Mahindra Unveils Future-proof Design Studio In Mumbai, Here’s Everything You Need To Know

If you are buying a car, you are living with it and it becomes an essential part of your life. Many car buyers in India even spend quite some time staring at their cars and adoring the machines they purchase with their hard-earned money. Design becomes a crucial aspect in making a car stand out and making you or others look at it for an extra second or so. It's 2025 when design is continuously evolving and becoming a stand-out feature of a car. We have already seen the Mahindra BE 6 and XEV 9e breaking the internet with their breathtaking designs, but do you ever wonder what happens behind the scenes? 

Mahindra recently revealed its brand new design studio in Kandivali, Mumbai, called the Mahindra India Design Studio (MIDS). In this report, we take you through the significance of this studio and provide a glimpse of what goes into the process of designing a car as future-proof as the BE 6 and XEV 9e: 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Golden Words

Ajay Saran Sharma, Sr. Vice President of Design and Head MIDS, said, “The footprint of the space stands doubled to take on and deliver the ever-expanding project portfolio across businesses. End-to-end delivery on projects, from the first concept sketch through to production stands further strengthened with the new working structure that along with the classic design verticals includes new functions such as HMI Design, Design Quality & Realisation.”

Pratap Bose, Chief Design and Creative Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “We are thrilled to inaugurate our future-ready Mahindra India Design Studio, bringing world-class design technologies and tools to create stunning, design outcomes across our Auto and Farm businesses. The new studio will attract the best design talent from India and become a leading automotive design centre in India. The influence of MIDS on our products will be felt for many years to come.”

Mahindra India Design Studio (MIDS) - What Is It? 

The MIDS was first set up in 2015, and has now received a major upgrade and a complete overhaul to create a more advanced studio with all the latest technology and resources that a renowned brand like Mahindra would need to create world-class designs. According to Mahindra, the new studio houses over 100 employees and is double the size of the previous studio. It will work alongside Mahindra’s state-of-the-art Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (MADE) in the UK, which was inaugurated in 2022. 

Design Briefs!

The company says that the vehicles are designed keeping in mind the HEARTCORE Design philosophy which is about creating a deeply emotional bond with the customers. Moreover, all the products are designed considering an emotion and what the vehicle signifies. The Thar is designed to be iconic, the Scorpio takes the muscular approach, the XUV is meant to be athletic, while the Born Electric vehicles are meant to look electrifying. 

From Sketches To Clay And More…

It all starts from a piece of paper, where a creative designer sits and sketches a few designs to give the initial hint and idea of what the actual vehicle would look like. From the exterior to the interior, the sketches prove to be the base for all the work that’s eventually going to happen on computers. Design sketches are done in bulk with plenty of options shared by different artists, and are the first step to innovation while keeping the brand identity in mind. 

The next step is digital designing, probably the most significant step in visualizing how the end product will look. From measurements such as the length and wheelbase of the car, to the interior measurements; it's all taken into account in this step. The sketches are converted into a 3d model and the studio engineers work side-by-side to assess the feasibility of the car in the real world. 

Then, certain skilled artists make real-life clay models of the car! No points for guessing which car’s clay model has been made in the picture above! These clay models are so accurate that they depict exactly how the vehicle would be shaped. 

Mahindra has even acquired the latest and very capable 5-axis milling machine which costs over Rs 10 crore and is the only one in India currently with the latest technology. Unlike humans, the machine is capable of working overnight and adding the finer details into the design. However, the finesse of the skilled artist enhances the model and gives it the final touch. Painted versions of the clay models are shown to the management, based on which crucial decisions are made. 

After the design process is completed, there is the Colours Materials Finish or the CMF department that decides the colours that should be used for the interior as well as the exterior. Furthermore, the materials that are to be used are also decided, along with their texture and feel. 

Then comes the Design Quality Department (DMF) which ensures how the decisions taken by the CMF are executed and ensures that there is no drop in the quality. 

Finally, there is a separate department for the UI/ UX of the car, which ensures the displays and tech that the car offers work seamlessly and are crisp and good to look at. 

Only when all the processes are carried out efficiently and there are no gaps left in any of the processes, the design aspect of a car is completed. Interesting, isn’t it? 

Technical details aside, the employees working at the studio were all very passionate about the work that they are doing while also realizing the importance and significance of it. In the conversations that we had with the people working there, we were impressed by their knowledge and understanding they had of the design processes and how they are going about.

Our Thoughts 

Creating unique and creative designs can prove to be challenging, and that is when the synergy and teamwork of a company prove to be important. From sketches to reality is indeed a very complicated process, keeping in mind the requirements of the engineers, the marketing teams and the several other factors that come into play. 

However, when the difficult part is over and the design you create stands out and appeals to the masses, that is when you feel rewarded and satisfied with the work. We believe that Mahindra is heading in the right direction and investing in a very key sector, such as design, could prove to be the defining factor for the Indian marque.

The BE 6 and XEV 9e have already proved their mettle with the high demand, and their innovative designs are an important part of their appeal. Both these SUVs also prove the point that polarizing designs can make an impact if done right! We look forward to witnessing more unique models and eye-catching designs from not just Mahindra but other brands as well. 

Do you like the design of the BE 6 and XEV 9e? Let us know in the comments section.