LEAD - GROUP PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Responsibilities & Key Deliverables

The role involves supporting the Senior General Manager (Group Public Affairs) in driving Mahindra Group's strategic engagement & partnerships across sectors by driving governmental relations, policy outreach, and fostering partnerships with key Government Ministries, Departments, Trade, Industry Chambers and Associations. Be the Mahindra Group representative in the state Government & external stakeholder ecosystem. Aim is to enhance, identify & drive market access, support business expansion, promote policy advocacy, and ensure operational synergy across various Group companies.

Responsibilities & Key Deliverables

 Establish a supportive external environment, which enables the Group to implement its Corporate and competitive strategies and pursue its business interests through developing and nurturing effective relationships with the target audience. Ensure timely access to ecosystem intelligence - new legislation, policy changes etc. both on a proactive and need basis Each of the individuals takes Group-wide responsibility across all sectors and businesses of the Group (except Auto) for the following:

• Relationship building, management and nurturing:

• Map and maintain access to key decision-makers with State governments, political parties and industry bodies.
• Nurture high-level relationships with senior bureaucrats, ministers, and diplomatic missions to ensure Mahindra remains a preferred partner.
• Represent the group at critical forums to ensure our state interests are platformed and protected.

• Critical problem solving and issue resolution

• Leverage local networks to resolve high value regulatory issues and bottlenecks.
• Identify and secure opportunities created by policy and regulation.

• Policy Monitoring

• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments within States to provide businesses with up-to-date market intelligence on policy developments and evolution of govt thinking.
• Deliver actionable updates and anticipate policy shifts, allowing businesses to adapt proactively rather than reactively.

• Policy Advocacy and Thought Leadership

• Execute disciplined advocacy and negotiation with key state stakeholders to build momentum for our policy recommendations.
• Clearly demonstrate how Mahindra’s business objectives support state policy goals.
• Develop policy recommendations that effectively demonstrate our expertise on policy issues within our sectors, enhancing our reputation as experts for inputs into policy formulation.

• Issue mitigation and crisis management

• Provide counsel, resources and in-roads to navigate crisis and difficult situations. 

Experience

• 10+ years of experience in Public Affairs, Government Relations, or Policy Advocacy, preferably in the mobility, or manufacturing sectors.
• Experience in building relationships with policymakers and understanding public policy landscapes is critical.
• Experience with large, multi-faceted multinational or diversified Indian business groups preferred.
• Deep understanding of India’s respective states regulatory and policy ecosystem and strong relationships at echelons / leaders at State Government is essential

Industry Preferred

Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree: Preference for degrees in Public Policy, International Relations, Business Administration, Political Science, or related fields from a recognized university. (Master’s Degree – Optional)

General Requirements

Functional Skills

• Ability to identify, establish and sustain relevant connects, contacts and network vis-à-vis Government and related bodies.
• Strong understanding of legislative and regulatory processes, as well as key policy issues relevant to the organization's focus areas.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain bankable relationships with key State ministries.
• Possess a strong strategic orientation, exceptional business acumen, and exemplary stakeholder relationship management skills, along with an entrepreneurial mindset that drives results.
• Exhibit patience and maturity in navigating governmental processes, with a solid understanding of the intricacies of government file movements and the agility to track and advance these files effectively.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to articulate complex policy issues clearly and persuasively in both written and oral formats.

Behavioural Competencies required:

The role is dynamic and may evolve with Group-level priorities; success requires a self-driven, agile, and collaborative professional who can anticipate needs and deliver with minimal supervision.

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