Mahindra & Mahindra : gives Kolkata its first NuPro Mumma Chef

- A unique customer engagement initiative, 'NuPro Mumma Chef' tests the culinary skills of housewives across the city of Kolkata
- Brings the NuPro brand of edible oil to its consumers through a unique gourmet experience

Kolkata, June 14, 2016: Mahindra Agri Solutions Limited (MASL), a 100% subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, announced the winner of the first edition of 'NuPro Mumma Chef' competition. Shikha Mukherjee, a housewife from Kolkata was crowned 'NuPro Mumma Chef 2016' at the grand finale.

Organised by Mahindra's Agri Business, 'NuPro Mumma Chef' put to test the culinary skills of housewives across the city of Kolkata. While the winner, Shikha Mukherjee, took home a cash prize of Rs 20,000, the first runner up, Sima Chowdhury, won a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and the second runner-up, Sulagna Ghosh, won a cash prize of Rs 5,000. All three winners also got a NuPro gift hamper each. The finalists were judged by a panel of judges that included renowned chef Sarmistha Dey, and food lovers Dr. Debashree Chakraborty and Mohan Nair. The dishes were evaluated and scored basis its taste, hygiene and food presentation.

According to Shyam Vembar, Vice President, Mahindra Agri Solutions Limited, 'NuPro Mumma Chef contest is a unique platform to recognize the culinary skills of the women in our lives. At Mahindra we have always been focused on building an intimate relationship with our consumers and the NuPro Mumma Chef platform gave us the right opportunity to connect with them. I would like to congratulate all the finalists and the winners in particular for exhibiting exceptional culinary skills. The NuPro brand of edible oil carries the assurance of high quality with Mahindra Quality Seal (MQS) and the idea was to promote pure oil and pure culinary skills, while bringing together the brand & its consumers under one roof for a unique gourmet experience.'

Speaking at the grand finale Shikha Mukherjee, the winner of the 'NuPro Mumma Chef' contest said, 'I love innovating with food and preparing different types of cuisines for my family. It has always been my dream to participate in a cooking competition of this scale and I am glad that Mahindra NuPro Mumma Chef gave me the right platform to exhibit my skills. I was particularly impressed with the quality and the pungency of NuPro mustard oil which lend its distinct taste to the food.'

The grand finale of NuPro Mumma Chef is the culmination of a customer engagement program which started 10 weeks ago, wherein NuPro food trucks went around housing societies across Kolkata. At the grand finale of NuPro Mumma Chef, over 50 finalists competed against each other for the coveted title of 'NuPro Mumma Chef of the Year 2016'. All food items were cooked in Mahindra NuPro Kachchi Ghani mustard oil which has created a niche for itself post its launch in Kolkata last year. The grand finale was hosted in 5 batches with 10 finalists per batch. Each finalist was given 8 ingredients and 20 minutes to prepare their best dish which was then judged by a panel of judges. The pre-activity screened around 150 contestants and in addition got around 45 participants through online wild card entry contest.

NuPro Virgin Kachchi Ghani Mustard Oil
NuPro Virgin Kachchi Ghani Mustard Oil has the assurance of Mahindra Quality Seal (MQS) for its high quality throughout the value chain from the house of Mahindra. With Mahindra's mantra of Growing the Right Quality, Selecting the Right Quality, Preserving the Right Quality, Distributing the Right Quality and Assuring the Right Quality, it meets the growing demand for high quality, pure and healthy food products. Mahindra's stringent systems and processes have resulted in a product that stands out in the market in terms of its quality. With its unmatched quality NuPro has established itself as a premium brand for edible oils and pulses in India.
NuPro Virgin Kachchi Ghani Mustard Oil is highly pungent and free from any chemical ingredient, providing consumers with the purest form of edible oil available in the market. It contains an excellent ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids which are crucial for optimal health and metabolism.

In addition, Mahindra's 'Farm to Fork' model deploys stringent quality checks at various stages in the product value chain right from production, procurement and processing to final packaging and distribution to ensure that there is minimal loss of natural product properties or nutrients. NuPro products comply with the most stringent food safety guidelines laid out by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Further, the company will also stamp its product with the 'Mahindra Quality Standard (MQS)' seal to validate its consistent promise of high quality standards. With its stringent set of guidelines the MQS acts as the veritable seal of quality from the house of Mahindra, assuring consumers of the best.

About Mahindra Agri Business
With a vision to deliver 'FarmTech Prosperity' Mahindra agribusiness closely interacts with farmers to improve their produce quality and productivity by providing latest advances in farm technologies and agricultural know how. It also help farmers by linking them to the market to provide better returns for their quality produce and thereby improving their lives. With its wide portfolio of inputs viz. Seeds, Agri Chemicals, Micro Irrigation Services backed by high quality advisory through Samriddhi outlets, Mahindra Agri Business has successfully helped Indian farmers increase their productivity over the years. At the same time, it has a strong outputs business consisting of Fruits and Vegetables, Pulses and Edible Oils where again close links with the farmers allow it to provide products that stand for quality and purity. Having grown 8 fold in the last 4 years, Mahindra Agribusiness has become one of India's largest grape exporter, launched India's first premium fresh fruit brand Saboro, and established 'Farm to Fork' presence across the Agri value chain. It has also ventured into branded pulses and oils segment with NuPro with the promise of highest quality backed by the Mahindra Quality Standards. It also hosts the pioneering Mahindra Samriddhi India Agri Awards, which celebrated its sixth edition and has attracted close to 200000 agricultural innovations and success stories till date.

Mahindra Group:

The Mahindra Group focuses on enabling people to rise through solutions that power mobility, drive rural prosperity, enhance urban lifestyles and increase business efficiency.

A USD 16.9 billion multinational group based in Mumbai, India, Mahindra provides employment opportunities to over 200,000 people in over 100 countries. Mahindra operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership. In addition, Mahindra enjoys a strong presence in the agribusiness, aerospace, components, consulting services, defence, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, retail, steel, commercial vehicles and two wheeler industries.

In 2015, Mahindra & Mahindra was recognized as the Best Company for CSR in India in a study by the Economic Times. In 2014, Mahindra featured on the Forbes Global 2000, a comprehensive listing of the world's largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenue, profit, assets and market value. The Mahindra Group also received the Financial Times 'Boldness in Business' Award in the 'Emerging Markets' category in 2013.

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Media contact information:

Mohan Nair
Senior General Manager (Communications)
Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors
Office Direct Line - + 91 22 28468510
Office Email Address - nair.mohan@mahindra.com