New Delhi. Today, when we see a bold SUV roaring on the road, or find a farmer standing firmly in the field with his tractor, a name often comes to the fore. Mahindra & Mahindra. This name is not just the name of a company. It has become another name for trust, hard work and Indian spirit. But the beginning of this trusted brand was not so bright. This is a long story that started with a small trading company, which perhaps was truly written by us Indians together.
This story begins in Bombay, a busy, fast and emerging city, where in 1945 three people dream of setting up a new company. At that time no one had even imagined that this seed would take the form of such a big banyan tree.
When the name was Mahindra and Mohammed
The year was 1945. The country was close to independence, and industry was trying to forge its own path. At this time, Jagdish Chandra Mahindra, Kailash Chandra Mahindra and Ghulam Mohammad lay the foundation of a new business. The name is kept Mahindra and Mohammed. This name may sound strange today, because we associate Mahindra with vehicles. But at that time the focus was only on steel trading. No vehicles, no off-roading, just business and the desire to progress in that business. In those days, India was changing rapidly, and companies had to keep up with the changing environment. But the biggest test of this change was to come after a few years.
Partition came and the story took a new direction
The country became independent in 1947 and with it came partition. This partition not only divided people, it also divided many dreams into two parts. In this turmoil, Ghulam Mohammad went to Pakistan. Later, he became the first Finance Minister there. After his departure, the company remains with two brothers. And this is where a big decision is taken. The new name of the company is kept as Mahindra & Mahindra. This change was not just in name. It was a change of identity, thinking and future direction. As if the company is saying that now we will write a new story on our own.
India’s first jeep begins new journey
Mahindra was not a company that stopped just selling steel. The thinking of both the brothers was much ahead of that. He saw that India needs such vehicles which can make even difficult roads easy. During this time an agreement is reached with the American company Willys. And from here begins the journey of becoming the first licensed jeep in India. Imagine the streets of the 1950s. India with unpaved roads, rough terrain and limited resources. And in those times, driving a powerful jeep was like a new hope. Mahindra did not just make vehicles. It gave a new way to connect India.
Tractor, SUV and then the whole world
Gradually the company manufactured tractors and made the lives of farmers easier. Tractors are not just machines. They are a part of the farmer’s dreams. Mahindra understood this sentiment and started a revolution in farming. Then times changed and the era of SUV came in India. At the same time, names like Bolero, Scorpio and later Thar became the identity of Indian roads. These vehicles don’t just show power. She became a symbol of India’s self-confidence. A confidence that says that we can walk on any path, no matter how difficult it is.
Mahindra is not just a company, it has become an emotion
Today Mahindra works in many fields from agriculture to aerospace, finance to IT. But the interesting thing is that people still associate it most with their vehicles and tractors. Perhaps because this company is so deeply present in our everyday lives that it is impossible to forget it. Mahindra’s journey shows that a company is not made just by its business. It is made of dreams, courage to take risks and decisions which seem small at the time but become big in the future.
The journey from a small trading company to becoming a power in India
The journey from a humble beginning in 1945 to today’s huge industrial conglomerate was never straightforward. There were changes in it, difficulties came, decisions changed. But the story always kept moving forward. The company kept moving forward and so did India. Mahindra & Mahindra is not just a business story. This is the story of India’s journey in which there was struggle at every turn, hope at every step and opportunity for development at every turn.
