Mahindra & Mahindra's OJA platform, which was launched on August 15, can help double its tractor export volumes over the next three years, company executives have said. The company exported 18,014 tractors in FY23.
After kickstarting its journey in India, the lightweight OJA range will be launched in North America, ASEAN, Brazil, Australia, South Africa, Europe and the SAARC region. Mahindra will also make its debut in the ASEAN region, starting with Thailand in 2024.
The OJA models, which were launched in Cape Town, South Africa, cover a power range of 20HP to 40HP (14.91kW to 29.82kW), offer platform versatility and effectiveness to manage a wide range of agricultural tasks, the Indian vehicle maker has said. OJA tractors will be manufactured in Telangana’s Zaheerabad town.
Along with doubling exports, Mahindra also wants to increase its market share in the lightweight tractor segment.
"Currently, our market share in India stands at about 30 percent in this segment, while our national market share in tractors is over 41 percent. We wish to take the lightweight segment market share to the national market share level in the next three years," Hemant Sikka, president – farm equipment sector, Mahindra & Mahindra, said.
While the tractor market in India is growing at 7 percent CAGR, the 20-40 HP category catering to horticulture and paddy segments is growing at a much faster rate, said Sikka.
Also read: Mahindra launches new range of lightweight tractors
The Mahindra OJA 27 HP tractor will be priced at Rs 5.64 lakh against its competitor at Rs 5.82 lakh. The OJA 40HP tractor will be priced at Rs 7.35 lakh, the same as the competition.
"The OJA tractors have three tech stacks — Proja, Myoja, Roboja. These will help farmers enhance efficiency and productivity. For instance, farmers can now track fuel consumption per kilometre, critical service alerts, save fertiliser wastage in headlands and much more," he said.
Farmers were getting these features basically for free, he added.
Along with the OJA range, Mahindra also plans to enhance its network of over 1,100 channel partners. "We plan to add 200 more in the next couple of years," Sikka added.
Farmer acceptability
As connectivity and technology form the core of the OJA tractors, the company plans to carry out on-ground demonstrations for farmers.
One tractor for all farming needs, narrow track for inter-row working, quick turning at headlands, no root damages, live tractor monitoring and spraying during the night were among the needs of farmers. "We have tried to address them all," said Sikka.
The company plans to start sales of OJA tractors by October 2024.
In FY23, Mahindra's farm equipment segment (FES) clocked its highest-ever annual sale crossing 4 lakh units. Domestic sales stood at 3,89,531 units and exports were at 18,014. The annual turnover of FES was around Rs 32,000 crore.
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