Pawan Goenka takes home his first Mahindra XEV 9e; Anand Mahindra recalls R&D struggles

In his post, Mahindra wrote, “This is not just another video for me,” marking Goenka’s journey with the company. Goenka joined M&M in 1993 as Deputy Head of R&D in Nashik after leaving General Motors in the US.

Mahindra stated, “When Pawan Goenka decided to return to India in the early ‘90s, leaving behind a job at General Motors, I managed to convince him to join @Mahindra_Auto at Nashik as Deputy Head of R&D.”

This is not just another video for me…

When Pawan Goenka decided to return to India in the early ‘90s, leaving behind a job at General Motors, I managed to convince him to join @Mahindra_Auto at Nashik as Deputy Head of R&D

He often relates how when he first went to Nashik and… pic.twitter.com/auggd8gEQ9

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) March 27, 2025

Goenka initially hesitated, with Mahindra noting, “He often relates how when he first went to Nashik and saw the R&D ‘shed’ and its rudimentary state, he began questioning his decision to come back.”

Goenka stayed and led the development of the Scorpio, as Mahindra confirmed: “However, he stayed on, and as the Head of R&D, he led the development of the Scorpio.” He later served as Executive Director from 2013, taking on the two-wheeler division in 2014, and became MD and CEO from November 2016 until his retirement in 2021.

Mahindra added, “He eventually rose to become the MD & CEO of M&M Ltd, and through his entire tenure at the company, laid the foundations of the world-class R&D centre we have today.”

After retiring, Goenka took the role of chairperson at INSPACe, a Department of Space entity, and received the Padma Shri. Mahindra said, “Post his retirement, he is leading In-Space, a Department of Space company as its Chairman and has been recently awarded a Padma Shri.”

Goenka also chairs the board of governors at IIT Madras and is a national council member of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He holds a B.Tech from IIT Kanpur, a Ph.D. from Cornell University, and completed the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School.

In the video, Goenka stated the XEV 9e is his first electric vehicle. Mahindra reflected on the moment: “When I see Pawan and his wife Mamta buying one of our first electric origin SUVs, I am flooded by emotions and memories of working alongside him.”

He continued, “I see a man who can take pride in helping to propel the Indian Auto Industry into the future; I see a man endorsing and enjoying the fruits of his own labour.” Mahindra concluded, “So, as I said, this is not an ordinary video for me. It is a source of pride and joy.”