Mahindra's Aussie connections

Former test cricketer Matthew Hayden is lending his cachet to Mahindra as its brand ambassador in Australia. A new national TV advertising campaign due to air on Foxtel from Sunday February 14 features Hayden driving the Pikup and XUV500, the latter of which will receive a shot in the arm from both the campaign and an update introducing an automatic transmission option for the first time.

Hayden is an ideal fit for the Mahindra image, says the brand's local marketing manager, James Halliwell, because the cricketer's lifestyle dovetails with the pursuits of typical Mahindra buyers.

"The reason why we chose Matthew Hayden as our brand ambassador is he embodies all those elements that cross over different segments," Halliwell told motoring.com.au during the Delhi motor show last week.

"He was brought up on a farm in Kingaroy, which fits well with our tractor and rural customers. His lifestyle now is all about family and outdoors activities like fishing and camping and having fun with his kids and his family. So the [XUV500] embodies those things, as does some of the more traditional products like the Pikup with the four wheel drive."

But the high-profile celeb who was an opening batsman in a previous life isn't Mahindra's only tie to Australia.

Since 2005 the huge Indian conglomerate has been assembling tractors in Queensland, at Acacia Ridge. The company's presence in Australia as a wholesaler of tractors actually predates its entry into the SUV and light commercial vehicle sectors here.

Pravin Shah, Chief Executive for the company's automotive arm, told motoring.com.au that the "local value-add" from assembling the tractors in Acacia Ridge provides the brand with a competitive edge in the Australian market.

And while Mahindra is comparatively unknown among the 60+ automotive brands in the Australian market, it's much more renowned here in the farming community. The brand's range of tractors has taken it to number four in the tractor market segment between 30 and 50hp.

"We are first in tractors present in Australia, by doing the local assembly," Shah said.

Lastly, Mahindra owns GippsAero, a small firm based in Gippsland, Victoria. Mahindra acquired the aeronautical firm at the end of 2009. GippsAero had already committed to resuming production of the former GAF Nomad and plans to name its version of the STOL aircraft the GA18, to sell alongside its GA8 Airvan (pictured), which has been sold all over the world, and the turboprop version, the GA10.

GippsAero is owned by Mahindra through its Aerospace division, which just recently secured a contract with Airbus to develop a new helicopter.