Anand Mahindra
Anand Gopal Mahindra (born 1 May 1955) is an Indian industrialist serving as chairman of the Mahindra Group, a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai with annual revenues exceeding $21 billion across sectors including automobiles, information technology, aerospace, and agribusiness.[1]
The third-generation leader of the family-founded enterprise, Mahindra joined Mahindra Ugine Steel Company in 1981 after earning a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in film and architecture from Harvard University in 1977 and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1981.[2][3]
Under his stewardship since becoming managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra in 1991, the group expanded from its origins in steel trading to a diversified federation operating in over 100 countries, employing more than 260,000 people, with notable growth in utility vehicles, tractors, and software services.[4][5]
Mahindra has received the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honor, in 2020 for contributions to trade and industry, alongside recognitions such as Harvard Business School's Alumni Achievement Award in 2018 and listings among global top CEOs by Barron's and Fortune.[6][7]
He is also known for philanthropy, including founding the Nanhi Kali initiative to support girls' education in India, and maintains a prominent presence on social media with over 11 million followers on X, where he comments on business and societal issues.[3]