succinctly sums up the aspirations of our stakeholders and employees. When we spoke to customers across the world, all of them without exception expressed a strong sense of optimism about the future and shared a common desire to Rise, to succeed and create a better future for themselves, their families and their communities. We strongly believe that the Mahindra brand epitomizes what our customers want – a company that empowers them to Rise,” said Mr. Ruzbeh Irani, Executive Vice President - Corporate Strategy, Chief Brand Officer - Mahindra Group and Member of the Group Executive Board.

The Group today unveiled the new brand position and the new Core Purpose:

We will challenge conventional thinking and innovatively use all our resources to drive positive change in the lives of our stakeholders and communities across the world, to enable them to Rise.

The spirit of Rise is based on the following three Brand Pillars:

  Accepting No Limits

  Alternative Thinking

  Driving Positive Change

Implicit in the Rise message is the belief that anything is possible, that we can achieve whatever we set our minds to. It seeks to unite the Mahindra workforce as a group of passionate individuals and unconventional thinkers who create world-class offerings and aspire to greatness.

At the core of the Rise philosophy is the customer. Mahindra believes that its actions, innovations, products and services empower the customer to overcome his own challenges, exploit his ingenuity and shape his own destiny. Everything we do centres around enabling the customer to Rise.