Mahindra & Mohammed to M&M: How Mahindra's first partner became Pakistani after partition

Mahindra & Mahindra

When you hear the name "Mahindra" today, you might think of rugged SUVs, sturdy tractors, or a vast Indian business group. But the story of how this company began is a little-known tale of partnership change, and a name that almost was.

In 1945, in Ludhiana, Punjab, two brothers—Kailash Chandra Mahindra and Jagdish Chandra Mahindra—started a steel trading company. They didn't do it alone. Their partner was a man named Ghulam Mohammed. Reflecting this alliance, they named the firm Mahindra & Mohammed. The brothers intentionally included his name to make him feel an equal part of the venture, even though his financial stake was relatively small.

This partnership, however, was soon reshaped by history. In 1947, British India was divided into two independent nations: India and Pakistan. This event, known as Partition, led Ghulam Mohammed to move to the newly formed Pakistan. He went on to play a significant role there, becoming Pakistan’s first Finance Minister and later its Governor-General in 1951.

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His departure meant the company in India needed a new direction. The Mahindra brothers faced a practical and symbolic decision: what to call their business now?

Why "Mahindra & Mahindra"?

The change of name was more logistical than anything else. Anand Mahindra, the company’s current Chairman, has explained that by the time Ghulam Mohammed left, a large amount of the company’s stationery—like letterheads, invoices, and bills—was already printed with the initials "M&M." To avoid wasting all this material, the brothers decided to keep the abbreviation but change the full name. Thus, Mahindra & Mahindra was born, and the iconic "M&M" moniker stayed.

Despite the political separation, personal bonds remained. Former Chairman Keshub Mahindra (son of K.C. Mahindra) once recalled that when Ghulam Mohammed visited India in 1955, his first call was to the Mahindra family matriarch, showing that their personal connection endured beyond borders and business.

With a new name came a new future. The company shifted from steel and in 1947 began assembling Willys jeeps, vehicles that would become legendary in India. In 1961, they entered the tractor business through a partnership with International Harvester. Under the leadership of Keshub Mahindra, who became Chairman in 1963, the group diversified widely, forming alliances with global giants like Mitsubishi, Peugeot, and others.

This strategy of diversification propelled M&M into many new sectors, including technology, finance, and hospitality. The Mahindra Jeep and the Mahindra tractor grew into iconic Indian products, symbols of reliability and strength.

From its origins as Mahindra & Mohammed in 1945 to the global conglomerate it is today, the Mahindra Group's journey is a powerful story of adaptation. It shows how a business navigated a historic geopolitical shift, turned a practical challenge (like printed stationery) into a lasting brand identity and successfully reinvented itself time and again.

The name may have changed, but the initials M&M stand as a quiet reminder of an unexpected partnership that started it all—a small but significant chapter in the making of an Indian industrial giant.