Over 60 students across India evaluated on design & engineering - highlights the best talent in automotive design

Ahmedabad: Mahindra & Mahindra, one of India’s leading automobile majors, today awarded the winners of the fifth K. C. Mahindra Award for Excellence in Automotive Design 2007. Instituted in 2003, to foster creativity and innovation in automotive design among budding automotive engineers / students, the award this year focused on the 'Long Haul Truck Cabin for year 2015' theme.

Winners of the 1st prize Mr. Rajiv Kalita and Kiran S representing the Maulana Azad National Institute of technology, Bhopal took away cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, while Mr. Shamit Venugopal Kulkarni, Mr. Navneen Inamdar, Mr. Narhari Nadgir and _ Palaksha Nadgir all from K. L. Society‘s Gogate Institute of Technology, Udyambag, Belgaum shared the second position, winning a cash prize of Rs. 50,000. Mr. Davesh Mistry from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad was ranked third, winning cash prize of Rs 25,000. Mr. Divesh Mistry had won K C Mahindra Award in the previous years also, that is in 2003 and 2004. When the competition theme was `Styling a vehicle’ and `Safety respectively’.

The winning team created a new concept combining utility with style, which merges well with cargo body and the runners up also showcased out of box concepts of utility using trends in environment, interesting combinations of vision and style.

Expressing enthusiasm on the talent demonstrated, Dr. Arun Jaura, Sr. Vice President, Global Product Development, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra said, 'We are happy that through K C Mahindra Awards, we have been successful in providing a platform to students to foster open-ended thinking and creativity. With the growing response over the years, we are confident of promoting and nurturing these budding designers, which will help them bring out their best and help them achieve their dreams.

On the Occasion of hosting the Award function at NID, Dr. Darlie Koshy , Director NID said 'It is heartening that KC Mahindra Awards Over the years have encouraged design and engineering schools across the country to innovate on different theories. I am particularly happy that NID has made a strong move in the awards over the years by the students making a mark. NID’s multi disciplinary and transdiciplinary context is ideal for true innovation in the transportation sector. The fact that the prizes have been won by students from even remote engineering colleges signals arrival of talent in this growing sector.

Prof. Pradyumna Vyas, Activity Chairperson – Education and Mentor of Transportation & Automobile Design, National Institute of Design said 'I am happy to note that the Mahindra Group is giving importance to automotive styling and encouraging young talent to participate in innovation and design. We are proud that students from NID have been competing for these awards right from inception and consistently winning the prize every year.

The fifth edition of the K. C. Mahindra Award for Excellence in Automotive Design 2007 attracted over 60 entries from some of the top institutions in the country and about 8 entries were short listed by a panel of renowned experts. The final entries were judged by two highly qualified veterans – Mr. Greg Steen, VP Engineering, MIL, and Prof. K. S. Munshi, IITB, Mumbai and Mr. B Bhaumik, VP Styling & NPD.

The awards were judged on the basis of their originality and futuristic considerations, practicability of the concept, contents of write-up, aesthetic blending with vehicle style, vehicle packaging and quality of sketches and drawings.

About the Mahindra Group

The US $6 billion Mahindra Group is among the top 10 industrial houses in India. Mahindra & Mahindra is the only Indian company among the top tractor brands in the world. Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector has recently won the Japan Quality Medal, the only tractor company worldwide to be bestowed this honour. It also holds the distinction of being the only tractor company worldwide to win the Deming Prize. Mahindra is the market leader in multi-utility vehicles in India. It made a milestone entry into the passenger car segment with the Logan.

The Group has a leading presence in key sectors of the Indian economy, including the financial services, trade and logistics, automotive components, information technology, and infrastructure development.

With over 62 years of manufacturing experience, the Mahindra Group has built a strong base in technology, engineering, marketing and distribution which are key to its evolution as a customer-centric organization. The Group employs over 50,000 people and has several state-of-the-art facilities in India and overseas.

The Mahindra Group has ambitious global aspirations and has a presence on five continents. Mahindra products are today available on every continent except Antarctica. M&M has one tractor manufacturing plant in China, three assembly plants in the United States and one at Brisbane, Australia. It has made strategic acquisitions across the globe including Stokes Forgings (UK), Jeco Holding AG (Germany) and Schoneweiss & Co GmbH (Germany). Its global subsidiaries include Mahindra Europe Srl. based in Italy, Mahindra USA Inc. and Mahindra South Africa.

M&M has entered into partnerships with international companies like Renault SA, France, and International Truck and Engine Corporation, USA. Forbes has ranked the Mahindra Group in its Top 200 list of the World’s Most Reputable Companies and in the Top 10 list of Most Reputable Indian companies. Mahindra has recently been honoured with the Bombay Chamber Good Corporate Citizen Award for 2006-07.