Mahindra's Farm Equipment Sector wins Deming honor

Mahindra & Mahindra's Farm Equipment Sector (FES), the third-largest tractor company in the world, was awarded the coveted Japan Quality Medal recently by the Deming Prize Committee care of the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE), Tokyo. Mahindra is the only tractor manufacturing company in the world to win this highly acclaimed award for excellence in Total Quality Management (TQM) and one of the few companies globally to win this rare honor. The award ceremony will take place on November 14 in Tokyo.

"This is a moment of great joy and satisfaction and the culmination of our collective dream and shared vision – achieved with immense hard work by each employee. The award cites our customer centric focus and superior quality standards as the key reasons for this honor," said Anjanikumar Choudhari, president of the Farm Equipment Sector at M&M. "The Japan Quality Medal catapults our Farm Equipment Sector into a new league and marks another step towards global leadership."

To qualify, M&M's Farm Equipment Sector first had to win the Deming Application Prize, which it received in 2003. It was the first tractor company in the world to receive this award, which is given to operations business units of a company that have achieved distinctive performance improvement through quality control/management in a designated year. The award is often considered the Nobel Prize of manufacturing. The company then had to wait three years to apply for the Japan Quality Medal.

"The Japan Quality Medal is a significant marker for the company and an inspiration for Mahindra employees around the world," said Anirban Ghosh, president of Mahindra USA. "As we aspire to become the world's largest tractor company, I hope to translate that spirit and dedication to Mahindra here in the United States as we continue to expand our reach."

The market leader in the Indian tractor industry for the last 24 years, FES is historically known for superior quality products and customer centricity. Its entire business process is designed to create consistent customer delight. Each stage of development follows a system that includes Customer Feedback Mechanism, i.e., an in-depth and focused customer interview, feedback from suppliers, trade partners, customers, etc.

"As the American affiliate of an Indian company, we have worked to find our place in this marketplace and build a brand in the minds of consumers and we have done that. The Japan Quality Medal prize further establishes the Mahindra name as an outstanding company with superior products that Americans today can rely on," said Mike Hilderbrand, head of marketing for Mahindra USA.

About the Japan Quality Medal
The Japan Quality Medal is upheld as the highest award given to a company following Total Quality Management (TQM) practices. It was established in October 1969 in Tokyo to commemorate the first International Conference on Quality Control (ICQC). JQM recognizes a high level of customer focus, improvements in overall quality and achievement of excellence in business processes.