With farm mechanisation being one of many important elements of progress of sustainable agriculture in India, the nation’s farm machinery business is anticipated to develop from ₹9,200 crore in FY22 to ₹15,000 crore in FY26, says Hemant Sikka, President – Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra.
How essential do you assume is the function of automation applied sciences (self-driven tractors, computerized ploughing, sowing and many others.) in the farming sector to cater to future meals wants?
I consider automation applied sciences are crucial in farming, in order to cut back guide interventions and operator fatigue. This will in the end improve productiveness, minimise prices for farmers to expertise environment friendly farming, particularly in compact discipline situations. At Mahindra, we launched our new OJA vary on August 15, with cutting-edge applied sciences addressing the wants of assorted farming and non-farming functions, together with like paddy, cotton, sugarcane, passion farming, landscaping, winery and horticulture. These applied sciences, largely seen on bigger tractor in some superior farming markets, will empower smaller farmers to do far more.
Is Mahindra wanting in the direction of the introduction of self-driving tractors and new autonomous options for farming in India anytime quickly?
While we at Mahindra did showcase a driverless or self-driving tractor some years in the past, we really feel it’s too early to introduce a self-driving tractor in India.
What type of progress potential do you see in India’s farm machinery enterprise? Do you’ve gotten any new plans to faucet the machinery-business sector?
Farm mechanisation is without doubt one of the important elements of progress of sustainable agriculture in India, particularly in the context of diminishing agricultural labour. While the Global FM business is at about $100 billion, India’s share is roughly at about ₹9,200 crore in FY22. Having mentioned that, the farm machinery business is anticipated to develop from ₹9,200 cr in FY22 to ₹15,000 crore in FY26. On the hindsight, India’s share of the worldwide tractor business is $10 billion of the worldwide tractor business, which is at $60 billion, making India largely tractorised.
With mechanisation skewed in the direction of land preparation, for a lot of different operations easy implements are used or the duties are accomplished by guide labour, additionally various enormously by area, with States in the North India having excessive ranges of mechanisation on account of extremely productive land in the area, in addition to declining availability of labour pressure. In November 2022, we inaugurated our first-ever unique farm machinery (non-tractor) plant in Pithampur in MP. This new farm machinery plant is strategically located in the economic metropolis of Pithampur with entry to a various provider base, enabling the corporate to fabricate sturdy, high-quality, inexpensive and accessible ‘Made in India, for India’ farm machinery, marketed in each the MaMahindra and Swaraj manufacturers. We have invested about ₹200 crore in this facility. This plant will roll out merchandise like harvesters and rice transplanters.
How do you see progress of the tractor market in India in the approaching years, and what are key causes behind it?
India is the biggest tractor market in the world having crossed a milestone of 1 million with a CAGR of about 6% over the past 7-8 years. Some of the drivers for progress of the tractor business are beneath penetration of farm mechanisation, farm labour scarcity, higher availability of water on account of 5 consecutive years of years of fine monsoon. Also, governments’ give attention to rural infrastructure in the type of dams, roads and many others. to develop rural revenue and farm mechanisation, good help worth of main crops main to higher money in hand and rural incomes for the farmer, as effectively the governments push in the direction of farm mechanisation and availability of tractor finance, has led to the expansion of the business.
The plight of farmers has been a matter of concern throughout the nation, how do you assume technological mechanisation and development may assistance is decreasing this?
Yes. Farm mechanisation can positively assist clear up a number of issues associated to drudgery and for fast turnaround in farmlands. And at Mahindra, our goal of reworking farming to complement lives guides us to take applied sciences used on massive touchdown holding farms internationally and make them accessible and extra so inexpensive for the smaller landholding farmer internationally. And to do that it will be significant that we make these merchandise in India.
