M&M eyeing to establish full-fledged R&D centre in Chennai

 India's leading utility vehiclemaker, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) is reportedly looking at setting up an integrated R&D and engineering center in Chennai and is in talks with the Tamil Nadu government to allot 253 acres of land to set it up. The The proposed center would amalgamate operations of the company's various existing research and development units in different parts of India, including Nasik, Pune, Haridwar and Igatpuri.

M&M President (Automotive Sector) Pawan Goenka said at the 10th Auto Expo in New Delhi, "The company was in the process of setting up a plant in Chennai, and the project plan was submitted to the state industries department. He did not divulge the investment details. M&M hopes to operalionalize the new center in four to five years employing around 1,500 personnel. The new center will support both automotive and tractor business of the company.

It may be recalled that Anand Mahindra, Mahindra group Vice-Chairman, was quoted as saying to reporters a few years back,"I realised the moment I saw it, that this was our best chance of competing in the global market." S, the work will begin on Mahindra's obsession — a $100 million R&D and product development centre — which he says will flaunt amenities comparable to the best in the world."