Monday, April 11, 2016

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

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

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. 


Friday, February 26, 2016

4th March ’16, the D’day for the ambitious aspirants: Final jury verdict on 4th March '16 for #MTEA2015





Hard work wins you a game, but recognition for your hard work wins you championships!

Another tale of recognition and awards which has now gained popularity is the MTEA awards held every year by Mahindra Transport division.

Like every testing year, stories of excellence and outperformance were put to test by the jury during Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards 2015, which were effectively accomplished on the 21st/22nd of Jan'16 and 5th/6th of Feb' 16 at the Mahindra Towers, Worli, Mumbai.

Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards 2015, with its philosophy OUTPERFORM and RISE, is another step towards driving positive change in the Transport Ecosystem.



As Mr. Nalin Mehta said while launching the Awards in 2011, "Mahindra Transport Excellence Awards perceive and remunerate different stake-holders in the trucking business on parameters such as Outperformance, Excellence, Innovation and Change Leadership, judged against the setting of RISE columns, Accepting No Limits, Alternative Thinking and Driving Positive Change. The activity, with its comprehensive nature, has set for itself exclusive & niche standards".

The prominence and value of the awards can be gauged from the number of one of a kind cases got - more than 2300 (contextual analyses for various classes):

In light of inputs received to hold the freshness of the grants, we re-organized the current Fleet Owner categories to be more comprehensive and illustrative of the fleet owning fraternity.

Under the Fleet Owner classes, new grants for Tipper section in the Construction and Mining fragment had been presented.

Perceived the significance of professionalizing the Transport business made classes for Fleet Management and Driver Management hones for substantial, medium/little transporters. Youth Transport Personality and Lady Transport Personality and their commitments to this business with future in context were held once again this year.

New classes of Awards like Emerging Fleet Owner of the Year were announced to empower new players in this focused industry and Essay Competition for MSA (Mahindra Saarthi Abhiyaan) Awardees of F14-15.

The exposition rivalry concentrated on the Driver and young ladies of Drivers were gotten some information about their dad (HCV Driver) and how he has motivated them in their lives.
Ladies gave an overwhelming response by submitting about 700 papers.

On the Driver classification, directed driving aptitudes tests at 8 areas crosswise over India were introduced and the top entertainers were selected for the HCV Driver Award.

The Safety Category included ODC sub-class for risky and non-unsafe merchandise, keeping in perspective the extraordinary elements of development. The Safety classification, presented at the command of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, who’ve kept on supporting our Awards program for the third successive year, have gotten overpowering reaction.

The sections gloat of value, commitment and consistency.




The jury individuals were drawn from different pieces of the vehicle ecosystem, viz. transport and logistics administrations clients, business vehicle media, fragment particular media (bond, base, steel, and so forth) and also investigate firms, Management Faculty of IIM, Ahmedabad and Indian Maritime University, Chennai, Advisors to Government of India on logistics, and so on. Strikingly, the Jury board was drawn from organizations such as BASF, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Castrol, L&T, Cement Research Institute, Vedanta Group, JSW, Forbes and Company Ltd (Shapoorji Pallonji Group) and some more, and who are additionally our clients.

EY, like before, were the counsels and evaluators of the Awards and their delegates dealt with the jury procedure to guarantee straightforwardness, nonpartisanship and procedure adherence. Mr. Nalin Mehta graced the event on the 5th Feb and interfaced with the master jury over mixed drinks and supper.

Jury procedures started with a preparation session from MTBD and Ernst and Young side, clarifying the ethos of Awards project furthermore the tenets and procedure of the jury considerations.


The shortlisted chosen people would be set up for the last round of assessment by the GRAND JURY, which will be hung on seventeenth Feb 2016 at MoRTH, New Delhi

The recompense has set destinations around endeavors of the business that drive it towards ethos of tolerating no restrictions, elective thinking and driving positive change.

A few Glimpses amid the Jury Meet 5th and 6th of Feb, 2016.


The honors will advance with the final stage and Grand Jury proceedings shall select the final champ’s i.e the winners who will be commended on the 4th of March 2016 at the Awards Ceremony in New Delhi.

Rewards don’t weigh a lot. Just that they make hard work a habit!



Thursday, February 18, 2016

Ajay Devgn and BLAZO, a fiery combination transforming the Indian trucking Industry


On the 4th of Feb, 2016, Mahindra Truck and Bus Division (MTBD) launched the awe-inspiring heavy commercial trucks under the brand name 'BLAZO'. While its new superior mPOWER FuelSmart technology, a topic of thesis in itself. BLAZO also boasts of a dashing new dapper look, the turquoise blue colour variant topping the list.  

The Mahindra BLAZO Series

The ‘BLAZO’ series includes haulage, tractor trailer and tipper and is geared with the FuelSmart innovation. The highlight of ‘FuelSmart technology' is the introduction of the CRDe motor combined with the all new Multi-drive mode which is  generally found in passenger cars which assists them to drive into the city, off-roads and makes it easier to maneuver and speed up on the highway. BLAZO too has incorporated similar technology, taking into consideration driver, fleet owner and vehicle’s need.
Given the uber rugged yet suave personality that the brand radiates, BLAZO has picked the dashing, macho, and the very eminent Bollywood star, Ajay Devgn to be the brand ambassador of the all new Blazo campaign. Here is the Official Launch Video of BLAZO starring Ajay Devgn.


FuelSmart - an automotive technology

Mahindra presents FuelSmart technology, first of its kind in Indian transport. To give the users the most important features that they could ask for in a truck that is mileage and power. Hence, Mahindra created FuelSmart technology.

FuelSmart technology harnesses the benefits of the CRDe engine that in turn provides better mileage at the touch of a switch. The FuelSmart technology comes in three modes – Turbo, Heavy and Light which of course can be changed by the driver as per street conditions. A driver can now easily turn on Heavy mode when carrying full loads and switch to Light when returning back unloaded. He can also use Turbo mode when transporting heavier loads based on his application, over steep inclines. Each mode provides maximum efficiency for optimal performance.


Mahindra BLAZO guarantee

On this one-stop solution Mr. Rajan Wadhera, President & Chief Executive - Truck & Power Train & Head – Mahindra Research Valley, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said, “In commercial vehicles there is a challenge to provide a single solution of engine and vehicle power-terrain configuration to multiple applications and variants. The FuelSmart Technology with its multi-mode switch technology will help drivers into choosing correct mode based on load and road condition, thereby leading to high efficiency”.
The confidence and sincerity that the brand exudes converges into a strong guarantee that the new BLAZO series offers. Mahindra Truck & Bus Division affirms that if the new series of truck do not provide better fuel efficiency than the old existing trucks then the owner can return the truck back. This stance itself explains BLAZO is par excellence.
The super-macho Mahindra BLAZO is ready to hit the road with its mantra – To do more and be more!

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Mahindra launches new HCV truck series, BLAZO with FuelSmart technology, Mileage and Service Guarantee.

Mahindra Truck and Bus Division (MTBD), a part of the USD 16.9 billion Mahindra Group, on Thursday, 4th February, 2016, announced the launch of its new heavy commercial truck series under the brand name ‘BLAZO’. The range comes with a first-of-its-kind FuelSmart Technology. 





Adhering to the philosophy of Made in India, Made for India', the New Mahindra BLAZO has been engineered for Indian requirements. With 16,500 trucks on road, Mahindra Truck and Bus Division is in the process of addressing every segment of the commercial vehicle market; from 3.5 tonne GVW to 49 tonne GVW, with variants that meet the varying needs of passenger transport, cargo and specialised load applications. 


The BLAZO range covers the entire gamut of Heavy Commercial Vehicles with a range of Haulage, Tractor Trailers and Tippers. It comes with a revolutionary FuelSmart technology that brings together the innovative CRDe engine coupled with Multi drive mode feature with three modes – Turbo, Heavy and Light. This can be switched by the driver to optimise mileage and power as per the load and road conditions.





The Mahindra Truck and Bus Division has shown great confidence in the BLAZO by giving not one, but two guarantees for its truck drivers. The company gives a guarantee that the BLAZO series will offer better fuel efficiency than the existing trucks of customers or else they can actually return their truck! In addition, MTBD is further guaranteeing uptime on its breakdown service by getting the truck back on road in 48 hours or the Company will pay the customer Rs. 1000/- per day!


Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Pawan Goenka, Executive Director & President, Automotive & Farm Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said, “Our truck and bus business has been growing steadily and is taking full advantage of the buoyancy in the HCV segment. We are confident that new BLAZO HCV range will further enhance our position in the market by significantly improving the customer value proposition”. 




 Mr. Nalin Mehta, Chief Executive Officer, Mahindra Truck and Bus Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. further added, “Besides bringing in the new technology, we have even refreshed the looks of the new series and are introducing the new turquoise blue colour variant. Also, given the sincere confidence that the brand exudes, we have chosen the suave, dashing, macho, popular and renowned Bollywood actor, Ajay Devgn to be the face of our new campaign featuring the Product and Service Guarantees”.  

On providing single solution for multiple applications, Mr. Rajan Wadhera, President & Chief Executive - Truck & Power Train, & Head – Mahindra Research Valley, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said, “At the core of the Mileage guarantee that we are offering for the BLAZO series of trucks is the FUELSMART Technology of our mPOWER CRDE engine.  In commercial vehicles there is a challenge to provide a single solution of engine and vehicle power-train configuration to multiple applications and variants. The FUELSMART Technology with its multi-mode switches, will help drivers into choosing correct mode based on load and road conditions, thereby leading to efficiencies”.

As a part of its aggressive marketing plans, the company has also rapidly expanded its after sales service and spares network, firming up its multi-lingual helpline, NOW. Mahindra Truck and Bus also offers 5 Years or 5 Lac Km transferable Warranty on commercial units, which is an industry first and a cost effective AMC. 

Check out the new Mahindra BLAZO TVC starring Padma Shri Ajay Devgn : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PccOSTr-qvA

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Balasore witnesses the latest Outperformers League

Balasore, Orissa witnessed the latest Outperformers League, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. – Truck and Bus Division’s hallmark event for the transporting community. The event, which was held at Hotel NOCCI residency in Balasore on the 14th of November, 2015 focused on the MLO (Market Load Operators) segment.

Like any other of the OPLs, the Balasore edition too proved to be an outright success. Attended by over 180 fleet owners, financiers and body builders, the platform was utilized by everyone to learn, meet and interact with their fellows and peers from the trucking industry.

The session opened with a warm yet informative session by Mr. B. S. Swaroop, Area Business Manager, Orissa, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. – (Truck and Bus Division). Mr. Swaroop’s speech focused on explaining the objectives of OPL and its potential to revamp the transport ecosystem as a whole. He was followed by the first guest speaker Mr.Sushil Cherian – Anantara Solutions who enlightened the crowd as he spoke on Trends and Future of Market Load.

Mr. Cherian was followed by Mr. Vijay Batra, Think Inc who motivated the audience with his words and visuals. The energized audiences then witnessed the closing of the event as Mr. Saumyabrata Das, Zonal Head East- Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. – (Truck and Bus Division) concluded the seminar with the vote of thanks.

At the OPL, glamour & performance was to be found everywhere. While the workshop had stars in the form of speakers inside the venue, two beautiful beasts waited for the audience outside. The Truxo 37 cowl / Traco 31 cowl and Torro 25 cowl  were displayed for the customers to have a closer look.


The key stakeholders of the Balasore Transport Co-ordination Committee (BTCC) expressed their happiness for being able to attend this event. Mr.Narendra Bihari Das (Secretary) and Mr.Kamala Kanta Sahu (President) thanked Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. – (Truck and Bus Division) and conveyed their support for all future initiatives.

An easy and effective blend of networking, knowledge and camaraderie, the OPL at Balasore yet again proved that the concept is a progressive and effective one. The pioneering initiative by Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. – Truck and Bus Division which started in the year 2011, has in the past 100 + seminars, organized in over 30 cities and touching over 9000 stakeholders, has taken a major leap towards the evolution of the trucking ecosystem

For further information, please visit us at www.mopleague.com or www.facebook.com/OKisnolongerOK



Tuesday, October 20, 2015

M POWER WAR ROOM: EDITION II


MPOWER was launched in February 2013, with the intention to train the next gen entrepreneurs to face the challenges thrown at them by ever competitive business space. Within this short time, the program has captured the imagination of close to 200 young transport entrepreneurs. This encouraging response egged us to take the learning experience to the next level and hence the MPOWER WAR ROOM was born.
The objective of the MPOWER War Room was to examine how well the past participants of MPOWER have utilised the learnings from the sessions in their business. The participants are given an opportunity to present how lessons from MPOWER helped them ‘OUTPERFORM’ in their family businesses.  The objective of the War Room goes beyond reconnecting and socialising with your course-mate. There is sharing of application of the lessons from the MPOWER sessions and how each one of them contributed to the growth of the transport eco-system.
The participants go through a fair and rigorous process based on their learning, project execution and business benefits. The three stage jury process comprise of eminent executives from the industry, professors from IIM-Ahmedabad and the leadership team from the Mahindra Group. Any previous participant from the MPOWER 1-4 may participant and will need to present the case study on their own.
Here are quick snapshot of what happened at M Power War Room Edition 1. The top 6 finalists- Jehaan Dhalla, Manoj Sahu, Mitesh Shah, Nishi Singl, Vandana Laddha & Vineet Huria shared their success stories, which were filled with inspiration and vision. The application of what they learnt in the ‘MPOWER’ sessions was visible. The incremental innovation and tweaks inspired everyone in the room.


The MPOWER War Room was won by Mr. Vineet Huria, who was followed by the first and second runner-ups Mr. Jehaan Dhalla and Ms. Vandana Laddha, respectively.
The timelines are as follows
Confirmation of Participation             : 18th September, 2015
Submission of entry                            : 25th September, 2015
Submission of detailed presentation  : 25th October, 2015
War Room at IIM-A                            : 28th and 29th November, 2015
Delegates check-in                             : 28th November, 2015 afternoon
Parents check-in                                 : 29th November, 2015
All check out                                       : 30th November, 2015
For more details please click the following link http://www.mahindratransportawards.com/pdf/War-Room-2.pdf
PS: The event is invite-only. MTB’s holds reserves rights to admission and participation, before, during and after any stage.