OPL goes to school in Chennai

The Outperformers League has been constantly evolving its format to meet changing & different needs of the various stakeholders. This OPL edition witnessed seminars on the 18^th of March at Hotel Green Park in Chennai. The topic of the OPL was sharply focused to improve connect with the School Fraternity. 107 representatives comprising of School Trustees, Regulatory Bodies, Officials, Transport Managers and School Bus Financiers attended this edition.

Mr. Rakesh Maru, Sr. General Manager (Sales) – LCV and Buses, kick started the OPL with an introductory presentation on Mahindra Truck and Bus Division and School bus segment. Mr. Karthikeyan, Area Business Manager, Chennai – Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. - Truck and Bus Division followed up with a detailed presentation introducing the audience to the concept of an OPL. The presentation spoke about the impact that the seminar had on its participants, both on the professional and personal front.

As the day progressed, a presentation on Importance of School Bus Road Safety was introduced to the audience by Safety Expert, Mr. Jose Patris – Deputy Director, Indian Road Institute. He drew the attention of the audience to a grave issue, of that of school bus fatalities in Tamil Nadu and the norms formulated by the government to prevent them. He concluded by throwing some light on the various features of a safe and comfortable school bus.

After the session which touched the nodes of sensibility, came the opportunity to touch the chords of sensitivity. Motivational Speaker, Mr. Vijay Batra spoke about looking within for inspiration, making oneself the epicenter for Outperformance.

Mr. Raja Gopalan– GM, Rajalakshmi Automobiles concluded the seminar with a vote of thanks, as he used the opportunity to also welcome new customers to the Mahindra family. Keys of brand new buses were handed over to officials from Everwin School, Bengaluru at the seminar. The participants also got to have a look at the elegant COSMO 17 seater BS4, COSMO 25 seater BS4, COSMO 32 seater BS4, COSMO 40 seater BS4, which were on display.

The session addressed some critical issues, both in business and personal contexts. While the session around school bus safety focused on the importance and the moral obligation of the stakeholders to provide safe transport to school kids, the preview of the larger picture gave the stakeholders the ability to chart an evolved future course of action.

Agra witnesses an OPL

The Outperformers League encountered an exhilarating edition of its seminars on the 14^th of March at Hotel Man Singh Palace in Agra. The topic of the OPL was sharply focussed in the field of financial investments in the business of transport and was attended by 51 representatives from investment institutions and banks.

The session started off with Mr. Mohit Jain, Regional Business Head (UP and Uttarakhand) – Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. - Truck and Bus Division introducing the audience to the concept of an OPL. The presentation spoke about the impact that the seminar had on its participants, both on the professional and personal front. He was followed by Mr. Sandeep Barve, Senior Manager – Retail and Channel Finance - Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. – Truck and Bus Division, who familiarized the audience with the various financial investment offerings available with Mahindra. He stressed on facets like fair and transparent dealings, and how they are beneficial for the financiers who intend to partner with Mahindra. The session opened up thoughts and avenues for businesses opportunities.

This talk on professional growth quickly evolved into a chat on personal development. Eminent motivational speaker, Mr. Vijay Batra infused a sense of positive energy and self belief amongst the crowd with an inspiring presentation on Outperforming. Mr. Rohit Garg from NRL Motors concluded the seminar with a vote of thanks.

The audience also got to witness the rugged TRUXO 37 and TRUXO 25 which were on display.

The seminar encompassed the needs of attendee in more ways than one. While the session around financing focused on the growing business opportunities, the preview of the larger picture gave the stakeholders yet another reason to believe in their business decisions. 

OPL at Sambhalpur

The Outperformers League made its mark in Sambhalpur, with an edition of its impeccable seminar on the 20^th of February at Hotel Silver Moon. This edition was attended by over 136 stakeholders comprising of fleet owners, body builders and financiers. The growing popularity of the OPL can be judged by the increasing participation in these sessions.

Mr. Balabhadruni Swaroop, Area Business Manager - Orissa, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. – Truck and Bus Division flagged off the seminar with a brief presentation explaining the initiatives and benefits associated with OPL. The presentation spoke about the impact that the seminar had on its participants, both on the professional and personal front. Eminent Tyre Industry expert, Mr. Pradip C. Varaiya was the next to speak and he educated the audience with tips on maintenance and upkeep of tyres. Tyre maintenance is critical in increasing operational efficiency and in improving the bottomline. The audience saw immense value addition, as it touched upon one of the topics that mattered the most to them: Profits.

Mr. Varaiya was followed by motivational speaker Mr. Suneet Chopra, who focused on the softer aspects of excellence. He focused on growing businesses by growing self, a session well received by all. Mr. Saumyabrata Das, Zonal Business Head – (East), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. – Truck and Bus Division concluded the seminar with a vote of thanks.

The audience got to get up, close and personal with high performance TRUXO 37 and TORRO 25, which were on display.

The seminar was insightful and laid out clear action points for the attendees. While the session around operations focused on building business efficiencies, the larger picture and effort gave the stakeholders a kaleidoscope to relook at their business paths. The opportunity to network and exchange thoughts came as an icing on the cake. 

Truck Drivers Daughters, lady dhaba Owner and lady transport personality steal the hearts at the biggest celebration of Indian transport..

Over 15000 eyeballs were glued to the stage and computer & mobile screens as they witnessed the final ceremony of the 4^th Edition of Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards. As the entire travel ecosystem appreciated a bunch that outperformed, Hotel Ashok in Delhi reverbed with claps and overflowed with stories of inspiration. 25^th of February, 2015 was historic, as we recognized and awarded various stakeholders in the trucking industry on parameters that form our own foundation: Outperformance, Excellence, Innovation and Change Leadership. All of this under the philosophy of inclusion; has truly set high standards. But what was even more inspiring was how women lead the awards table leaving a stamp of class and courage in an otherwise male dominated space.

When Ms Ravinder Kaul came up on stage to receive the Lady Dhabha Owner award, the guests at the event stood up and gave her a warm hearted standing ovation. With this they saluted her exemplary contribution towards the Truck Drivers on NH-2 by extending state-of-the-art food and rest care facilities. When the truck drivers’ daughter donned the hat of performers and played the Mahindra Rise anthem, one could see the pride on their father’s faces. It was evident that their parents’ dream of seeing their daughters get the respect & acknowledgment in an audience base so elite, came true. When the brave heart – Ms. Hema Prava Devi, an LPG transporter hailing from the North East bagged the most coveted ‘Lady Transport Personality of the year’ Award, the room boomed with applause, which overpowered the salute of respect that each man sitting in that room gave the lady.

The measure of popularity and the equity of the awards can be quantified by the entries received. Over 2300 entries made our elite panel’s job even more difficult as poetries of excellence in the form of case studies made then do stringent rounds of discussions and deliberations. Out of these entries 36 winners made a mark on the Awards night.

The event started with a very engaging panel discussion featuring Mr. Sanjay Bandopadhayaya, Joint Secretary, Govt.of India, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as the moderator with a very erudite panel. The panellists included Mr. Jasjit Sethi, CEO, TCI Supply Chain Solutions, Prof G. Raghuram, Dean of Faculty, IIM Ahmedabad, Mr. V. L. Patankar, Director, IAHE, Dr. Manoj Singh, Advisor, Niti Ayog, Sourabh Rohilla, Deputy Director, SIAM and Mr. Gaurav Karnik, Partner, Tax & Regulatory Services, Ernst & Young LLP. As they spoke about topics – Is India Ready for Global Road Transport Practices and Role of Road Transport in Multimodal Transport Solutions, the hall buzzed with appreciation and discussions alike. The intended 60 minutes went on to 100 minutes, as questions poured in, sparking thoughts and debates.

Mr. Nalin Mehta, CEO, MTBD spoke to the audience and reaffirmed our commitment to continue, strengthen and make the MTEA more relevant. Mr. Bharat Rajamani, Director & Solution Champion - Marketing & Advertising Risk Services, provided the Ernst & Young certification for fairness and transparency, assuring the candidates of the prudent nature of the awards.

Mr. Anand Mahindra, our Chairman and Managing Director, spoke about business with humane touch points that the recent RISE initiatives are reaching out to. He expressed his pleasure on the Truck driver girl child education under Saarthi Abiyaan. While reporting that 1000 scholarships were given in the current financial year, Mr. Mahindra announced that another 1000 scholarships for truck drivers’ daughters will be given away next year. Hon. Road Transport & Highways Minister – Shri. Nitin J Gadkari, who presided over this event, echoed Mr. Mahindra’s views & appreciated the Mahindra CSR initiative for Driver Girl Child Education and Driver Training cum Health care efforts. He then went on to elaborate the ambitions plans of his ministry, from faster Highway constructions to modernisation of RTO procedures.

Another highlight was the Safety Awards on the behest of MoRTH, Govt. of India. The award, rightly instituted for the promoting safe driving and safe transportation across various terrains and climate was introduced this year. Mr. Rajan Wadhera, CE - Truck, Power Train Division & Head-MRV was felicitated with the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, an award that helps us thank the doyens of the transport space.

The glorious night was filled with motivation, admiration and stories of outperformance, reminding us of one thing; that the path we set out on, is leading us to our ultimate goal. To Rise... 

MPOWER: 6th Edition

After 5 successful batches, Mahindra Truck and Bus Division’s endeavor towards engaging the next-gen transport entrepreneurs has reached yet another milestone. The 6^th edition of MPOWER, was launched at the Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad) on the 26^th of February, 2015. This edition is an evolved more compact avatar, following the feedback from the previous batches.

Like the previous batches, 26 young transport entrepreneurs were selected from some of the finest transport companies in India. These entrepreneurs came from all parts of the country, averaging 31 years of age. Don’t get fooled by their age though; they represented over 16 load segments with a cumulative turnover of 1840 crores and owning over 2800 trucks.

The thought of the massive impact that these batches would make in the transport ecosystem is an overwhelming emotion in itself.  This quality & breed of participation when merged with the excellence of the program, paves a way for the guiding philosophy: to empower the next generation of India’s transporters/ fleet owners to “Take forward their family business with their OWN vision”. With this batch we have involved about 167 nextgen transporters, who cumulatively own over 40,000 trucks (and utilize at least 50% of this no in addition from market), with a combined turnover of Rs. 15,100 Crores employing over 42,500 people.

The batches at MPOWER have been a success in many accounts. Not only do these sessions bring current and the future competitors under one roof to exchange thoughts and ideas, it also helps foster a positive ecosystem for the transport economy. While we are investing in the future of the fraternity at large, these interventions allow young entrepreneurs to collaborate and learn from each other.

Here are a few snapshots of the event.   

Youth Transport Delegates being welcomed while checking into the IMDC Campus at IIMA    

Highlights of Inaugural Session – Welcome Address and Introductions

Metal for Mettle

No organisation works solely for awards, but the motivation rendered when peers and the best from the industry, award you for your excellence, is unmatched. It eggs us to do better and take a leap towards the next level & OUTPERFORM. Developing ‘first time right products’ has been a mission at MTB & with the latest award that we won, the attitude has established it even more strongly.

Apollo CV Awards 2015, a pioneering award event that attracts almost whole of the Transport Ecosystem was held on the 21st of January, 2015 at the ITC Grand Central. As the industry stalwarts watched us, our pride, The TRUXO 37 (170 HP) was declared as the HCV Rigid Cargo Carrier of the Year. This beast truly deserved the title, thanks to its robust engineering and high performance. With this, Mahindra Truck and Bus have won at the Apollo CV Awards for 5 times in a row. Now that’s what we call a winning streak.

Here is a list of our past awards:

·         2011 – TRUXO 25 – HCV of the Year; MTBD (Mahindra Navistar at that time) – CV of the Year

·         2012 – TRACO 40 – HCV Prime mover of the Year, CV Man of the Year – Dr. Pawan Goenka

·         2013 – TORR 31 – HCV Haulage Tipper of the Year

·         2014 – TORRO 25 – HCV Cargo Carrier of the Year

The award was received, on behalf of the entire MTBD Team, by Mr. Rajesh Mangal (Sr. VP – Sales and Marketing), Dr. Venkat Srinivas (VP and Head Engineering – Product Development) and Mr. Rajeev Malik (Sn. General Manager – Marketing) by the hands of Dr. Wilfred Aulber.

The awards night was not restricted to metals being exchanged. Valuable thoughts were shared as the awards night opened with a panel discussion on ‘CV Sector Growth in 2015’. Mr. Rajesh Mangal spoke on the future of the Commercial Vehicle Industry in India highlighting the triggers of success such as fuel prizes, revival in investments for infrastructure, new governance and policies etc. Joining Mr. Mangal, were other industry leaders like Mr. R. Ramakrishnan, SVP – Commercial, CVBU, TML, Mr. Anirudh Bhuwalka, CEO, AMW Motors, Mr. Vinod Agrawal, MD & CEO, VECV, Mr. Kristen Thulin, Director Marketing, Scania India and a senior representative from SML Isuzu. The Awards ceremony went beyond ceremonial speeches & glitz, offering a platform to all participants to interact and exchange ideas relevant to their sector.

Your bus just arrived...

While infrastructure is an integral part of a developing economy, transport plays a critical role in maximising the utility and the investment made on the roads. The constant concerns of safety, efficiency and performance are addressed periodically by companies like us. It is critical for responsible transport companies to keep evolving their product offerings, keeping in mind the changing user needs.

We at MTB, are in the constant endeavour to innovate & inspire the transport business. Constant research and implementation to increase safety, fuel efficiency and performance at large help us evolve better products each day. Two such products were on display at the 4th SIAM Bus and the Special Vehicle Expo. The vehicles were the Tourister COSMO – LWB Version and COSMO School Bus – BS IV Version.  With this expo, the COSMO School Bus – BS IV Version has been unveiled to the customers. These vehicles not only come with enhanced focus on fuel efficiency & safety, but also with good looking exterior and ergonomic designs. The product we believe would be the perfect match for your business needs. 

The event was held at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, Delhi- NCR, India from the 15th to the 17th of January, 2015. Our stall was inaugurated by Mr. Ambuj Sharma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, along with Mr. Vishnu Mathur, Director General, SIAM & Mr. Sugato Sen, Deputy Director General- SIAM. The Mahindra stall was also visited by Union Transport Minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari & Mr. Sajnay Bandhopadhyaya- Joint Secretary of Road Ministry Transport & Highways along with many other bureaucrats from Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

Want to know more about these new beauties on road? Click here: www.mytouristeri.com