Kailash Chandra Mahindra

Kailash Chandra Mahindra (Hindi: कैलाश चंद्र महिंद्रा) commonly referred as K.C. Mahindra (c 1894-1963) was an Indian industrialist and co-founder of Mahindra & Mahindra in 1945, with J. C. Mahindra and Malik Ghulam Mohammed

Kailash Chandra Mahindra, known to all as KC, was born in 1894 in Ludhiana, Punjab, the second of nine children. When their father died at an early age, his older brother JC became head of the family, and KC his best friend and future business partner.

KC attended Government College, Lahore, where his scholastic aptitude shone through. At Cambridge, he earned Honours, played hockey, and took a keen interest in rowing. After graduating, he joined Messrs. Martin & Company, where he edited the monthly magazine INDIA and, briefly, the Hindustan Review.

In 1942, KC was appointed Head of the Indian Purchasing Mission in the United States. Returning to India in 1945, he was appointed the Chairman of the Indian Coal Fields Committee of the Government of India and also of the Automobile and Tractor panel. His contribution to developing strategic coal policies and applying the latest methods of coal mining in India helped shape the industry, and his Coal Commission Report became a seminal document in the industry. During these years, he also wrote Sir Rajendranath Mookerjee’s definitive biography.

In 1946, KC moved to Bombay to found Mahindra & Mohammed. Under his 13-year stewardship as Chairman, Mahindra & Mahindra established itself as a major Indian industrial house in several sectors. A glittering career also saw KC serve as a Director of the Reserve Bank of India, Air India, and Hindustan Steel.