Although the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has dented the production for tractors, the tractor industry is highly optimistic that when normalcy will be restored, the production will bounce back.

“It is expected that after removal of restrictions, the production for tractors would scale up. The Government too spending on infrastructure projects including irrigation and incentive schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), giving impetus to the tractor industry,” said Shrikant R Dube, Senior General Manager and Plant Head of Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) Ltd Farm Equipment Sector, MIDC-Hingna in an exclusive interview with The Hitavada.

The demand for tractors is cyclical in nature, tending to rise and fall with fluctuations inline with the economic conditions, Dube conveyed.

Highlighting a major achievement, he said, that the M&M tractor plant at Nagpur has completed 50 years of successful operations.

The plant was established in 1970 on a sprawling area of 45 acres at Hingna MIDC. This plant comprises an Industrial Estate as a farm equipment and implement producer. At that time, the site was chosen due to its strategic location, being centrally located in the country. This is one of the oldest facilities, he said.

The company started tractor production in 1996, to strengthen its presence in the growing market. As of now, M&M Nagpur employs a highly trained workforce of more than 3,000 people.

Apart from this, the plant has touched a milestone of producing 10 lakh tractors in 2020. “This is just one of the major achievements we are proud of,” Dube said. The Nagpur tractor plant produced over 75,000 units last year. The Nagpur plant has an installed capacity of 90,000 units. The engine, transmission, hydraulics assembly, machine shop and sheet metal paintshop are major aggregates within the plant, he said.

The Swaraj tractor brand is also a part of the M&M Group. M&M tractors along with Swaraj tractors command a lion’s share of over 40 per cent in the domestic tractor market. “Our tractors are sold across the country majorly UP, MP, Telangana & Maharashtra,” he said.

On the export front, he said, the Nagpur plant exports to more than 25 countries including US and Europe. M&M tractors are popular between the 20 HP and 90 HP segment in US and European countries.

Mahindra has five tractor plants and Nagpur is one of

the five tractor plants in

the country. Mahindra Nagpur is taking all possible precautions and following safety operating procedures (SOPs) at the plant to protect its employees and contain the spread of COVID-19. All workers above the age of 45 have already been vaccinated. Currently, the vaccination process is underway at the plant and remaining workers will be vaccinated soon, he said.

“Apart from this, pre-pandemic our customers, mainly farmers, visited Nagpur plant and delivery of tractors directly from plant was also being done,” he pointed out.

Furthermore, the Nagpur Plant is instrumental in introducing a new range of tractor SP+.

“We have the Mahindra Excellence Centre at Nagpur plant used for capability building of channel partners and own employees in tractor and farm machinery. Nagpur plant actively contributes to society under CSR activities under ‘Prerna’ initiative for women farmers as well as supporting self health groups,” he further said.

The company’s agriculture centric solutions will help farmers gain access to knowledge and latest farming techniques enabling them to improve

yields, reduce cost of cultivation and increase profitability,

Dube added.