Lead (Auto) - Group Public Affairs

Company: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd Purpose of the role The role plays important link between business and policy makers both at Central Govt level and State Govt level. This role brings in business perspective and thus protecting business interest while Govt shapes various policies for the sector. Absence of this role will lead to missing organisation interest in the policies and will miss competitive advantage with competitors.The role also brings in intellgience for various policies being developed to business and in a way eyes and ears of the business.Responsibilities & Key Deliverables Political Acumen - Ability to understand and interpret political dynamics, legislative processes, and regulatory frameworks.Navigates political sensitivities and anticipates shifts in policy or leadership.Strategic Relationship Building. Builds and maintains trust-based relationships with government officials, regulators, and stakeholders.Demonstrates diplomacy and tact in interactions with diverse political actors. Advocacy and Influence - -Persuasively communicates organizational positions to policymakers. Uses data, storytelling, and strategic messaging to influence decisions. Communication Skills - -Translates complex policy issues into clear, actionable insights for internal and external audiences. Adapts messaging for different stakeholders, including executives, regulators, and the public. Collaboration and Cross-Functional Coordination. Works across departments to align on policy positions and advocacy strategies. Facilitates consensus-building among diverse internal stakeholders. Analytical Thinking - Conducts policy analysis, risk assessments, and scenario planning. Evaluates the impact of legislation and regulatory changes on organizational goals.Qualifications • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Law, Public Policy, Political Science, or a related field. Experience • Proven experience (15+ years) in a leadership role in policy advocacy, or regulatory compliance within the automotive sector and government affairs. Worked with various Ministries – MHI, MORTH, MOEFCC, MoF, MoC, Niti, DPIIT, etcFunctional skills required to execute the role Ability to understand and navigate policy formulation and policy process, complex regulatory issues and work collaboratively across Govt ministries and departments. Strong relationship and familiarity with multiple ministries, state governments and associations at the Under Secretary, Director, Joint Secretary levels. Relevant work experience in regulatory policy affairs working with various Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce. Knowledge of International Trade issues related to FTAs and other Trade Agreements Experience of taxation and trade related issues . Commercial acumen and ability to understand end-to-end of an industry (could be auto or any other, the ability is important here, not necessarily only auto). Ability to create compelling policy content. Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills. Ability to influence negotiate with and persuade others. Must be flexible and demonstrate strong judgement decision making skills and possess high political acumen. Ability to grasp to others’ views and opinions and distil and share the company’s perspective on those with external stakeholders. In-depth knowledge of the Indian regulatory, environment and legislative environment especially from the automotive, road transport point of view and prior knowledge of emission norms, CAFÉ norms, FAME, NLP-e-AMRIT policies would be an advantage but is not a necessity.