![]() | Ashish Bakshi |
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
WORKING @ MAHINDRA
Today, two decades after beginning to open up its markets, India has one of the world’s fastest growing economies. What makes India particularly interesting is that it has achieved such growth while maintaining its vibrant, often chaotic, democracy. India has grown on the back of deep-rooted private enterprise, and as the saying goes, the country develops despite – rather than because of – the government. The Mahindra Group’s own growth parallels that of post-independence India—it was founded in the mid-1940s, slowly developed under tight industrial controls, and today is flourishing despite an onslaught of global competition.
I had visited India in the past, but this has been my first time living here (or being outside the United States for any extended period of time, for that matter). Mumbai is perhaps India’s closest analogue to New York. Besides the fact that it literally never sleeps (there are always people milling about), Mumbai is a large business hub, and it’s where people from small towns all around India go to take a shot at making it big. The city certainly requires some getting used to and provides plenty of opportunities to test one’s patience, but it’s always full of energy and surprises – no day is ever like the last.
The Global Recruit Program offers a chance to experience India’s growth story first-hand— to play a potentially significant role in the development of a $7 billion firm that is not only one of India’s largest, most diversified, and most respected companies, but also one of its fastest-growing. Mahindra is rapidly going global, and the Global Recruits’ contributions are especially valued in this light. Very few other entry-level positions provide the same kind of access, responsibility, and high impact.
In my first three months, I’ve worked on several interesting projects in the automotive sector. Some have been studies, such as analyses of the Eurozone debt crisis, Indian fuel pricing policy, and the global aftermarket sector. Others include helping to craft Mahindra’s electric vehicle strategy (with Mahindra REVA, the world’s largest EV manufacturer by volume), exploring ways of expanding the brand’s reach to new consumer segments (through social media, events, and more), and working on a motorsports sponsorship deal. |