M&M to export new tractor

 Automobile major Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M), a part of the $16.5-billion Mahindra group will export its new tractor Arjun NOVO in the next six months.

“The company also plans to tap export markets due to the vehicle's new high horse power (HP) tractor,” Pawan Goenka, executive director of the company, said at launch of the tractor on Wednesday. M&M has invested around Rs.300 crore in developing the new model which will be available in two variants 57 HP and 52 HP. More variants are planned. The vehicle has a lift capacity of 2,200 kg, best-in-class fuel efficiency, a powerful engine boasting of torque of 236.9 Nm and back-up torque of 33 per cent, the company said. 

The new model was developed through research conducted with over 100 farmers across 10 states to understand their mechanisation needs. The development of the new Arjun NOVO involved a seeding phase in which 73 tractors were tested based on their performance in 40 applications, across eight states for a cumulative 70,000 hours.