Anjanikumar Choudhari, president - farm equipment sector, M&M, receives the AE50 award from Donald C. Erbach, president, ASABE, in Minneapolis.

Mahindra & Mahindra''s farm equipment division has won the `AE50 Outstanding Innovation Award 2007'' from American Society for Engineering in Agricultural, Food, and Biological Systems (ASABE), an international, not-for-profit organisation of diverse members dedicated to advancing agricultural, biological and food engineering.

Mahindra& Mahindra Farm Equipment Sector developed the `Mahindra Shaan'', deemed to be one of the year''s most innovative designs in engineering products or systems for the food and agriculture industries. The Mahindra Shaan is featured in the June 2007 special AE50 issue of ASABE''s magazine Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World.

"We are delighted that our multi-utility tractor, `Shan'', was selected from over 1,500 worldwide entries for this prestigious award. It is a true reflection of the engineering design capabilities of Indian companies, now beginning to compete successfully with the best in the world." Anjanikumar Choudhari, president - farm equipment sector of M&M, said.

The AE50 award programme emphasises the role of new products and systems in bringing advanced technology to the marketplace. These engineering developments help farmers, food processors and equipment manufacturers cut costs, enhance quality and increase profits.

Companies from around the world submit entries to the annual AE50 competition and up to 50 of the best products are chosen by a panel of international engineering experts. The judges select products that will best advance engineering for the food and agriculture industries.

The $4.5 billion Mahindra group is among the top 10 industrial houses in India. Mahindra & Mahindra is the only Indian company among the top four tractor manufacturers in the world and is the market leader in multi-utility vehicles in India.

The group has a leading presence in key sectors of the Indian economy, including trade and financial services (Mahindra Intertrade, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd.), automotive components, information technology & telecom (Tech Mahindra, Bristlecone), and infrastructure development (Mahindra GESCO, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd., Mahindra World City).

With over 60 years of manufacturing experience, the Mahindra group has built a strong base in technology, engineering, marketing and distribution which are key in its evolution as a customer-centric organisation.

The group employs over 40,000 people and has several state-of-the-art facilities in India and overseas.