Mahindra's magic maker Rajesh Jejurikar

In a highly competitive SUV market, he has been able to fashion a turnaround for Brand Mahindra and has made it a force to reckon with. The recent blockbuster success of Mahindra's new-age SUVs is the latest mark of his ability to triumph in a tough situation. Rajesh Jejurikar is Autocar Professional's 2022 Man of the Year.

- Ketan Thakkar

The year was 2002. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) was conceptualising, designing and building a new car aimed for the global markets. Part of the team that was crafting the marketing plan for this bold new venture was a young man in his 30s with a charming smile and quiet self-confidence who was distinguishing himself even then with his perceptiveness and his ability to get the job done. The new car, the iconic first-generation Scorpio went on to establish M&M as a serious player in a fledgling Indian car market and the fast rising marketing professional from SP Jain, Rajesh Jejurikar went on to play a critical role in reinventing M&M many times over.

Fast forward to 2022. The fifth-generation Scorpio N is a thumping success and the orders are pouring in. This launch helped the company grab the spot for the Number One SUV maker in the country in terms of revenues.

Between these two major milestones, India has matured into the fourth largest car market in the world, with an extremely complex and competitive market environment. Meanwhile, Jejurikar has evolved into a master brand builder churning out products - Scorpio, Bolero, XUV, Thar that have become the key pillars of M&M's automotive business. He is now the Executive Director of Mahindra & Mahindra's automotive and farm business. Over the years, his ability to read the consumer and the market has turned out to be a key differentiator, say people close to him.

Mahindra's Makeover

Since he joined M&M in the year 2000 as Vice President of Marketing, Automotive Sector, Jejurikar has been part of several landmark events in the history of the company. In 2020, just as it did at the start of the millennium, M&M found itself in a downcycle and a tight spot again.