The late industrialist Harish Mahindra and his wife Indira welcomed Anand Mahindra into the world on May 1, 1955 in Bombay, India. Radhika Nath and Anuja Sharma are Anand's sisters. After completing his elementary education at Lawrence School in Lovedale, he attended Harvard University to study film and architecture, earning a magna cum laude degree in 1977. He earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1981.
Anand Gopal Mahindra, an Indian business magnate and chairman of the Mahindra Group, a conglomerate with its headquarters in Mumbai, was born on May 1, 1955. The company's businesses include those in the following sectors: aircraft, agribusiness, aftermarket, automotive, components, construction equipment, defence, energy, farm equipment, finance and insurance, industrial equipment, information technology, leisure and hospitality, logistics, real estate, and retail. Mahindra is a descendant of Mahindra & Mahindra co-founder Jagdish Chandra Mahindra.
He is listed in Fortune Magazine's list of the "World's 50 Greatest Leaders" and was among the 25 most influential CEOs in Asia in 2011. Anand was named the 2013 "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Forbes (India). In January 2020, he received the Padma Bhushan Award, the third-highest civilian honour in India.
Career
Anand began working with Mahindra Ugine Steel Company Ltd. (MUSCO) in 1981 as the Finance Director's Executive Assistant. He was named President and Deputy Managing Director of MUSCO in 1989. He spearheaded the expansion of the Mahindra Group into the brand-new industries of real estate development and hospitality management. He was appointed deputy managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., an Indian manufacturer of agricultural tractors and off-road vehicles, on April 4, 1991. Anand joined Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. in April 1997 as the Managing Director, and in 2001 he was named Vice Chairman.
Anand retained his position as Chairman of the Mahindra Group but was renamed Executive Chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd in November 2016.
Kotak Mahindra Bank, formerly known as Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd., has Anand as one of its co-promoters. He stopped serving as a promoter in 2013 but continued to serve as a non-executive director.
The Mahindra Group, one of India's top 10 industrial houses, is a US$19 billion corporation today. The Economist has designated Anand Mahindra as the symbol of Indian capitalism. He has been named the 2013 "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Forbes India Magazine.
Private Life
Anuradha, a journalist who later founded the magazine Verve, was married to Anand. Verve and Man's World magazines currently have her as editor. Divya and Aalika, their two children, were born. Anand studied filmmaking as an undergraduate at Harvard because he has a strong interest in it. He has a sharp eye for photography and a passion for filmmaking. He also appreciates blues music, and in 2011 he founded the Mahindra Blues Festival, which has been hosted yearly in Mumbai.
Anand works to promote the arts and culture. He established the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards and the Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival, an annual arts and crafts fair and performing arts gathering in Lucknow.