M & M Unwraps Designer Tractor For Non-Farm Use

Tractors and utility vehicles major Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has introduced a "Designer series" of tractors for non-agricultural purposes.

The series has been developed by automotive designer Dilip Chhabria. The tractors, which are expected to serve as an "image booster" for M&M, are targetted at airlines, resorts and five-star hotels for luggage haulage purposes.

This marks M&M's foray into tractor manufacturing for non-agricultural purposes in the country.

Outside, the firm has a presence in the hobby-farming segment of the US, where it exports tractors in the 40-60 HP category through Mahindra USA, its wholly owned subsidiary.

Ashok Sharma, general manager, product management and marketing systems at M&M's tractors division, said: "These tractors are made to order and are targetted at image-conscious customers such as airlines, resorts and five and seven-star hotels. Although sales volumes are not very high, the tractors are expected to serve as an image booster for our company. In the future, we might also look at other niche segments for tractors."

Built at M&M's Kandivli plant, the first batch of the designer series tractors are in the 40 HP category.

The premium tractors cost about Rs 4.5 lakh apiece, and have higher operating margins than other tractors offered by the company.

Currently, M&M offers three different tractor brands -- Bhoomiputra for the low-end customers, Sarpanch for the mid-end customers and Arjun for the high-end customers.

The company, which is the largest producer of tractors in the 25-40 hp range of tractors in the world, is also understood to be working on a new platform for tractors.

Meanwhile, M&M has resumed regular production of six-day week schedule at its Kandivli plant, after briefly cutting down on production days last month to clear inventory levels.

The company's tractor sales had dropped 34 per cent during the first quarter of this fiscal, due to the production cut.

However, according to senior company officials, M&M's retail sales and market share have not been affected by the reduction.