MxMIndia

Tag: Anand Mahindra

  • Are you missing out if your CEO is not your brand ambassador, asks Bhuvi Gupta

    Cult of the Influencer CEO

     

    By  Bhuvi Gupta

    Bhuvi GuptaElon Musk. Anand Mahindra. Manu Kumar Jain. Anuj Sharma. Thomas Edison. Richard Branson. Steve Jobs.

     

    What do all the above have in common? Well, a lot. They are all CEOs of companies, which have impacted the world via their products either technologically or pricewise. But what they also have in common is a strong personal brand, which was bigger than the company they led, and which helped that company more than a brand ambassador might have. If Edison, Jobs and Branson are anything to go by, what is noteworthy is that while digital has made it easier, carefully crafting and curating personal brands can have immeasurable impact on the company irrespective of how they have being built.

     

    CEOs who have leveraged their personal brand to great effect to help the company have follower counts which compete with their company’s

     

    The cult of the CEO has always existed. Digital access has made it easier to leverage it even as curating a personal brand remains as difficult. But with the sheer din of marketing messaging and competition for quality talent, companies are missing out if they don’t leverage their CEOs.

     

    Firstly, because it is such a great source of gathering information from customers, and (junior) employees who communicate actual issues, which often a times get lost in Chinese whispers while going from middle to senior management.

     

    Secondly, an active and engaged CEO as the face of the brand helps in building trust and credibility over and above celebrity brand endorsers who are endorsing multiple brands and on-hire for the highest bidder. Hence, while celebrities may help build brand awareness, they won’t contribute as much to help target consumers travel down the marketing funnel.

     

    Thirdly, a responsive CEO makes the company and brand approachable. All consumers want to feel heard and a CEO who is willing to listen to feedback, compliments and complaints makes the audience all the more invested in the product and brand.

     

    Anand Mahindra explains how much his followers on Twitter have helped him connect to both employees and consumers thereby enabling him to become a Big Brother of sorts to reward good behaviour and correct wrongdoings.

     

    When the CEO gets feedback so freely it also reduces the need for traditional market research where extrapolated data and inaccurately curated focus groups can often result in wrong takeaways. Hence, a CEO who can remain connected to his audience can greatly help the company’s overall strategy and speed of execution.

     

    Lastly, an engaged CEO acts as a great tool to build the employer brand. Having a strong personal brand (also crucial to help gain followers in the first place) will help showcase a company’s values and help attract talent which resonates much more than that ‘Great Places to Work’ Badge.

     

    Using your employees as influencers – Employee Advocacy Programmes

     

    While all the above reasons have high impact coming from the CEO, in 2021, with a socially connected population all employees have a sphere of influence that collectively can help a company via Employee Advocacy programs.

     

    Creating a strong brand for a CEO requires the creation of a personal brand backed by a robust content calendar, ORM (Online Reputation Management), PR and public appearances.

     

    Employees, if guided and empowered with similar tools and content, can become brand evangelists on social media, while also getting positioned as subject matter experts and create stronger personal brands.

     

    A well-implemented employee advocacy programme raises brand awareness, improves customer satisfaction, saves money in marketing spending, and, ultimately, grows business in much the same way as an Influencer CEO albeit at a micro level.

     

    It is very interesting to see the power that influence has on consumption. Whether coming from CEOs, celebrities, or content creators, social media in 2021 has made business & marketing come a full circle with influencers  launching their own brands and CEOs are becoming influencers.

  • The initiative was conceptualised and facilitated by Famous Innovations

    Famous Innovations gets Nestle to change packaging of Maggi, Kit Kat & Nescafe in support of Nanhi Kali

    By A Correspondent

     

    Raj Kamble with Anand Mahindra and Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan of Nestle

    Nestlé India has brought about a change in packaging of three of its iconic brands – Maggi, Kit Kat and Nescafé to support girl child education in association with Project Nanhi Kali – an initiative by K C Mahindra Education Trust and the Naandi Foundation.

     

    Said Raj Kamble, Founder and CCO, Famous Innovations: “We were thinking of ways to increase corporate engagement for Project Nanhi Kali and we found ourselves wondering – what can corporate brands contribute with, other than just money? “Taglines” was the simplest, yet the most daring of answers. The one asset that any brands holds dearest to its heart and closest to its name. We salute Nestle India and Project Nanhi Kali for this bold step towards educating girls in India, a cause that we all know needs urgent attention.”

     

    In their new avatar, Maggi has changed its tagline from “2 minute noodles” to “2 minutes for education”, Kit Kat has changed the visual of the finger snap to one without the break with the line “no break from education” and Nescafe comes with the tagline “ It all starts with a Nescafe” to “It all starts with education”. The message is further reinforced with a call to action and the URL nanhikali.org. A hundred million packs in the new avatar will hit the shelves this week, notes a communiqué.

     

    Speaking on the partnership,. Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestlé India said: “Brands are built by earning the love and trust of consumers over time. Every time a consumer picks a pack off the shelf, the visual properties of the brand serve as symbols of the promise the brand has made to the consumers. They are therefore invaluable assets, protected and treasured by organisations. We are changing the packaging of three of our most iconic brands to sensitise and draw attention to the fact that society needs to embrace collective responsibility in ensuring that more girls have the opportunity to pursue education. Girls with access to education not only improve their own lives but also bring changes to their families, communities and economies. This is Nestlé India’s humble way of making a small yet deeply felt contribution to a cause that is important and vital to our society.”

     

    The initiative will be further amplified by TV, outdoor, print, digital and on-ground activities, the communiqué adds.

     

  • The funds will help SheThePeople with its future expansion plans as it launches new initiatives including forums, events and regional languages

    Anand Mahindra invests in video platform on women achievers

    By A Correspondent

     

    Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group has invested into the digital storytelling platform for women www.SheThePeople.TV, founded by award-winning journalist Shaili Chopra.

     

    Mahindra has invested in his private capacity in the video platform, which is building a much-needed digital media space and ecosystem for women achievers and is dedicated to championing and promoting their success stories.

     

    Since its inception, SheThePeople.TV has profiled stories of nearly 10,000 inspiring women, who are entrepreneurs, authors, game-changers, sportswomen, corporate executives and more. It has been able to offer networking opportunities to over 100,000 women via conferences, meets and other events. It was an official partner for the government’s prime program for entrepreneurs Start-Up India in January 2016 and for the startup initiative at Make In India week in Mumbai February this year.

     

    Regarding his decision to support the platform, Anand Mahindra said, “Women need a space that quenches their intellectual hunger, engages, and empowers them with relatable content. With Shaili as founder possessing a solid understanding of both conventional and digital media over 15 years, I have great confidence that SheThePeople.TV will become a focal point of inspiration for tomorrow’s women leaders.”

     

    SheThePeople.TV is the go-to platform for women in India for inspiration, engagement, and is documenting the changing discourse on women in the country. The stories are currently offered in English and Hindi versions and driven primarily by video content. Shaili Chopra’s fifteen years of experience in television and her discerning understanding of the digital media business have together helped her build this to a critical mass within one year of its inception.

     

    The funds will help SheThePeople with its future expansion plans as it launches new initiatives including forums, events and regional languages.

     

    Commenting on the investment by Anand Mahindra, Shaili Chopra said “We are thrilled to see Anand’s belief in our vision and the platform. He is not only a corporate leader with an evolved intellect but also a great supporter of women leadership in various fields. We are happy to have his support, which indicates his desire to back new and progressive ideas as well as new technologies, which extend beyond the traditional formats. Our passion is to identify new and young women leaders as India witnesses millions of women join the work force and share their stories.”

     

  • Vijay Shekhar Sharma received the coveted Best Digital Person of the Year from Shri. Jayant Sinha, Minister of State – Finance

    6th India Digital Awards felicitates worthy achievers

    By A Correspondent

     

    Anand Mahindra was adjudged as the Social Media Person of the Year at the 6th India Digital Awards presented by IAMAI. The winners of the 6th India Digital Awards coinciding with 10th India Digital Summit, 2016, were announced at a ceremony recently. The awards, this year had 6 Categories and 32 sub-categories for the internet and mobile value added services industry. The categories were Digital Advertising; Website; Mobile; Digital Payment; Digital Social & Economic Empowerment and Special Awards. While WatConsult’s “Sony SIX” was awarded Advertising / Marketing Award on Mobile, the coveted Best Digital Person of the Year was awarded to Vijay Shekhar Sharma of PayTm & Bhavish Aggarwal of Ola. Interactive Avenues won the best Digital Agency of the year award.

     

    Vijay Shekhar Sharma received the coveted Best Digital Person of the Year from Shri. Jayant Sinha, Minister of State – Finance.

     

    Winners of 6th India Digital Awards include:

    Award Winner
    Best Advertising / Marketing on Mobile WatConsult for Sony SIX
    Display Madison for Marico
    Search Marketing iProspect for ShopClues
    Viral Marketing Campaign Star India
    Email Marketing Campaign netCore for BIBA
    Social Media Marketing Campaign Interactive Avenues for Micromax Interactives
    Digital Integrated Campaign Experience Commerce for Lenovo India
    Execution of Performance Campaign Realty Redefined for The Wadhwa Group
    e-Commerce Website for a Retail Brand www.trendin.com – Madura Fashion & Lifestyle
    e-Commerce Website in a Specialised Category www.pepperfry.com
    Local Language Website www.chuttuvattom.com – Malayala Manorama
    News Content Website NDTV.com
    Travel Website Thomas Cook
    Financial Website www.bankbazaar.com – A & A Dukaan Financial Services
    Educational Website www.simplilearn.com
    Brand / Product Website www.hotstar.com – Star India
    Consumer Mobile Service National Mobile Number Portability – Vodafone India
    Mobile Enterprise Product or Services Abbott India Radio
    Mobile Game Star Chef by 99Games
    Innovative Mobile App Inshorts
    Mobile Money Prepaid Card / Product Happay and Payback
    Money Product / Service mVisa
    Digital Payment Facilitator Avenues India
    Digital Wallet PayTm
    Money Transfer Programme MobiKwik
    Payment Technology / Solution Provider PayU Payments
    Best use of Mobile for Social and Economic Development Karnataka MobileOne by Centre for e-Governance
    Best use of Internet for Social and Economic Development Intelligent Grid & Smart Metering Solution by Essel Infraprojects
    Start-Up of the Year OYO Rooms
    Digital Person of the Year Vijay Shekhar Sharma & Bhavish Aggarwal
    Digital Agency of the Year Interactive Avenues
    Social Media Person of the Year Anand Mahindra

     

  • It promises to be a channel with a difference as it gets set for take-off tonight. A Q&A with the founder & MD of Epic

    Epic isn’t a GEC, don’t subject it to standards that GECs have: Mahesh Samat

     

     At 9pm primetime today (November 19), when you otherwise tune into your favourite soap or reality show or news, well, hour, there’s a new channel going to be born. Epic. What has set a lot of attention on the channel is the nature of its content and the people backing the initiative.

     

    Spearheaded by Mahesh Samat, Managing Director, Epic Television Networks Pvt. Ltd., this is the first genre specific Hindi entertainment channel that will showcase content based on Indian history, mythology and folklore in a uniquely contemporary format. Industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Anand Mahindra and impresario and restaurateur Rohit Khattar are co-promoters of the venture company.   The programming line-up has a mix of fiction and narrative non-fiction shows, short-form content as well as films at launch.

     

    Excerpts from an interview with Mahesh Samat by Shivani Jain for MxMIndia…

     

    There is already a glut of channels in the market telecasting a wide gamut of programmes in the general entertainment and infotainment space. Do you think there is still room for a channel dedicated exclusively to Indian history and mythology?

    Yes, we found that the few mythological and historical programmes being telecast currently have a huge following. This, in fact, was the genesis of Epic. Our relationship with our history and mythology is in our DNA. We are emotionally connected with it, more than any other country. So this opportunity was waiting to happen.

     

    It has taken you’ll a long time to launch the channel. The announcement was made a year back. Was this due to issues on clearances from the government, or…

    The issues with the previous government and approvals have been well-documented. I don’t want to spend too much time discussing that. The new government has been really helpful. We have got our approvals. And we are moving on.

     

    … or was it the programming. Did that delay the launch?

    There is no doubt that programming does take time. But the delay was due to some unavoidable extraneous circumstances. The main thing is Digitization has improved and viewers have become more attuned to different kinds of content.

     

    All TV channels needs deep pockets, but a channel like Epic needs super deep ones given the nature of your content. How has the journey been for you so far?

    I think we are trying a whole different model of television. We have to remove the current, existing models and get into new age. We had a business plan and we are with the business plan. We’ve had promoters who are very supportive.

     

    And some very high-profile promoters indeed. How has it been working with Messrs Ambani and Mahindra?

    There are actually three promoters. Mr Rohit Khattar is the person who is involved more directly with the business. He is the chairman of Epic. Mr Anand Mahindra and Mr Mukesh Ambani are relatively less involved. So we work with all three. Rohit being the chairman is more involved.

     

    And how participative are the three?

    It is varying degrees of involvement. Obviously, they are very busy people. Their involvement is limited to that extent. By the way, both Rohit and Anand are old film buffs. Rohit has the largest collection of film memorabilia which had gone to Venice and a couple of other places. And Anand himself is an undergraduate in films. His subject in Harvard was films, if I am not mistaken. They all have a passion for it. But operationally, Rohit was the one most involved.

     

    When do you see the channel breaking even?

    Sorry, we don’t disclose those figures. I think we are on track with the business plan.

     

    What about viewership? Given the emphasis on getting the right ratings, what are your expectations on viewership?

    I am very clear that we are not a general entertainment channel. So we should not be subjected to the standards and discussions that GECs have. Our reach will be lower, our ratings will be lower because it is a certain genre, a certain…

     

    A certain niche…

    No, it is not niche. I don’t like the word ‘niche’ because niche makes it too small. Let’s start looking at a third word which is ‘segmented’ which looks at a chunk of the market, but not the whole market.

     

    What has been the feedback from advertisers thus far?

    I think they are all very interested. Given that it’s a new concept, they understand the positioning, the story of differentiation, the story of segmentation.

     

    You have come from Walt Disney, which is a totally different world?

    Really, is it? So if you step back and see…Disney is a brand, a brand for kids. What we are trying to do here is become a brand in history and mythology entertainment. I think all my experiences of building brands over the last few years are proving to be useful here.

     

    So did it require a lot of reorientation on your part?

    I don’t think so. It’s an area I am familiar with – media and entertainment. Hopefully, our programmes succeed and become brands. If you look at global examples of channels like Discovery, Disney, even AXN, Comedy Central, you see examples of brands being set which are by genre type of content. And that’s what we are doing here.

     

    Tell us a little about your flagship programmes or driver shows?

    They are all flagship programmes. We have Siyasat, DharamKshetra, Daanav Hunters, Adrishya, Ekaant, Raja Rasoi aur Anya Kahaniyaan. We also have a couple of comedies. For instance, we have Javed Jafri taking a light look at the films of the 1970s and ’80s. Watch them all on Epic.

     

  • The awards bring together the biggest names from the business and design fraternities in celebration of design that creates value

    Designomics Awards 2014 ready for India showdown

    By A Correspondent

     

    Into its fourth year‚ Designomics Awards is scheduled to be held at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai on November 15th from 3pm onwards. The awards bring together the biggest names from the business and design fraternities in celebration of design that creates value.

     

    The awards ceremonypromises to be an exciting evening with awards being presented in over 20 categories to businesses of diverse scales and across a wide-range of industries. Some of the popular categories include strategic brand identity, digital & social media innovation and integrated design projects, the past winners include Tanishq by Tata, HUL’s Vaseline, Kingfisher and Whirlpool Icemagic.

     

    Designomics is an initiative that was setup to raise awareness of the power of design to enable businesses to enhance productivity and processes. Designomics embarked on its journey with an eponymous show on Bloomberg, which featured top industrialists who believed in the power of design and had used design tocreate successful businesses. Some of the stalwarts interviewed include Anand Mahindra (MD – Mahindra & Mahindra), Kumarmangalam Birla (Chairman – Aditya Birla Group) and Kishore Biyani (CEO – Future Group).

     

    Over the years Designomics has gained recognition and momentum thanks to affiliations and endorsements from prominent organizations, such as the India Design Council, National Institute of Design (NID) and the World Marketing Congress. One of the key reasons that the Designomics Awards have gained the credibility that they have has been due to the eminent panel of judges that adjudicate the case studies. The panel this year comprises: Abhijit Bansod – Founder and Creative Director – Studio ABD; AjaiChowdhry – Chairman & CEO – HCL Infosystems Ltd.; Anthony Lopez – Founder and CEO – Lopez Design; Ashish Mishra – Managing Director – Interbrand India;Bhaskar Das – CEO – Zee Group; BhupalRamnathkar – Founder and Managing Director – Umbrella Design; Dr. B.K. Chakravarthy – Professor – IDC IIT Bombay;DeepaliNaair – Chief Marketing O­icer – Club Mahindra Hospitality;Ektaa Aggarwal – Creative Director – Landor Associates;LatikaKhosla – Founder Director – Freedom Tree Design; Mahesh Murthy – Founder – Pinstorm; MayankRuia – Director – Residential Business – The Phoenix Mills Ltd.; Neha Harlalka – Founder – NH1 Design; Neil Foley – Founder – Neil Foley Designs;Pradyumna Vyas – Director – National Institute of Design;PramitiMadhavji – Editor-in-Chief – Elle Décor India; Ram Gudipati – Founder and Managing Director – Brand Harvest Consultancy; RanjanaDani – Professor – H.O.D. Graphic Design – MIT Institute of Design;ShekharBadve – Founder Director: Strategy & Marketing – Lokus Design Pvt Ltd; Shital Mehta – CEO – Pantaloons; Suresh Sethi – Vice President, Global Consumer Design Asia – Whirlpool Corporation; and Tania Singh Khosla – Founder and Design Director – TSK design.

     

  • Forbes India presents Leadership Awards with a galaxy of industry captains in attendance

    Anand Mahindra is Forbes India ‘Entrepreneur for the Year 2013’

    Forbes India Leadership Awards Winners

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    With the Twitter, there has been a sudden and very dramatic shift of power to the consumer and businessmen can use the microblogging platform to build brand credibility and counter negative word-of-mouth.

     

    Words of wisdom from Anand Mahindra, Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra, who was declared ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the third annual Forbes Leadership Awards.

     

    The evening started with opening remarks by Forbes editor-in-chief R Jagannathan. Other than the awards, there were a set of three debates moderated by Adil Zainulbhai, Chairman-India of McKinsey & Co.

     

    A high-powered jury headed by Mr KV Kamath, non-executive chairman of ICICI Bank, comprised Mr Zainulbhai, Akhil Gupta, Chairman of Blackstone Advisors India, Ajit Rangnekar, Dean of the Indian School of Business, Zia Modi, Senior Partner, AZB Partners, and Raghav Bahl, Founder and Group Editor of Network18. KPMG was knowledge partner of the event.

     

    The following is the list of winners at the Forbes India Leadership Awards 2013:

    1.Start Up for the Year

    Phanindra Sama – redBus

     

    2. Nextgen Entrepreneur for the Year

    Tarang Jain – Varroc Engineering

     

    3. Entrepreneur with Social Impact

    Ranjan Sharma – IKSL

     

    4. Conscious Capitalist Company for the year

    HUL

     

    5. Best CEO – Multinational Company

    Francisco D’souza – Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp

     

    6. Best CEO – Public Sector

    Rakesh Tandon – IRCTC

     

    7. Best CEO – Private Sector

    Chanda Kochhar – ICICI Bank

     

    8. Woman Leader for the Year

    Chitra Ramkrishna – NSE

     

    9. Lifetime Achievement Award for the Year

    Brijmohan Lall Munjal – Hero MotoCorp

     

    10. Entrepreneur for the Year

    Anand Mahindra – Mahindra & Mahindra

     

  • The Reliance Industries Ltd chief has joined hands with the Mahindra & Mahindra boss to back the genre-specific channel

    Mukesh Ambani joins Anand Mahindra to back ‘Epic TV’

    By Arijit Barman & Nandini Raghavendra

     

    Anand Mahindra

    After Anand Mahindra, it’s the turn of India’s richest billionaire Mukesh Ambani to once again turn a venture capitalist and back a new media venture that is due to go on air mid-August.

     

    “Epic TV” – a niche entertainment pay channel will be India’s first to showcase genre specific content related to history, folklore and mythology. Set up in October 2012, Epic Television Network is being led by Mahesh Samat, former managing director of Walt Disney Company who left the multi-national last year after a four year stint.

     

    Mukesh Ambani

    But interestingly, through this investment Mr Mahindra and Mr Ambani each have a 25.8% stake in the company and together have financial control. Even though the quantum of their investments and other financial details are not yet disclosed, according to industry sources there is an initial commitment of Rs 100 crore from the group of  “angel investors.” The amount can increase going forward depending on the business and expansion plans. Mr Samat himself has a 48.5% stake in the venture, as per the company’s filing with the Registrar of Companies (RoC).

     

    A Reliance spokesperson confirmed the development but said the investment by Mr Ambani is “in his personal capacity.” The investment in Epic TV is routed through Reliance Ports and Terminal Ltd, one of Mr Ambani’s personal companies. Mr Mahesh Samat, Managing Director, Epic Television Network refused to comment about his investors.

     

    Mr Samat in an earlier interaction had said a group of four investors has been instrumental in propping up his unique start-up but refused to divulge specific details. Only the name of Mr Mahindra became public last month. Even though Mr Mahindra or Mr Ambani are neither present in Epic’s board, senior M&M executives Rohit Khattar and Zhooben Bhiwandiwala are going to be the representatives.

     

    The focus on niche content to be a clutter breaker is what attracted Mahindra at first who subsequently roped in his close friend Mr Ambani to support Epic, said people closely following the developments.  While Mahindra is known for his passion for the liberal arts and had studied film-making at Harvard, Mr Ambani himself is also a movie and entertainment buff. “This is a lucrative investment. Epic will create a new genre altogether and  post-digitization, the scope of pay TV will also grow exponentially, ” said an RIL executive.

     

    “The idea is to be entertaining. Be episodic and build characters, actually investigate our past, create characters set in history to help us understand our history better and yet be entertaining,” explained Mr Samat. He however is clear that Epic will not be a general entertainment channel (GEC) like Star Plus or Colors. Industry sources add that around six shows have already been commissioned and one of the period shows is based on a Sherlock Holmes like sleuth set in the backdrop of Mughal India.

     

    Currently Mr Samat’s focus is on creating intellectual property for Epic and then leveraging the IP into verticals like publishing, live events, theatre as well as syndication. While the channel is the first offering, the investors are open to adding other channels, though not in the areas of news, music or youth.

     

    Analysts see this move as part of a larger trend of primetime corporate newsmakers bankrolling media ventures – news and entertainment – themselves. “Corporate India is actually no stranger to owning media, especially news organisations. That history may have been chequered but their aborted experiments is hardly desisting anybody anymore. Smart CEOs and savvy industrial houses think this is the opportune time to tweak their strategies to relook at the sector either through personal investments or strategic corporate diversifications. In a growing economy with rising discretionary spending, the evolving media and entertainment sector is grabbing unprecedented business eyeballs,” quipped an investment banker, specialising in M&As in this space, on condition of anonymity.

     

    The road to profitability will come only from clearly segmenting the industry and in finding a niche. Thus Mr Mahindra’s existing venture Mumbai Mantra is scouting for opportunities to create niche content and also at infrastructure that will be like an intersection between media and lifestyle. Mr Mahindra’s family is also involved in several publishing ventures.

     

    Just like his younger brother Anil, Mukesh Ambani too via several of his promoter group entities has made several media investments, like Rajya Sabha MP of the Congress and a junior minister with the planning and parliamentary affairs portfolios, Rajeev Shukla and his wife Anurradha Prasad’s BAG Group companies. In the past his name had also cropped up as a potential investor behind Peter Mukerjea’s entertainment venture INX News and INX Media. But last year, Ambani’s flagship Reliance Industries hit the headlines after agreeing to fund a transaction that resulted in a sizeable stake for itself in a company controlling two of the industry’s largest businesses, the Network 18 Group and the Hyderabad-based Eenadu Group of Ramoji Rao.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Mr Mahindra received the NDTV Business Leader of the Year award at the 7th Edition of the NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards, which brought together the best business minds and top bureaucrats of the country

    Running away is not the answer: Anand Mahindra

    By A Correspondent

     

    Anand Mahindra, Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra was acknowledged as the NDTV Business Leader of the Year at the NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2012, held recently. The award was presented by Chief Guest Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.

     

    On receiving the award Mr Mahindra said, “Running away is never a successful strategy. You cannot simply run away abroad because you have a fear of the environment here. Time and again countries like South Korea and Japan have proven that you grow strong globally when you have a strong base in India.”

     

    Other eminent awardees were:

    > Deepak Parekh & Keshub Mahindra received Lifetime Achievement Awards

    > N Chandrasekaran won the Business Visionary Award

    > Mallika Srinivasan was the Business Thought Leader

    > Most Inspiring Business Leader went to Kumar Mangalam Birla

    > Samsung received the Dynamic Innovator of the Year Award

    > Corporate Social Responsibility Awards went to Jubilant & TCS

    > Wipro received the Award for Inclusion & Diversty

    > John Abraham was declared Creative Entrepreneur of the Year

     

    Winner of the Transformation Leader award Chanda Kochhar said, “In front of foreign and private banks, public sector banking has picked up a lot. Transformation is not done through one big step, it requires small steps to acquire it.”

     

    Extensive research was carried out to determine the nominees and the winners under the guidance of leading names from the industry and business world on the jury, including Shanti Ekambaram, President, Corporate & Investment Banking, Kotak Mahindra Bank; T N Ninan, Editor & Publisher, Business Standard; Dorab R Sopariwala, Editorial Advisor, NDTV; Naina Lal Kidwai, Group General Manager & Country Head, HSBC India; Kalpana Morparia, CEO, J P Morgan India; Tarun Das, Former Chief Mentor, CII; Prannoy Roy, Executive Co-Chairperson, New Delhi Television Ltd; and Aunindyo Chakravarty, Senior Managing Editor, NDTV Profit.

     

    Supertech was the presenting sponsor. Associate Partners included Monnet, Sensodyne, Xerox and Rodeo Drive; Innovation Partner was3M; the Construction Solutions Partner was JCB; Driven by Toyota Camry; Hospitality Partner was Hyatt Regency with Knowledge Partners Deloitte, BCF and Sattva for the Awards this year.

     

    The winners of the NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2012 were:

     CATEGORY WINNER
    Business Leader of the Year Anand Mahindra
    Lifetime Achievement Deepak Parekh & Keshub Mahindra
    N Chandrasekaran
    Transformation Leader Chanda Kochhar
    Business Thought Leader Mallika Srinivasan
    Most Inspiring Business Leader Kumar Mangalam Birla
    Infrastructure L&T
    Aviation Indigo
    Hospitality Indian Hotels
    Banks HDFC Bank
    Banks Growth Champion IndusInd Bank
    Consumer Durables Samsung
    FMCG ITC
    IT TCS
    IT Growth Champion Cognizant
    Telecom Idea
    Oil & Gas (U) ONGC
    Metals Tata Steel
    Pharmaceuticals Sun Pharma
    Automobiles 4 wheeler M&M
    Automobiles 2 wheeler Hero Motocorp
    Dynamic Innovator of the Year Samsung
    Engineering BHEL
    Insurance: Life LIC
    Insurance: Non-life National Insurance
    Power NTPC
    Corporate Social Responsibility Jubilant & TCS
    Inclusion and Diversity Wipro

     

  • The movement urges people to ask questions about issues that matter, in order to 'Drive Positive Change'

    Mahindra Reva launches ‘Ask’ movement

    By A Correspondent

     

    Mahindra Reva, a part of the US$ 15.9 billion Mahindra Group, has announced the launch of its new ‘Ask’ movement, a campaign that urges people to ask questions about the issues that matter. The movement is based on the idea that real progress happens when people ask the right questions and then seek the appropriate answers. The motto of this campaign is: ‘Think, and you will ask. Ask, and you will Rise’.

     

    The Ask movement has emerged from the Mahindra Group’s vision of the Future of Mobility, which was unveiled by Group Chairman, Anand Mahindra in August 2012, at the inauguration of Mahindra Reva’s new manufacturing plant in Bengaluru. At that time, the Mahindra Group had promised to launch a movement to co-create and co-imagine the Future of Mobility, and ‘Ask’ is that movement. The Future of Mobility envisions the creation of an automotive ecosystem that brings Clean, Convenient, Connected, Clever and Cost-effective (the 5 C’s) mobility solutions to customers across the world.

     

    At the root of the Ask movement is Mahindra’s brand idea of ‘Rise’. This has been the basis for a number of other movements including the ‘Spark the Rise’ movement which seeks to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit of India to drive positive change. The Ask movement is another step in this direction and seeks to leverage the principles of Rise to co-create a more sustainable vision of the Future of Mobility. This movement will tap into the hunger for change in an increasingly confident India by inviting the public to ask questions about topics like mobility, infrastructure and technology.

     

    Pravin Shah, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra said, “At Mahindra, challenging conventional thinking in everything we do is a way of life. We have always encouraged people to ask questions because we believe that our ability to innovate and develop superior products and services is related to the questions we are asked – by our customers and our own employees. With the Ask movement, we hope to encourage people to constantly think of the questions that really matter and actually voice them, thereby paving the way for the creation of a better world.”

     

    Commenting on the rationale behind the movement, Chetan Maini, Founder and Chief of Strategy & Technology, Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles said, “Each human being has this innate curiosity and desire to drive positive change. At Mahindra Reva, asking questions is an intrinsic part of what we do. We have relentlessly questioned ourselves on what we can do to redefine the Future of Mobility in the years to come. The Mahindra e2o electric vehicle is our first significant step in this direction.”

     

    Mahindra Reva will funnel these questions down to issues relating to mobility and related topics, and form interest groups that will seek to provide answers to these issues. In this manner, Mahindra Reva hopes to play the role of an incubator of ideas related to the future of mobility.