Why Anand Mahindra is the Mahindra Group’s best publicity machine

Mahindra Group’s best PR machine is its chairman Anand Mahindra, who generates earned media, social currency and credibility by giving away Mahindra cars as gifts.

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  • Storyboard18,
 | February 16, 2024 , 6:35 pm
Mahindra recently offered a Mahindra Thar to Indian cricketer Sarfaraz Khan’s father Naushad Khan, should he choose to accept it. (Image sourced via Mahindra website)
Mahindra recently offered a Mahindra Thar to Indian cricketer Sarfaraz Khan’s father Naushad Khan, should he choose to accept it. (Image sourced via Mahindra website)

Industrialist Anand Mahindra, it seems, gives out cars like they are candy. From the iconic Scorpio, the popular XUV 700 to the rugged Thar, Mahindra’s utility vehicles are offered to people who Mahindra thinks are worthy in some way. These individuals are typically just ordinary people who have done the extraordinary – from a devoted father of a young cricketer to an Olympic gold medalist.

Mahindra is known to support inspirational Indians every now and then. He is the unexpected PR machine that works brilliantly in M&M’s favour. With millions of followers to his name on social media, thousands of likes, comments and re-shares, he is all the influencer marketing Mahindra and Mahindra needs. A single tweet of his is enough to make an impression on millions of people all across India.

Brand expert Harish Bijoor said that Anand Mahindra is the pioneer in this space. “He took to social media early and gives a feel of the person behind the handle to all those who interact with his SM handle. It’s not a handle. It’s a person. It’s not a digital agency. It is Anand Mahindra. That feel makes a difference. He listens. He acts. He reacts. And he does gift at times as in this case,” he added.

Mahindra recently offered a Mahindra Thar to Indian cricketer Sarfaraz Khan’s father Naushad Khan, should he choose to accept it. Sarfaraz recently played his debut match for India in the third test against England. He even scored his first 50, a cherry on top.

Naushad Khan is an employee with the western railways. He used to sell toffees, cucumbers and track pants on the train to make ends meet. Naushad supported and stood by his son through all hardships, to finally be able to see his son play for India at the global stage.

The list of Mahindra’s generous actions online is long.

In the past, Mahindra gifted the Mahindra XUV 700 to Indian javelin stars Neeraj Chopra and Sumit Antil after the 2020 Olympics.

In 2021, he gifted the Mahindra Thar to Indian cricketers Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, T Natrajan, Navdeep Saini and Shubhman Gill for their performance in the Border-Gavaskar trophy held in Australia.

Dutee Chand, a national sprint champion who qualified for the Rio Olympics in 2016 had expressed her desire to buy a Mahindra XUV 500 one day. Chand unfortunately couldn’t secure a medal at the games. However, Mahindra still gifted her the car.

In 2023, Mahindra gifted Indian chess grandmaster Praggnanandhaa’s parents an electric car – the XUV 400 EV. Praggnanandhaa, the young prodigy, secured a win against reigning world chess champion Magnus Carlsen.

Sheetal Devi, a 16-year-old armless archer won two Gold medals for India at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in 2023. Mahindra took to X to share that he would never complain about trivial problems in his life again. He asked Devi to choose any car from the Mahindra lineup that he would gift her, completely customised to suit her requirements.

But even Mahindra draws the line sometimes. A boy named Cheeku Yadav wanted to buy a Thar for just Rs 700. Mahindra shared the video clip of the boy on X and wrote in a tweet that he ‘loved the boy,’ but he cannot sell the car for such a low price as the company would go ‘bankrupt’. Although Mahindra couldn’t grant Cheeku’s wish, he did arrange a visit for him to the Chakan plant, where Thar is manufactured.

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