Mahindra and Mahindra's US Foray

Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), the flagship company of the US $7.1 billion Mahindra group was one of the top ten industrial houses in India. Already, the world's largest tractor manufacturer and the number four tractor seller in the US, M&M had ambitious plans of launching a two door and four door pickup truck in 2011 followed by a sport-utility vehicle (SUV) a year later. However, auto analysts were not too optimistic about M&M's US plans. "It looks like an impossible marketing play." said one. Even the consumers were also skeptical about an Indian automobile brand. "Can it really be made well if it comes from India?" In this context the case study discusses the challenges faced by M&M in launching its pickup truck and SUVs in the US. Will it be able to counter the challenges posed by the US market being an Indian company?.