Anish Shah - MAN AT THE WHEEL

M&M's first non-promoter boss talks about learnings from GE, EVs, his equation with Anand Mahindra, and the philosophy of 'helping out'

- Pavan Lall

It was in 1998 that one of Anish Shah's mentors first suggested, in passing, that he get in touch with Anand Mahindra of the Mahindra Group. Shah was leaving management consulting firm Bain & Co. and Rajan Panth, who had been an adviser at Mahindra & Mahindra and understood its ethos, was offering guidance on the pros and cons of rejoining General Electric, where Shah had worked previously. "Just have a conversation (with Mahindra), no agenda," Shah recalls being told. He did.

It was only in August 2014, though, that Shah, now 53, joined M&M as group president, special projects. A year later, he became head of group strategy. Since April 2021, when Anand Mahindra decided to take on the role of non-executive chairman, Shah has been working as CEO and managing director at M&M, a federated group of companies with interests in businesses ranging from aerospace to agribusiness. He's possibly the first non-family member to run the group.

If office corners are any indication, Shah's tells a story. For one, the office is in Mumbai's Worli, on the same floor where group boss Anand Mahindra once sat (he now sits at Gateway House), and not in Kandivali, where former MD Pawan Goenka used to sit. Second, the office is surprisingly modern, with European wooden accents that may look more at home at a Swiss watchmaker's than a company that makes tractors and SUVs.

The image of the independent new-age CEO tycoon carries over to the man. Shah, who dresses in sharp suits, with Salvatore Ferragamo silk ties, greets me at his office, where we are meeting for lunch ordered in from San Qi at the Four Seasons.