Mahindra brings high technology into their new home in Welipenna
Indian Automobile major Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd has placed its confidence on Sri Lanka’s growing economic prospects increasing vehicle demand and future export potential when stamping the company’s global footprint on the country’s motor industry, Mahindra’s top officials said.
With the recent inauguration of its automotive assembly plant in Welipenna in Kalutara District in collaboration with its local partner Ideal Motors, the newly formed joint venture Mahindra Ideal Lanka is ready to rollout KUV 100 compact SUV very soon, they revealed.
Mahindra and Mahindra has forayed into the automotive industry in Sri Lanka by setting up the Welipenna factory in line with international standards similar to their Chakan, Haridwar and Zaheerabad (India) manufacturing facilities.
Addressing a group of visiting Sri Lankan mainstream print media journalists at the Mahindra and Mahindra Head Office in Mumbai last week, Chief of International Operations of the company, Arvind Mathew said that they are fully convinced on Sri Lanka’s potential as a financial and economic hub .
He noted that the political situation was immaterial for them when making strategically important decisions on their Sri Lanka operations in partnership with Ideal Motors and establishing a vehicle assembly plant in the country in accordance with the island nation’s regulations.
Mahindra and Mahindra is now driving Sri Lanka towards a green vehicle manufacturing country with the launch of KUV 100 compact SUV while introducing BS-4emission compliant vehicles.
Electric vehicle
It is at the forefront of electric vehicle technology on the sub-continent with the KUV 100 earmarked to become all-electric next year.
This vehicle assembly/manufacturing plant will be operated strictly adhering to environmental protection and safety measures like all the other Mahindra automotive manufacturing facilities, he revealed.
Mahindra Chakan plant, a fully-owned subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd set up in 2007 near Pune, Maharashtra is a testimony for all the safeguards adopted in vehicle manufacturing plants of the company as explained by Mr. Mathew.
It is a greenfield facility built and established at Chakan, near Pune in the fast- paced capital, Mumbai famous for the Bollywood film industry to integrate the best in manufacturing technology, operational excellence, environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
The facility is accredited with the latest ISO 9001, ISO 140001 and OHSAS certifications, Mahindra officials said.
This state of the art plant produces a number of the brand's SUVs including Mahindra XUV500, TUV300, KUV100 and Alturas G4, as well as intermediate and heavy commercial vehicles.
The site features a large number of trees and a number of solar panels that make it one of the most eco- friendly car plants in the world, company officials said.
A group of Sri Lankan journalists visited the factory during their media tour and they were given an opportunity to follow the production process from stamping, all the way through to assembly and testing before cars roll off the production line.
They were fascinated to see automated process of sheet fed in from one end and unpainted doors coming out the other end at a speed of some 15 doors per minute. All the metal body panels are pressed with steel sourced locally and also from abroad.
Robots
Several robots and men were seen welding and putting together the body in tandem, with sparks flying around.
Thereafter the final assembling is done, glass goes on to the body, dashboard is put in, engine is fixed in, seats, clutch, brakes, gearbox goes in, doors are fitted etc. An SUV rolls out every four minutes from this section of the factory.
Mahindra is the first automotive company to introduce a full range upgrade to BS-4vehicles, as per the latest green concept of the Sri Lankan Government, Mr. Mathew revealed.
He told journalists that the company is working towards making the EV segment available and was the first company to launch an all-electric t h ree- wheeler Mahindra Treo in Sri Lanka.
Mahindra’s new vision has found expression through a new brand positioning and a new “core purpose” and tagline for the group — “Rise” — that was launched in January, he said.
The concept of Rise is built on three pillars: Accepting no limits, alternative thinking and driving positive change. “Rise means achieving world-class standards in everything we do, setting new benchmarks of excellence and conquering tough global markets,” according to Mr. Mathew.
The company, which opened a new North American headquarters north of Detroit, is considering when to begin US sales of the vehicles, Mr. Mathew said.
It also has affiliates with Pininfarina, the famed Italian design house, and Ssangyong Motor Co, a Korean manufacturer of utility and crossover vehicles, he added.
Mahindra is already a leader in the Sri Lankan commercial vehicle market and the company is eyeing a larger share of tractors as well, Sanjay Jadhav vice president and head of international operations –South Asia, said.
With over a two decades- long presence in Sri Lanka, Mahindra and Mahindra has so far sold 75000 units. The company has 400 touch points across the country, he pointed out.
He said the brand is a frontrunner in commercial vehicles and tractor segment and aspires to be the leader in other segments with exponential growth over the next five years.
With its advanced technological processes, large-scale assembly set up and eco-friendly focus, the new Sri Lanka facility will not only add to industrial growth in the country but will also generate employment opportunities, he opined.