Celebrating the milestone of producing 100,000 tractors in the past year, John Deere India Pvt. Ltd. said it’s looking to increase its market share in the country that already has some of the largest volume tractor makers in the world, which include Mahindra, TAFE and others. Deere is also marking its 20th year of operations in India by introducing its smallest tractor, the 28 horsepower 3928EN designed for paddy and orchard work.

According to various published reports, Deere owns about a 9% share of the Indian tractor market with the aim of double-digit growth in the next few years. The company says its technology is setting it apart from other Indian tractor makers. “Technology is our main strength and our tractors are [more] superior and durable. We will be introducing more advanced products that will give us more volume,” Satish Nadiger, managing director of John Deere India, said.

“Today, we have the widest range of tractors starting from 28 horsepower to 120 horsepower. We are adding more farm equipment for the benefit of farmers,” Nadiger said. Of the 100,000 units produced last year, company sold about 98,000 and has a production capacity to produce 132,00 tractors at its manufacturing plants in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The company has also set up a harvester manufacturing facility in Punjab, a technology center in Pune, a parts distribution center in Nagpur as well as a finance company to provide financing for its customers.

John Deere's Indian unit manufactures relatively low cost and low powered 50-75 horsepower tractors for the U.S. market. “About 50% of our tractor exports go to the U.S. We are filling in the overall portfolio that John Deere has for the customers in the U.S.,” Nadiger said.