Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has confirmed that its state-of-the-art Chakan manufacturing facility has crossed a huge milestone, rolling out its three-millionth vehicle. Fittingly, that landmark vehicle was the BE 6, Mahindra’s most advanced flagship electric SUV, underlining how far the Chakan plant has come as a manufacturing hub that now supports both internal-combustion and electric vehicles.
A Million Vehicles in Just 27 Months
Chakan rolled out its very first vehicle back in December 2009, and since then it’s grown into one of Mahindra’s most strategically important plants. What really stands out is how much faster production has scaled up: the latest one million vehicles took just 27 months to produce, nearly four times quicker than the very first million.
Speaking on the milestone, R Velusamy, President – Automotive Business, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said the rollout of the three-millionth vehicle, the BE 6, from Chakan was a proud moment in Mahindra’s manufacturing journey. He pointed out that production sped up from 107 months for the first million vehicles down to just 27 months for the most recent million, which he put down to growing customer trust along with the commitment of Mahindra’s people, partners and suppliers. He also highlighted that Chakan brings together Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, IoT, 5G connectivity, advanced robotics, digital traceability and flexible multi-model manufacturing, all built on Lean and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) practices. According to Velusamy, these capabilities allow Mahindra to deliver world-class quality, agility and scale while keeping manufacturing responsible, and Chakan will continue to sit at the heart of the company’s manufacturing efforts as it builds vehicles in India for both the domestic and global markets.
Flexibility at Scale: One Integrated Manufacturing Hub
The Chakan facility spans 657 acres and currently manufactures 19 models and more than 450 variants, covering ICE passenger vehicles, electric vehicles and commercial vehicles all under one roof.
Intelligent Manufacturing: A Future-Ready Ecosystem
Chakan pairs advanced manufacturing tech with Lean and Total Productive Maintenance methodologies to keep quality, flexibility and operational efficiency in check. Some of the standout capabilities include:
- Smart manufacturing — Industry 4.0, AI, IoT, 5G connectivity and digital traceability running across the plant’s operations.
- Automation at scale — around 1,500 robots in use, with over 98% automation in the body shop, plus robotic painting and sealer application.
- Quality built in — 3D component scanning, real-time weld-integrity monitoring, and interlocked “No Fault Forward” quality gateways.
- Flexible operations — seven multi-model assembly lines working alongside synchronised autonomous mobile robots for moving materials around the plant.
- AI-enabled safety — real-time monitoring of personal protective equipment compliance and overall shop-floor safety.
Sustainability at the Core: Responsible Manufacturing at Scale
Sustainability is clearly a big focus at Chakan too. More than 50% of the plant’s total energy needs are met through renewable sources, and electric vehicle manufacturing at the facility runs on 100% renewable energy. The plant is also water positive, returning the equivalent of 131% of the water it uses back to nature, helped along by annual rainwater recharge of roughly 9.91 lakh kilolitres. On top of that, Chakan is certified Zero Waste to Landfill and is closing in on its EP100 commitment to double energy productivity.
Built in India, for the World
Almost every vehicle model produced at Chakan plays a role in supporting Mahindra’s international operations, with exports heading out to markets including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
