Key Highlights
- Newsroom ReviewedAt a time when most automakers are keeping their options open, the Mahindra group has chosen to shut one door firmly.
- Even as hybrids gain traction across the Indian vehicle market, Mahindra has doubled down on a clear position — electric vehicles, not hybrids, are the long term answer. In a recent interview with NDTV Profit, Anish Shah, the Managing Director and CEO of the Mahindra Group, sat in the driver’s seat of 'BE6 Batman Edition' — a limited-edition SUV, that sold out 999 units in just two minutes — and spoke about the decision to back 'electric-born' vehicles, and the group's diversification plays."Hybrid gives you a short-term advantage,” says Shah, “But once charging infrastructure improves, that advantage goes away. ALSO READMahindra Launches Motorsport-Inspired BE 6 SUV Edition — Check Price, Features, Other DetailsOpinionMahindra Launches Motorsport-Inspired BE 6 SUV Edition — Check Price, Features, Other DetailsRead MoreA Year Of Hedging HybridsShah's stance stands out because 2025 was almost a comeback for the hybrids.
- Maruti Suzuki, with its Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid, and Toyota Kirloskar Motors, with its Innova Hycross, continued to push in the hybrid direction.
- Mahindra's competitors have positioned hybrid vehicles as fuel efficient, low-anxiety variants, in a market still wary of charging infra gaps, and range concerns.
- Hybrid variants also helped these companies balance regulatory pressure on emissions while protecting margins. Even Tata Motors, India’s EV market leader, kept its strategy flexible — backing EVs aggressively, with their Harrier and Nexon, while also signalling openness to multiple pathways as consumer adoption evolved. ALSO READMahindra XUV 7XO Launch On Jan.
