Two years ago, Indian automaker Mahindra bought Italian design house Pininfarina for $28.1 million. The purchase raised a lot of questions, including Mahindra’s rationale behind the deal. And while it’s taken a little longer than expected, it appears the first fruits are budding. There’s talk within Mahindra of bringing a Pininfarina-branded electric supercar to the U.S. and China.

The plan is to develop an electric supercar branded with the Pininfarina name rather than Mahindra. The goal, it seems, is to deliver the supercar for both the U.S. and China in an effort to establish a solid foundation in those two markets. The superpowers are two of the largest markets in the automotive industry. Details are still scarce and comments made by Mahindra Group Chairman, Anand Mahindram, to Market Watch, indicate plans are still in the exploratory phase. We’re not expecting Mahindra or Pininfarina to disclose details anytime soon. That said, the thought of an electric supercar wearing the Pininfarina name is very intriguing.

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Is Mahindra Serious?

As ambitious as this may sound, I actually think that Mahindra may be on to something. A big part of my optimism is, of course, related to money. One of the many pitfalls that derail startup automakers from making an impression is finances. Mahindra doesn’t have that problem since it's a multinational company with ties in a lot of business sectors all over the world. If Mahindra is truly serious about developing an electric supercar and branding it under Pininfarina, it should have far fewer difficulties compared to other ambitious start-ups.

It’s hard to tell how dedicated Mahindra is to the idea at this point, especially since Mahindra's chairman doesn’t seem to be fully committed. “We're exploring right now the potential of building an electric supercar, which will be branded Pininfarina,” were his words to Market Watch. That doesn’t sound like someone who’s all-in on the project.

That said, I think Mahindra is playing it smart by not being overly confident about the prospect of a Mahindra electric supercar. Money aside, overconfidence is also one of the biggest factors why automotive startups fall flat on their faces. They promise the world but end up delivering nothing more than empty hopes and aspirations. Mahindra appears to be taking a more measured approach towards its plans. If it does decide to build, then great; if it doesn’t, then okay.

I would like to see it happen at some point, even if it doesn’t come in the guise of an electric supercar. I just want a Pininfarina-branded car to debut. And if Mahindra really wants to capitalize on that $28.1-million investment, there’s no better way than to give the Italian design house a platform to bring their creations to life.

Pininfarina H2 Speed Concept

Read our full review on the Pininfarina H2 Speed Concept here.