Brand Swaraj wins 4 awards for Quality Circle in South Korea.

Mahindra’s Swaraj Division, a leading brand of tractors in India and apart of the USD 16.9 billion Mahindra Group, received international acclaim for its Quality Circle initiatives at the recently concluded International Convention for Quality Control Circles in South Korea.

The Quality Circle teams of Mahindra’s Swaraj Division and Swaraj Engines Limited (SEL) bagged four awards at this event - one Gold, two Silver and a Bronze in recognition of the efforts undertaken by the company to drive quality and production. From among a total of 257 participants from across the world.Mahindra’s Swaraj Division Foundry (SDF) Team won gold, while teams from manufacturingat Swaraj Division and Swaraj Engines Limited (SEL) bagged silver each.

Speaking on the international accolade,Mr. Viren Popli, Chief Operating Officer, Swaraj Division, M&M Ltd. said, “It is a moment of great pride for us that our Quality Circle teams have been recognized at a global platform and that too in Korea which is well known for quality. I am happy that our tractor brand - Swaraj hasonce again gained global recognition in qualityand production. We sincerely believe that these awards will further invigorate our employees to strive even harder for better quality and reliability of our tractors in the hands of our customers.”

With over 150 QCs in place, innovation and new ideas for improving product design, productivity and processes have become a way of life for employees atSwaraj Division. Swaraj Quality Circle teams have been winning laurels at international levels for the lastfour years. Since launch of its Quality Circles (QC) in 2011, Swaraj Division Foundry, that won gold in Korea has covered 50 per cent of its workforce in 24 QCs and intends to cover the balance by 2017. QCs were started in Mahindra Swaraj to tap the hidden potential of the employees and make them self-confident. Over the past few years, ‘Swarajians’ have proved their mettle in regional, national and international QC competitions. This has also helped the employees to adopt the best practices in the industry.Initially limited to core manufacturing, QCs have been extended to other functions such as stores, maintenance, quality and new product development. QC has further increased the confidence levels amongst workers to solve problems on their own. It has also served as a platform to improve communication and presentation skills.

Mahindra’s Swaraj Division, a market leader in the Indian tractor industry for employing women on the shop floor, is also encouraging women to participate in QCs. An all-women QC from Swaraj won the Nationals of QC Sparadha in 2013 and represented AFS at ICQCC held in Sri Lanka. This was an opportunity for the young female participants, who mostly hail from villages in Haryana, to realize their dreams and gain recognition on international platforms.

Source: Mahindra