Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan and Nanhi Kali join hands for the daughters of truck drivers.

Among the many ways in which we make a difference to the transport industry, the welfare of truck drivers is one of our biggest causes. We instituted the Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan programme in 2014 to provide the daughters of the truck drivers with scholarships so that they pursue their education beyond 10^th standard and make a respectable life and career for themselves. Through this programme, a scholarship of Rs. 10,000 was awarded to each truck driver’s daughter who completed 10^th standard and showed a strong interest in pursuing further educational or vocational courses. Till last year, we awarded scholarships to 4408 deserving girls in more than 55 locations across the country.

For over two decades, Project Nanhi Kali has taken more than 350,000 girls from underprivileged families through ten years of schooling, providing them with regular academic and material support. While doing this, they also ensured that the young girls were not married off early, sent to work or kept at home for chores or sibling care. Year after year, hundreds of Nanhi Kalis successfully completed Class 10 and ‘graduated’ from the programme. 

However, our interactions with Nanhi Kali alumni indicate that the girls continued to be vulnerable after Class 10, and there was a need to support teenage girls in India beyond secondary education.

Moreover, with a tenth of the global population of adolescent girls, India is home to the largest and youngest workforce in the world today. This critical fact inspired us to invest in them, and in their well-being, education and providing them skills. Not just to make a big difference to them but also to tap into their productivity, economic potential and leadership for the well-being of the nation.

In order to design a programme that meets the needs of young girls, we conducted a survey - the Teen Age Girls Survey (TAG Survey) that reached over 74,000 households across 600 districts in all the 30 states of India. This survey, which was released in October 2018, echoed the voice of teenage girls in India and their biggest needs and aspirations …

• 86.9% want to learn English
• 86.5% want to learn how to use a Computer
• 76.5% wish to pursue Graduation

With this information, we joined hands with Nanhi Kali to make Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan even more robust and effective. And now, this 2.0 version will provide teenage girls the opportunity to pursue their dreams of higher education and obtain a university degree along with learning English and Computers. So they can go on to lead independent, dignified lives and contribute to the nation’s growth. Our new programme will start by adopting 500 daughters of Commercial Vehicle Drivers in Hyderabad and Pune and we’re sure it will go from strength to strength.

Come Home Papa – A Unique Road Safety Initiative

What is your idea of a normal working day?

For most people, going to work probably means about an hour’s commute every morning to get to the comfortable and safe confines of an air-conditioned office, followed by another hour in the evening to get home.

For a trucker, going to work takes on an entirely different meaning. He is away from his home and family for days, maneuvering massive and heavy, cargo-laden trucks, driving along roads and highways across the length and breadth of the country, in all kinds of challenging and dangerous situations. With this, he not only is earning for his family and himself but also catering to our daily needs, starting with morning tea to the goodnight coil. Being a truck driver demands an altogether different level of skill and mental toughness.

To put the situation further in perspective – India has the highest number of road fatalities in the world. It accounts for more than one-third of global road accident deaths (as per global estimated figures).  

With road safety being the biggest concern, imagine the constant anxiety of the families of these truckers who do not get to see or even speak to their husbands, sons, fathers for days on end.  

This is where Mahindra Truck and Bus has been attempting to bring about a positive change in the lives of India’s truck driver community and their families through various programs and initiatives such as Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan (Visit our website here - https://www.mahindratruckandbus.com/aboutus/our-initiatives.aspx)

Come Home Papa is one such initiative that is part of Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan, a program that aims to continuously engage with India’s trucking community and their families, through inclusive ideas like scholarships for the daughters of truck drivers.

In 2017, the Come Home Papa initiative was announced in collaboration with literary partner #TellMeYourStory, as a short story contest for the scholarship-winning girls. The theme was ‘Road Safety’. What emerged were exceptionally inspiring and poignant stories that brought alive just what road safety means to a truck driver’s daughter. The stories also spoke of the father-daughter bond and underlined girl child empowerment. 

A collection of the shortlisted stories has been published and launched as a book titled ‘Come Home Papa’.

Here are excerpts from two stories in the book. Stories that present a heartfelt personal account of the deep-seated fears and emotions of the daughters of truck drivers;

‘My father plans his travel in advance, based on the area he will be driving through. This way he can pass through forest areas during the daytime, minimising chances of road robbery, or attacks by wild animals, or getting stuck in a lonely deserted area in case of a breakdown... unpredictable dangers lurk in the lives of truck drivers. Father often shares experiences from his life and the lives of his driver friends. They sometimes send a chill down my spine.’

- ‘Lessons of the Road’ by Maganti Lavanya

‘If my father doesn’t come back home in time, my mother’s face goes pale while waiting for him. Many times we are unable to contact him as he would be driving in remote areas with bad network. We spend sleepless nights waiting for him and when he returns we heave a sigh of relief.’

-   ‘My Papa’ by Bersha Kumari

From the Government to corporate India to the film industry, this one-of-a-kind initiative has received widespread and noteworthy appreciation. Take a look at what these well-known personalities have to say about Come Home Papa:

‘To have the daughters of truck drivers contribute stories and anecdotes, which carry the message of road safety was an excellent idea and deserves full support. In addition to road safety, it deftly weaves the issues of education of the girl child and women’s empowerment into it, as well.’

 -   Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport, Highways, Shipping, Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation

‘This is a very imaginative and valuable initiative... the first-ever book of stories on road safety by daughters of truck drivers.... A wonderful testimony to the fears and hopes, the joys and sorrows, and above all, the deep connection between these girls and their fathers.’

-   Anand Mahindra, Chairman – Mahindra Group

My prayers and best wishes for more and more daughters of the truck driver’s community to make their dream a reality and leave a stamp of class and courage, by forging ahead against all odds.

-  Amitabh Bachchan, Actor

To an initiative with such an endearing title and such a beautiful cause, here’s wishing those strong daughters who are making a bright future against all odds, and here’s to their immense love for their fathers! Kudos to the father-daughter spirit!  And here’s to wishing the lovely daughters all the very best for their endeavors. And to their papas – just to say.. come home safely to your daughters.

-   Divya Dutta, Actor

The vision and impact of Come Home Papa is so much more than just a collection of stories. Come Home Papa is spreading a strong message about road safety, not only to the truck drivers but also to other drivers out there, through the voice of the daughters of the truck driver community. Drive safe and come home safe to your families.

MTEA 7^th EDITION: INDIA’S BIGGEST TRANSPORT AWARDS GETS BIGGER!

Since the 7^th Edition of Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards (MTEA) was webcast LIVE many of you are already aware that ROAD SAFETY and INNOVATION were the mantras of the evening that marked the ceremony. It took place on the 7^th of March 2018 at the Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi. An evening that was brimming with the positivity, excitement and anticipation of the who’s who of the Indian road transport industry. All of whom gathered to honour our OUTPERFOPERMERS!

The MTEA recognizes various stakeholders in the trucking industry on parameters like Outperformance, Excellence, Innovation and Change Leadership and judges against the backdrop of Mahindra’s RISE pillars – Accepting No Limits, Alternative Thinking and Driving Positive Change. The initiative, with its inclusive nature, has set for itself high standards!

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways that has continued to support the program for the fifth consecutive year. Besides higher numbers, the entries also exhibited better quality, more interesting stories and a stronger pitch, giving us a feeling that the MTEA has come of age.

Bringing you the highlights –

Panel Discussion on a pertinent topic Commercial Vehicle End-of-Life Policy in India, moderated by Vivek Law, a prominent name in the Business News Channel industry. The discussion focused on the likely contours of the policy as well as the impact of such a policy on all stakeholders like CV OEMs, government agencies, Fleet Owners, Single Truck Owners, etc.

Mr. Vinod Sahay, CEO, Mahindra Truck and Bus and Construction Equipment Division presented the report card of the awards program, reaffirming our commitment to continue, strengthen and make more relevant, this RISE initiative. He shared with the audience, the fact that the awards program was becoming bigger and better with every passing year and was attracting better quality entries, which is a heartening news.

Mr. Veejay Nakra, Chief of Sales & Marketing, Auto Division talked about the inclusion of SCV & LCV Category. He stressed upon important role-play by the segment in emerging Indian economy through last mile distribution.

Dr. Goenka addressed the gathering about the significant changes in Economies and financial markets. In his speech, he said “The best way to predict the future is to create it”. He urged the gathering to invest in own Light of Knowledge initiative, within their company, community, ecosystem. He said, “There can be nothing better than investing in sharpening the saw, to better prepare for the ever-changing forest.” He talked about MTB’s ‘The Light of Knowledge’ initiative – MPower for Youth Transporters in this context. Dr. Goenka’s speech was followed by MPower book launch

On the theme of Road Safety, this year we introduced a new short story contest called "Come Home Papa" in collaboration with our literary partners, #TellMeYourStory. Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan Scholarship winner girls were asked to write stories on Road Safety, based on father’s experiences on the road. All the stories were published online, at www.tellmeyourstory.in and the best thirty stories have been chosen for publishing in the book. Four Saarthi Abhiyaan Outperformers were felicitated with their family members and Bulbul Khan and Rukhsar Khan were declared as the joint national winner for "Come Home Papa" – Story contest.

  

Mr. Rajan Wadhera, President – Automotive Sector and Member – Group Executive Board, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. reinforced that MTEA will continue to applaud the endeavours of the unsung heroes of our industry in the years to come.

Speaking on the occasion, Y.S. Malik, Secretary, MoRTH, extended praise for the Mahindra Group for coming up with such a recognition for one of the most important sectors of the Indian economy. And expressed the need for the industry to honour those who are thriving to make a change in their day to day work and said that this effort is in that direction!

The final RISE Moment!

Let’s sign off by saying that MTBD’s signature brand property, now 7 editions old, aimed at honouring the unsung heroes of the road transport, Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards will continue to strengthen the brand while delivering respect, self-esteem and recognition to multiple stakeholders of the Indian Road Transport Ecosystem. Let’s unite to RISE together!

*For the complete list of awards please see our extensive report here. 

MTEA 2016 6th Edition: A ROUND UP OF INDIA’S BIGGESTTRANSPORT EXCELLENCE AWARDS

OUTPERFORMANCE was at the heart of an awards night brimming with excitement and anticipation. The 6th Edition of Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards (MTEA) ceremony was held in its full glory at The Ashok, New Delhi on 3^rd of February, 2017. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) have extended their continued support to MTEA program for the fourth consecutive year. MTEA 2016 didn’t just see higher numbers in terms of entries, but it also exhibited better quality, varied and interesting stories with a stronger pitch. This turn of events rendered the feeling that transport excellence awards have truly come of age.

The transport award ceremony has come a long way since its inception in the year 2011, and, which has only grown and risen from what it was. This year, the event saw an upsurge in its popularity and equity among the transport community with a significantly higher number of case studies collected – 6164 case Studies – which stands for 14% higher than last year’s collections!

Chief Guest at the prestigious do was none other than Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon. Road Transport & Highways Minister who graced the awards night with offering tremendous insights on ‘roadsafety’ and ‘innovations’ which were the themes of the night.

Mr. Nalin Mehta, CEO and MD, Mahindra Truck and Bus, presented the report card of the program, encouraging Mahindra’s commitment to strengthen while continuing to make the RISE initiative more relevant. Mr. Rajamani, Executive Director, Ernst & Young provided the certification for fairness, robustness and transparency.

There were two new innovational categories this year. The awards took engagement of the girl child education a step ahead with its Mahindra SaarthiAbhiyaan (MSA) Outperformer contest for beneficiaries of the MSA scholarship. A short story contest namely #HaveASafeJourney on the issue of road safety was devised and executed to emphasize the importance of safe driving.

Innovations in road safety in Approach, Processes, Measures and Perspective was the topic of an insightful panel discussion chaired by Prof G.Raghuram - Public Systems Group, IIM, Ahmedabad. Spectating the event were truck fleet owners from all corners of India, transporters and heads of logistics companies and professionals from allied fields, dealers of commercial vehicles, financiers for commercial vehicles, various senior delegates from the transport division, faculty members from IIM A, and delegates from Mahindra Group and heads of several agencies and select media groups.

Like the previous year, under the Fleet Owner category, awards for tipper section were presented. Fleet management and driver management categories for large, medium and small transporters. Youth and lady transporters were duly recognized and awarded. Emerging fleet owners were also recognized to empower newbies in the focused industry. Safety awards took centerstage which included hazardous goods, nonhazardous goods and ODC categories which bore the idea of extraordinary innovation in development of the transport systems.

Mrs. Meera Rajagopalan was declared as the National Winner while Ms. Sahar Fatima was the Runner up for “Have a Safe Journey” contest. The contest resulted into a book which is the world’s first collection of short stories on road safety. The book was successfully launched with a drone aerially delivering the cover of the book to the dignitaries present on stage at the MTEA 2016. The book features 20 best stories from the contest and carries a foreword from Mr. Nitin Gadkari and a special message from Mr. Anand Mahindra. Mahindra BLAZO 25 truck was given away to Mr. Jay Prakash Singh, Bharti Bulk Carriers being the “Super Outperformer Driver of the year”.

MTEA 2016 with its core philosophy of RISE and OUTPERFORM is another step taken to drive positive change in the transport ecosystem.

For a detailed review, please visit: http://www.mahindratransportawards.com/2016.html

 Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan 
F16 – Phase II Program Highlights

 Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan

Mahindra Truck and Bus Division (MTBD) had instituted MAHINDRA SAARTHI ABHIYAAN (MSA), the CSR initiative of Mahindra Truck and Bus Division in F15, aimed at acknowledging the spirit and far-sightedness of a truck driver in educating his girl child up to standard 10^th.

Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan was born to address the issue of higher education within the HCV Driver community. A lot has been done for the health and safety of drivers but very little attention is paid towards the education of their daughters. The initiative is one way to positively engage with one of the most critical ingredients in our ecosystem.  The true Saarthi, who is running the economy on his shoulders day in and out. And also enhancing his daughter’s life through education.

MTBD have disbursed 2408 scholarships since the launch of the MSA program in F15, and celebrated this achievement during the Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards ceremony of 2014 and 2015.

Here’s the group picture of the first ever scholarship disbursement ceremony at Chinchwad held on 24^th Aug ‘14. Mr. Nalin Mehta, who had envisioned this noble CSR program to encourage Truck drivers’ daughters, is seen here with the Maharashtra scholarship awardees:

Mr. Mehta spoke on this occasion and brought alive the thought process behind the initiative: “Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan, is a salute to this Saarthi – the truck driver who in spite of all the odds he faces, has shown great mettle in educating his children and especially Daughters. We through this initiative take a bow at these heroes who have so relentlessly, with great hard work, have ensured their daughters become engineers, IT professionals, teachers etc. This is our way of thanking them, showing a sense of gratitude for this outperforming effort! Education and that too for the girl child is the chosen path for CSR in Mahindra Group and we at MTB have extended the same to our CSR initiative. So that we would encourage drivers and reach out to their families and connect emotionally with the community”.

Continuing with this initiative for the third year, we are pleased to announce the roll-out of MAHINDRA SAARTHI ABHIYAAN 3^rd Edition for F17. 1000 scholarships of Rs. 10,000 each will be awarded to the daughters of HCV truck drivers who have successfully completed education up to Standard 10^th and are continuing with further studies.

Below is the report of the final outcome of the Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan 2^nd Edition in F16.

 Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan F16 – Phase II Program Highlights

The response towards the program was overwhelming from truck drivers’ daughters with a receipt of over 1800 applications. Based on validation of documents by our process auditors, PwC, 1,300 daughters of truck drivers were qualified and were given the Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan scholarship of Rs.10,000 each.

During the process of disbursement, MTBD had invited the local transport association representatives and key customers of the trucking industry to grace the occasion. All the winning daughters were accompanied by their respective parents.

It was an emotional moment and many girls spoke about their fathers whom they feel proud of. They also thanked Mahindra and MTB for this noble initiative and how this token of appreciation is a big motivation in their life. On these occasions, a few truck drivers also spoke about this program and applauded Mahindra for this unique and pioneering initiative for truck drivers.

The ceremonies to disburse the scholarships were held in May and June 2016 at 16 locations across India.

The program was well supported by the respective MTBD Zonal Heads and Area Business Managers along with Dealer Heads/CEOs who made this noble cause a bigger success and also integrated it with their business needs.

 

The Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards, 2015 was a special event not only special for truck driver’s daughters  but for the entire trucking ecosystem.

New initiatives and award categories like Essay writing competition for Sarathi Abhiyaan Beneficiaries, Safety in ODC, Hazardous and Non-Hazardous goods, Fleet management in construction and mining were seen. With more entries coming in this time as presented by the Mr Nalin Mehta’s report card; the growth, aspirations and dreams of all those who have till date not been recognized, were felicitated by the MTEA  

 

Growth, it is said is never merely by chance, it is a result of all the forces working together. An award that recognized the upcoming entrepreneurs who carved a niche and left a mark, while helping to expand the industry was the National Winner of the Emerging Fleet Owner Award. This award went to RKC Transports & Co.

On the behest of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the safety award was introduced. This award recognizes transport service providers who strive to create a safe environment for life and goods by undertaking sustainable initiatives. Capital roadlines (Gujarat), V-Trans (India) Ltd. and Premier Transport Ltd won the award in this category.

Finance, is backbone of any industry. When it comes to commercial vehicles, many run from pillar to post to get timely financial help.

The next award applauds financial institutions that provide exemplary financial solutions for commercial vehicle businesses. Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co. Ltd along with ICICI Bank LTD bagged the award.

 When truck drivers are on the move, the only thing that keeps them well connected is food and music. Recognizing this quintessential quality the highway Dhaba award was initiated.  The national winner in this category was Flora Hotel.

As they say, there is nothing more worthwhile slash rewarding in this world than to let people know they are ‘worth it’! But to grow and embrace pinnacles is not merely a day’s job; it takes incessant drive and passion to achieve something. The MPower War Room sessions were filled with insights about business approaches and case studies. These resulted in vibrant discussions about the industry by the candidates.

And some epic level passion clubbed with real life experiences got created into books!

The experiences and learning got a form and the book, “Trucking Business – Cases and Concepts” was launched by Mr. Nalin Mehta, Prof Raghuram, Prof Rekha Jain, Prof Debjit Roy from IIM Ahmedabad and Mr. Kaushik Bellani, Managing Director of McGrawHill, along with Mr. Wadhera.

​

The book contains experiences and perspectives of the candidates of the MPOWER sessions and of course, a good book creates good leaders; good leaders create more of them.

​ ​

Such good leaders who have lead innovations and business deserve to be recognised!

The Lifetime Achievement Award salutes the Lifelong Endeavors of a pioneer and an innovator, a visionary and a leader to the entire transport industry. The awardee chosen by the Mahindra Transport Excellence Award grand jury has not only contributed immensely to the industry but has also inspired everyone in the business. He is also a Padma Awardee and he is Shri R Thyagarajan of Shriram Group.  “Honourary and life time achievement awards are very encouraging. I know it might sound strange that a person receiving lifetime achievement says he needs encouragement, but that’s true! I

appreciate the effort Mahindra team puts in onto this award and it not just emblematic, they also mean it.” Mr. Thyagarajan stated humbly!

And Ramcharan Yadav won the brand new Blazo- 25 FuelSmart truck for being the “Super Outperformer Driver of the year”. He had saved many lives by delivering Oxygen cylinders to a hospital on time. He successfully passed each step of stringent Driver Jury process comprising of Physhomotor & Psychometric tests, Traffic Rules and Medical tests. He has shown that by true and outperforming efforts anyone can be a Malak from Chalak.

“When her spirit is invoked, she resolves to break barriers.

When she is inspired, she surpasses her own limitations,

She is her own inspiration, her own idol.

She is a woman.”

MTBD salutes this power and so the Mahindra Transport Excellence Award jury screened many deserving candidates and found out that the Youth Transport Personality of the Year Award and Lady Transport Personality of the Year will go to Ms. Poornima Vijay Patil of Neha Transport. Her exemplary determination and nerves of steel crowned her with this glory.     

The evening was thus a striking personification of the values Mahindra Truck and Bus Division stands for, and this year’s winners have set high standards for the years to follow.

​

MTBD awards will continue to make this statement come to reality: “For those who dare to dream, there is a whole world to win!”

Yet again! Daughters make their fathers proud at the Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards 2015: Part -I

For Mahindra Truck & Bus Division and its 800+ strong team force, Rise is not just a word; it’s a way of life. It embraces the business in its entirety and then goes beyond it to touch the lives of its stakeholders. The driver community is one such stakeholder, playing a critical role in the trucking business.

At Mahindra Truck & Bus Division, it’s an integral responsibility to drive the lives of people who drive businesses to success. With this thought emerged the Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan in the early 2014 to award scholarship of Rs. 10,000 to daughters of HCV drivers. Taking the idea to the next level, Mahindra Truck & Bus Division launched an essay competition for the 1108 Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan scholarship awardees at the Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards, 2015.

The august session had esteemed guests like Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister of Road Transport & Highways. along with Shri Sanjay Mitra, Hon Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Shri Abhay Damle, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways; Mr. Anand Mahindra, Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra; Dr. Pawan Goenka, Executive Director and President – Automotive & Farm Sector – Mahindra & Mahindra; Mr. Rajan Wadhera, President and Chief Executive – Truck, Power Train Division and Head – MRV; Mr. Nalin Mehta, CEO & Managing Director, Mahindra Truck and Bus Division and Dr. Bhaskar Das, Group CEO, Zee Media Corporation Ltd.

Apart from the guests what followed next was pure bliss! Reams & reams of emotions carefully captured on paper by the daughters of the truck drivers; tracing the journey from struggle and despair to hope and faith, love and respect.

The central character being their fathers, the truck driver’s daughters penned inspiring stories of sacrifice and dedication. 8 finalists or Super Laxmis as christened by Mr Anand Mahindra that were shortlisted were Divya Rathee, Tamanna, Smita Kumari, Vaishali Kumari, Pooja Shivaji Mali, Sonali Jamadar, K. Vinitha, S.Kanimozhi. They were awarded a cheque and certificate. While Divya Rathee and Smita Kumari went ahead to the semi-final, Pooja Shivaji Mali bagged the first prize. The top 3 winners got a chance to gift their father a Mahindra BLAZO 25 truck. Mahindra Truck and Bus Division picked up the down payment and on-roading cost for these trucks with easy finance options by Mahindra Finance.

Here's a screen grab of Pooja’s essay in Marathi:

Pooja’s story was truly heart touching, nothing less than the story of trials and tribulations.  The essay she wrote touches on parts of her father’s life, from poverty stopping him from education to truck driving becoming his  default career option; the dark phase of their lives where Pooja’s father turned to drinking and a sudden encounter with a close friend who guides him through the rut and inspires him to change his destiny.  . From working during extra hours in farms, to teaching lessons of frugality to their kids, the husband-wife duo instilled values into their children. The family comes together to pull themselves out of dire poverty. Pooja today has completed her BSc in TV technology and sees her family experiencing a better future.

The Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards witnessed the joy of empowerment yet again, re-establishing the role of Mahindra Truck & Bus Division in the betterment of the trucking community. 

With heads held high...

Chaya Jadhav was quite & numb. She just heard her name being called out. No, she wasn’t in her class fearing punishment nor was she playing in the lawns. Chaya was being called out to be given the Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan Scholarship of INR 10,000/-, for her to pursue her dream of studying further, something that she thought would never happen. Chaya walked gingerly onto the stage amidst a cheering crowd. There was one man’s cheer in that room which was the loudest. It was her father, Rakhamji Jadhav, a truck driver.  

Like Chaya, more than 26 such Truck Drivers’ Girl children were offered the Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan Scholarship to help them for their higher education. Little did any of these kids imagine that their father’s will & zest to educate them would lead to recognition of this nature. In today’s time we believe that women empowerment and girl child education is of primary importance not only for the safety & development of women, but for the cause of nation building at large. The drivers have challenges of their own and education of the girl child doesn’t seem to feature in the priority list. With this initiative we intend to applaud and appreciate their foresight in getting their daughters educated. As a pilot the scholarship was launched in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Rajasthan and Haryana.  The first felicitation ceremony was held recently at MTBD’s Head Office in Chinchwad.  

It was indeed heartening to see the daughters along with parents come onto the stage with great pride to receive the Scholarship Certificate and a Token of appreciation from the dignitaries - Mr. Nalin Mehta, Mr. R. C. Mangal and Mr. Riyaz Inamdar, Managing Director, KGN Motors, our Pune Dealer. Speaking at the felicitation ceremony, Mr. Nalin Mehta MD and CEO – Mahindra Truck and Bus, and Chairman of MAHINDRA SAARTHI ABHIYAAN Governing Board said, “True to its philosophy of driving a positive change within the transport ecosystem, through this pioneering effort we are striving to improve the life of drivers at a grass root level as they are one of the most important stakeholders in our business. There are more than 70,00,000 truck drivers in India today and I look forward to that day when every truck driver’s daughter is highly educated and self-sufficient. Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan, is a salute to these drivers who, despite all odds, have shown great mettle in educating their children, especially daughters. Through this initiative we salute these heroes who have ensured their daughters become the next engineers, IT professionals, Teachers etc. This is our way of thanking them, showing a sense of gratitude for this exemplary effort!”

MTB’s constant efforts for betterment of the transport ecosystem, with each program targeted sharply at improving specific beneficiary has been lauded by the industry. We are confident of ‘Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan’ will ensure that not only the drivers but their daughters too will travel that extra mile. And this initiative will certainly endear the brand MTB to various constituents of our ecosystem.