MPW 2022: Suman Mishra, the brain behind Mahindra Last Mile Mobility

Suman Mishra, with a very diverse and global experience across sectors and geographies was delighted to step into a new role as CEO of Last Mile Mobility in 2021. She believes that the support system she received at work, helped her to successfully juggle her family and career, and knows the importance of extending similar support to those who need it.

When Mishra assumed the responsibility of Mahindra Last Mile Mobility, which makes a mix of petrol, CNG, diesel and electric three- and four-wheel passenger and cargo vehicles, its sales numbers were barely 1,000 units a month; today, it sells more than 4,000 units every month. In last-mile connectivity, Mahindra currently has nearly 12.6 per cent market share. One of the first things she did after joining Mahindra LMM was to give the company a vision and direction. “My vision is to electrify the segment,” Mishra, one of the few women in a male-dominated industry, says.

Even though India is the largest manufacturer of three-wheelers, the penetration of EVs in that segment is just 7-8 per cent currently. “Maybe by 2025, we could reach the 25-30 per cent mark. We would also like to export these products globally and bring the right global technology to India,” she says. “We are a small company and we have lots to achieve and that too, quickly. This is what keeps me on my toes.”

Her confidence stems from clarity of purpose. “I’m clear about what needs to be achieved and who needs to achieve it,” says Mishra, who is direct in her feedback as a boss and operates by one thumb rule at work: “There shouldn’t be too many surprises. When there is clarity of purpose, it’s really about the outcome you are trying to get for the organisation.”

Prior to joining Mahindra in 2015, she had worked at McKinsey; before that she was at Cipla, where she spearheaded its global product launches. Mishra, who has an MBA from the University of Michigan and is a Computer Engineering graduate from NTU Singapore, has worked in roles like capital allocation, business transformation and strategy across various group verticals.

@PLidhoo