Mahindra & Mahindra, on Thursday, announced to have crossed the cumulative production milestone of three million vehicles at its Chakan manufacturing facility, with the landmark vehicle being the BE 6 electric SUV.
The company said the milestone reflects the plant’s ability to manufacture both internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric vehicles from the same facility.
R Velusamy, President – Automotive Business, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said, “The rollout of our three-millionth vehicle, the BE 6, from Chakan marks a proud milestone in Mahindra’s manufacturing journey. The acceleration from 107 months for our first million vehicles to just 27 months for the latest million reflects the growing trust of our customers and the unwavering commitment of our people, partners, and suppliers.”
The Chakan plant rolled out its first vehicle in December 2009. Spread across 657 acres, the integrated manufacturing hub produces 19 models and more than 450 variants across passenger vehicles, electric vehicles and commercial vehicles.
Smart factory
The facility uses Industry 4.0 technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), 5G connectivity, advanced robotics and digital traceability, alongside Lean and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) practices.
Mahindra executives and employees celebrate after the Chakan plant rolled out its three-millionth vehicle, the BE 6, following the latest one million vehicles produced in 27 months.
According to Mahindra, the plant has around 1,500 robots, more than 98% automation in the body shop, seven multi-model assembly lines, robotic painting and sealer application, 3D component scanning, real-time weld monitoring, AI-based safety monitoring and autonomous mobile robots for material movement.
Mahindra said more than 50% of the Chakan plant’s energy requirement is met through renewable sources, while its electric vehicle manufacturing operations run entirely on renewable energy.
The facility is water positive, returning the equivalent of 131% of the water it uses back to nature through annual rainwater recharge of about 9.91 lakh kilolitres. It is also certified as Zero Waste to Landfill and is nearing its EP100 commitment to double energy productivity.
Vehicles manufactured at the Chakan facility are exported to markets including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.