Talk about man and machine, and the attributes associated with them - quality, durability, reliability and good looks. Here comes one name - Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. And like the person in question, it's his machines too that carry the same hallmarks. Articulate and suave, Anand belongs to that rare new breed of young, well-educated and ambitious family scions, who have carved a niche for themselves - not by dint of wealth they have inherited, but by their vision and professionalism.

An MBA from Harvard Business School, Boston, Anand joined the Mahindra Ugine Steel Company Ltd (MUSCO), the country's foremost producer of specialty steels, as Executive Assistant to the Finance Director way back in 1981, when he had just made a beginning of a great career. Educating himself at every stage of his life, he soon climbed to become the President and Deputy Managing Director of MUSCO in 1989, followed by Deputy Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Nephew of the Group's patriarch, Keshub Mahindra, Anand during his stint at MUSCO was instrumental in initiating the Mahindra Group's entry into the fields of real estate development and hospitality management. And it's no wonder that today the Group has expanded into diversified filed and has a significance presence in multi-utility vehicles and tractors with interests in key sectors like infrastructure, information technology and financial services. Mahindra, India's top utility vehicle maker and the world's fourth-largest tractor maker, has about 30 percent of the Indian tractor market, the world's largest by volume. The sector is forecast to expand quickly with the focus on rural lending.

An avid reader and a columnist who writes frequently on business and general economic subjects in leading business magazines, Anand has been the vital force in making the Rs. 5,500 crore Group an acknowledged leader in the rural markets for personal and public transportation. Its vehicles can be seen in the remotest part of the country and in great numbers. The highly successful Scorpio, Bolero and Arjun tractor are just some examples of the high brand equity that Mahindra products enjoy. A co-founder of the Harvard Business School Association of India, Anand has been the main Motivating factor in increasing the company's presence in urban and foreign markets with exports to Russia, Brazil, Columbia and parts of Africa.

A man of principle who believes that authority should come with expertise, it was much later in 1997 that Anand took the post of M&M's Managing Director, soon to be followed with the additional responsibility of Vice Chairman in 2001. A co-promoter of Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd, one of India's most prominent finance companies in the private sector, Anand later initiated a move to enter into a joint venture with Goldman Sachs of the USA in the field of investment banking in India. Known for his down-to-earth approach, Anand has ushered M&M into an ear of hope, optimism and ambitious growth plan. And as he leads the group into a new era, there is no an iota of doubt that he will keep the growth engine throbbing.