Mahindra Tractors journey began in 1963, when The International Tractor Company India [ITCI] was established as a JV between M&M and International Harvester Company. M&M acquired this business in 1977 and Mahindra Tractors came into being. In 1994, Mahindra USA Inc was established. In 2005, the company acquired Jiangling Tractors Company, and formed Mahindra (China) Tractor Company. In 2008, it acquired Punjab Tractors Limited, another major tractor company in India. In 2008, Mahindra formed its second JV in China named Mahindra YuedaYancheng Tractor Manufacturing Company (MYYTCL).
BLAZE TO BRILLIANCE
30 years of sustained market leadership is the stuff of corporate dreams. The brand today enjoys a 41.4% market share [source: company data, Jun 2013], making it the largest tractor brand in the country. As per the 2008 ACNielsen brand equity study, Mahindra Tractors registered a brand equity score of 5.3 – a remarkable achievement considering that only 1% of global automobile brands have received a score of 5 or more. Not without reason then, Mahindra Tractors is the first and the only tractor company to have won the coveted Japan Quality Medal and Deming Application Prize, two of the highest global quality accolades. It has also won the TPM Awards for all its manufacturing plants.
FAITH FACTOR
Mahindra & Mahindra seeks the active involvement of the farmer in its quest for developing better products. All its tractor brands – Bhoomiputra, Sarpanch, Arjun, Shaan and Yuvraj ranging from I5HP engine to 75HP – have been almost completely driven by the on-ground realities of the farming community and their wish-list. When it transpired that a section of farmers was looking for enhanced power and greater speed from their machines, Mahindra came up with the with the country’s first turbo-charged tractor which delivered on both counts.
Its regular models, too, are feature-rich and serve specific farming needs. The new Sarpanch DLX tractor, for example, comes with a side- shift gear, ergonomically designed workspace, multi-disc oil-immersed brakes (01B) for powerful braking and Hy-TEC hydraulics with quick-lift and a coupler for high-precision farming.
The Bhoomiputra range which has come in for special praise from farmers across the country offers exceptional fuel efficiency. Arjun Ultra-I, the flagship brand, stands for style and technology and demonstrates its superlative performance in agricultural and construction equipment (CE) operations. It’s most recent launch has been the Mahindra Shaan. India’s first 25HP multi- utility tractor with built-in trolley, Shaan was launched in 2007 and has proved very effective in the brick kiln segment.
Over the years, Mahindra Tractors has won several accolades for quality, workmanship and after-sales service. But the most enduring has been the very special sobriquet for its outstanding fuel efficiency: Mileage Ka Master.
ENGAGEMENT THAT ENTHRALLS
The fact that promotions for tractors are undertaken in rural markets imbues it with its own set of challenges. A fragmented audience, poor reach, language barriers, limited access to rural communities and literacy concerns are just a few. To neutralize this, Mahindra Tractors allocates up to 40% of its budget on what it terms as personalized specific communications. This includes thematic vans and two-wheelers carrying product-specific, brand-specific and application-specific messages. In addition it supplements this effort with several below-the-line initiatives — each designed to strengthen its brand saliency and build strong bonds with the farming community. Amongst the company’s outreach programmes are the Mahindra Tractor Mahotsav, where the brand showcases its complete range of products and services; Mahindra Jashn Josh Ka, a public felicitation ceremony of loyal customers and Mahindra Khiladi No. 1, which promotes local sports talent.
Mahindra Samriddhi started in 2006 is an initiative to help increase agricultural productivity through use of innovative farming technologies. Mahindra Samriddhi Centres are transformed tractor dealerships that disseminate knowledge on modern agri practices along with testing local soil, analyzing climate conditions and suggested cropping patterns, agri clinics and demo farms. As of today, there are 160 Samriddhi centres, which have catered to over 2,30,000 farmers
INNOVEDGE
Innovations are a part of life at Mahindra Tractors and their ability to innovate has played a pivotal role in their success. Mahindra’s manufacturing facility in Zaheerabad is Asia’s largest tractor manufacturing plant which boasts of being a fully integrated facility with key functions being completely robotized. Shaan was felicitated with the American Society for Agricultural & Biological Engineers award for being one of 50 Outstanding Innovations of the Year. Yuvraj, India’s first 15HP tractor, where the technology that powered larger tractors was compressed to make it affordable for farmers with small land holdings. It was the first product of its kind targeted at a segment of farmers that previously did not have access to farm mechanization.
BRAND PROMISE
Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. While it contributes less than 15% to the country’s gross domestic product it provides employment to nearly 70% of rural India. It is in this critical area that Mahindra Tractors discharges an important function.
Over the years, Mahindra Tractors has proven itself to be a dependable partner in the progress of the farmer who has appreciated its aesthetically attractive, technically modern and user-friendly product features. Hence, it is easy to understand why Mahindra Tractors is such a trusted brand — even in the furthest corners of the country
