Mahindra Chakan plant, three million vehicles, BE 6 electric SUV, smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, automotive automation, sustainable manufacturing, electric vehicle production

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd announced that its state-of-the-art Chakan manufacturing facility has crossed the cumulative production milestone of three million vehicles.

The milestone vehicle was the BE 6, Mahindra’s most advanced flagship electric SUV, reflecting the facility’s evolution into a future-ready manufacturing hub supporting both internal-combustion and electric mobility.

Since rolling out its first vehicle in December 2009, Chakan has evolved into one of Mahindra’s most strategically important manufacturing facilities. The plant produced its latest one million vehicles in just 27 months, nearly four times faster than the time taken to manufacture its first million.

R Velusamy, President – Automotive Business, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said, “The rollout of our three-millionth vehicle, the BE 6, from Chakan marks a proud milestone in Mahindra’s manufacturing journey. The acceleration from 107 months for our first million vehicles to just 27 months for the latest million reflects the growing trust of our customers and the unwavering commitment of our people, partners and suppliers. “Chakan combines Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, IoT, 5G connectivity, advanced robotics, digital traceability and flexible multi-model manufacturing, underpinned by Lean and TPM practices. Together, these capabilities enable us to deliver world-class quality, agility and scale while advancing responsible manufacturing. As we continue to build world-class products in India for India and the world, Chakan will remain at the heart of our manufacturing excellence,” he further added.

Spread across 657 acres, the Chakan facility manufactures 19 models and more than 450 variants across internal-combustion passenger vehicles, electric vehicles and commercial vehicles.

The facility combines advanced manufacturing technologies with Lean and Total Productive Maintenance methodologies to improve quality, flexibility and operational excellence. Its operations integrate Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, IoT, 5G connectivity and digital traceability.

The plant is equipped with approximately 1,500 robots and has more than 98 per cent automation in the body shop, along with robotic painting and sealer application. Its quality systems include 3D component scanning, real-time weld-integrity monitoring and interlocked No Fault Forward quality gateways.

The facility also operates seven multi-model assembly lines and uses synchronised autonomous mobile robots for material movement. Artificial intelligence is used for real-time monitoring of personal protective equipment compliance and shop-floor safety.

More than 50 per cent of the plant’s energy requirement is met through renewable energy, while electric vehicle manufacturing at the facility operates on 100 per cent renewable energy.

The facility is water positive, returning the equivalent of 131 per cent of the water it uses to nature. This is supported by annual rainwater recharge of approximately 9.91 lakh kilolitres.

Chakan is also certified as Zero Waste to Landfill and is nearing the achievement of its EP100 commitment to double energy productivity.

Almost all vehicle models manufactured at Chakan support Mahindra’s international operations, with exports to markets including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.