10th Batch of Mahindra MPOWER Program Concludes Successfully
Published On Sep 09, 2016
The 10th batch of Mahindra Truck and Bus Division’s MPOWER program came to a conclusion recently. Started on August 13, the program went on for eight days at IIM Ahmedabad and was attended by 31 next-gen youth transport entrepreneurs from all over the country. The course covered diverse subjects, and was aimed at modernizing and advancing the business acumen of the participants belonging to families owing leading transportation businesses in India.
The final day of the event witnessed several key speakers sharing their perspectives on the trucking industry. The first session was a presentation by the candidates on practical problems faced by the industry and proposed solutions in order to resolve these issues. Candidates also got the opportunity to discuss and debate on the problems with Mr Abhay Damle (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways).
Mr. Damle also held another detailed session where he discussed all the issues raised by the candidates and also provided useful insights on the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
Apart from shortage of drivers, Mr. Damle emphasised on issues such as corruption and the Ministry’s efforts on solving problems regarding laws that cause hindrance in inter-state transportation.
Talking about the program, Venkat Srinivas, Vice President and Head-Engineering & Product Development, Mahindra Truck and Bus Division (MTBD), said, “Mahindra wants to create an impact in the commercial vehicle ecosystem. Not many companies get involved in such programs, in which they can directly connect with their customers and empower them. These events and initiatives help the ecosystem to develop and stay connected with the business and bring about positive change.”
Replying to a question by TrucksDekho about what Mahindra aims to achieve with this program, Mr Rajeev Malik, Senior General Manager-Marketing, MTBD, said, “Mahindra is true to its philosophy of RISE. By this program, we would like to give back to the community and our customers who rest their trust in us. Also, since we are a new player in the trucks arena, this program gives us a chance to directly interact with our future customers and understand them better. Such learning from esteemed teaching faculty of IIM Ahmedabad will help the business grow in the right direction.”
Aimed at inspiring the younger generation to ‘take forward their family business with their own vision’, the MPOWER program reflects Mahindra’s dedication towards strengthening the transportation sector in India. The candidates were hugely benefited from the program and were grateful that Mahindra provided them the opportunity to learn about their industry and expand their business.
This batch of the MPOWER program indirectly involved 278 next-gen transporters who collectively own over 57,300 trucks and utilize another 50 percent of the number from the segment. This provides employment to over 62,900 people and brings in a combined turnover of INR 23,250 crores.