Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, paid tribute to Punjabi Sufi singer and poet Satinder Sartaaj, calling it 'an honour' that the artist had chosen the Yezdi motorcycle as a companion on his lifelong creative journey, and declaring that Sartaaj's composition on the Yezdi 'will live in our legend.'

Context

In his post, Mahindra catalogued the academic and artistic arc that defines Satinder Sartaaj — an Honours degree in Music, an M.Phil. in Sufi Music, and a Ph.D. in Sufi Singing, layered onto years of university-level teaching. Mahindra noted that Sartaaj's work spans Punjabi folk traditions, Sufi philosophy, classical Indian music, poetry and shayari, framing the artist as someone 'on a lifelong journey of learning and discovery.'

The post was addressed to Sartaaj's official X handle @sufisartaaj and made clear that the association was with Classic Legends, the Mahindra Group subsidiary that manufactures and markets revived classic motorcycle brands including Jawa and Yezdi. Mahindra wrote that the resulting composition 'won't just live in our archives — it will live in our legend.'

Policy Backdrop

Classic Legends relaunched the Yezdi brand in January 2022 after a gap of roughly 26 years, positioning it as a heritage motorcycle with emotional resonance rather than a purely performance-driven product. The brand has since sought to build cultural equity by associating with storytelling, travel and the arts.

Indian conglomerates have increasingly used cultural partnerships — commissioning original music, short films and poetry — to differentiate legacy brands in a crowded two-wheeler market dominated by volume players. Classic Legends' strategy with Yezdi fits squarely into this pattern, leaning on artists whose identity is itself rooted in heritage and depth.

Stakeholders and Impact

Satinder Sartaaj commands a large following among listeners of Punjabi Sufi and classical music, both in India and among the diaspora in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. A composition associated with the Yezdi brand gives Classic Legends access to that audience in an organic, non-advertising register.

For motorcycle enthusiasts, the collaboration signals that Yezdi's brand-building will continue to draw on cultural figures rather than conventional motorsport ambassadors — a positioning choice that sets it apart within the Mahindra Group's broader automotive portfolio. Music artists and the broader creative community may also see the partnership as a signal that industrial houses are willing to commission serious, academically grounded artists for brand work.

What's Next

Mahindra's post does not specify a release date for the composition, but the language — 'it will live in our legend' — suggests Classic Legends intends to make the work a permanent part of the brand's public archive. Observers will watch for the composition's public release, any co-branded campaign, and the possibility of a limited-edition Yezdi variant tied to the collaboration.

The partnership also raises the prospect of live performances or brand events featuring Sartaaj, which could amplify Yezdi's cultural footprint ahead of the increasingly competitive festive sales season later in 2026.