India well positioned to more than fend for itself: Anand Mahindra

India can enhance its economic potential and become a keystone in the global supply chain system by seizing the opportunity from the shift in global alliances, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra said and asserted that "India is well positioned to more than fend for itself".

In his New Year message to the employees of the group, Mahindra said international relations could become more and more transactional, driven strongly by national interest and national muscle-flexing.

"Globally, the last few years have been full of shocks, changes and uncertainties, and the year that is drawing to a close has been no exception. We are seeing a shifting world where interdependencies and a flat world may well be things of the past," he wrote.

Asserting that "India is well positioned to more than fend for itself", Mahindra said, "It is no longer the 99-pound lightweight on the beach. It can demonstrate military might. It can boast of political stability, anchored by its raucous and robust democracy that was on full display in the central elections, when a nation of over a billion people voted seamlessly, peaceably and effectively." India can enhance its economic potential, by seizing the opportunity offered by shifting affinities and alliances to become a keystone in the global supply chain system, he noted.

"We will be less affected by capricious global winds than many other countries," Mahindra said, adding, "In that context, our Group should have no dearth of opportunities for growth, both domestic and international".

Noting that a New Year is traditionally a time for hope and optimism, referring to the Cambridge Dictionary choosing "Manifest" as the word of the year, Mahindra said, 'Manifest' not in its traditional meaning of "to show or demonstrate" but in its current, modern connotation of visualising aspirations and actively bringing them into reality.

"That tells me that no matter how uncertain the world is, how unpredictable the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' are, people still believe that they can visualise and manifest a better life and a better world," he said.

Reflecting on 2024, Mahindra said the group "became the 11th most valuable automobile manufacturer in the world, leaping over many competitors and erstwhile technology collaborators" while also lauding performance of other group firms such as Mahindra Susten, Mahindra Lifespace and Mahindra Finance, among others.

"Perhaps the freshest memory of this past year is the way our automotive business both literally and figuratively electrified Indian customers with the launch of two world-class premium electric vehicles. It's difficult to exaggerate the positive reaction these EVs have evoked, surpassing even our own expectations," Mahindra said.