Mahindra & Mahindra's Farm Equipment Sector (FES), the third largest tractor company in the world, was awarded the coveted Japan Quality Medal on October 16, 2007, by 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.

About M&M’s Farm Equipment Sector

M&M’s FES is the 3rd largest tractor company in the world with over 1.2 million customers. FES recently acquired Punjab Tractors and now commands approximately 40 percent market share of the Indian tractor market. FES exports tractors to USA, Spain, Chile, Nigeria, Australia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and many other countries and has assembly plants in the U.S.A. - Tomball (Texas) and Calhoun (Georgia), China and Australia. FES’s subsidiaries include Mahindra USA, Mahindra China Tractor Company Limited and Mahindra Australia.

About The Mahindra Group

The US $4.5 billion Mahindra Group is among the top 10 industrial houses in India. Mahindra & Mahindra is the only Indian company among the top three tractor manufacturers in the world and is the market leader in multi-utility vehicles in India. With over 60 years of manufacturing experience, the Mahindra Group has built a strong base in technology, engineering, marketing and distribution, which are key in its evolution as a customer-centric organization. The Group employs over 40,000 people and has several state-of-the-art facilities in India and overseas. 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.