Mahindra & Mahindra has partnered with DBS Bank India to introduce India’s first sustainability-linked dealer financing program for the automotive sector.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the initiative will encourage authorised Mahindra dealers to adopt sustainable business practices by offering preferential interest rates on loans used for purchasing passenger and commercial vehicles.
The financing framework, a first-of-its-kind in India’s automotive industry, establishes clear environmental performance benchmarks aligned with Mahindra’s Green Dealership Program. Dealerships will be evaluated on multiple sustainability parameters including greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, renewable energy usage, rainwater harvesting systems, responsible waste management practices, availability of public EV charging infrastructure and the number of electric SUVs sold.
Through the program, Mahindra and DBS Bank India aim to promote environmentally responsible dealership operations while accelerating the adoption of sustainable mobility practices across the automotive retail ecosystem.
Nalinikanth Gollagunta, Chief Executive Officer – Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “The launch of our sustainability-linked dealer financing programme with DBS Bank India comes as India stands at a critical juncture in its sustainability journey. As a company with a long-standing commitment to sustainability we very much see it as our responsibility to support India’s sustainability ambitions. The launch of this financing program will enable us to step up the breadth of our decarbonisation efforts, bring our dealerships into the fold and drive a reduction in Scope 3 emissions.”
Divyesh Dalal, Managing Director and Country Head – Global Transaction Services, Corporate Banking – Financial Institutions and SMEs, DBS Bank India, said, “DBS is proud to partner with Mahindra & Mahindra to turn green ambitions into reality. Our new financing program goes beyond the balance sheet, providing the practical tools needed to decarbonise their dealer network at scale. We have leveraged our cross-border expertise to customise this innovative solution that supports our client’s growth, while driving the transition to a net-zero future.”
Terence Yew Tiek Yong, Managing Director and Group Head of Corporate Sales & Solutioning, Global Transaction Services, DBS Bank, also shared, “DBS is proud to have partnered Mahindra & Mahindra in driving prominence of ESG among its dealers. DBS is supporting Mahindra & Mahindra by incentivising their dealer network to promote EV adoption in the community and enable higher ESG standards of operations and investment. We are inspired by the active collaboration across Mahindra & Mahindra’s organisational functions, from Production to Sustainability, from Channels to Finance, to take the wheel in climate adaptation.”
M&M authorized dealerships typically purchase vehicles from the manufacturer before selling them on to customers. Under the new structure of the DBS financing program, the dealerships can be ranked depending on how they score against the detailed ESG parameters, with commercial benefits attached to dealers that make progress on ESG criteria and sales targets. The metrics were jointly designed by M&M and financing partner DBS Bank India.
The initiative aligns with M&Ms wider decarbonisation push, with the company securing leadership position in 2026’s DJSI, S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook. It also aligns with the Government’s recent move to unveil more rigorous Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets as part of its Paris Agreement commitment to attain net-zero emissions by 2070.
Climate adaptation and mitigation are key focus areas for DBS which was awarded the Best Bank for Sustainable Finance – India by Global Finance in 2024. In addition, DBS Bank India was recognised as the Best Bank for Corporate Banking in India by Crisil Coalition Greenwich consistently in both 2025 and 2026, reinforcing its customer-first approach to business excellence.
