Indian tractor manufacturer Mahindra sold a record number of tractors in its most recent financial year, as the domestic market continued to grow sufficiently to offset lower export sales resulting from inventory adjustments in key markets.
Ford Motor announced on Oct. 1 that it has agreed to sell a majority share (51%) of its business in India to Mahindra & Mahindra as part of a $275 million joint venture, according to a report by CNBC. This venture will develop, market and distribute Ford brand vehicles in India and Ford brand and Mahindra brand vehicles in “high-growth emerging markets around the world,” according to Ford.
On Sept. 1, the Indian tractor manufacturer announced that its August domestic tractor sales had fallen 15% to 13,871 units, compared to 16,375 units in August 2018. Additionally, Mahindra reported that its tractor exports had also dropped 33% to 946 units in August 2019, compared to 1,410 units in August 2018.
In the year that Escorts, the Indian tractor and construction machinery business, finished paying off historical debts to a former supplier, the group saw revenues climb 23.5% above the prior 12 month period.
The Indian tractor manufacturer says that it will be shifting its focus beyond just tractors to work on producing an entire “farm machinery ecosystem” to better serve its farmers. This follows a large drop in Indian tractor sales that pushed Mahindra to cut production at most of its facilities.
Mahindra & Mahindra recently announced up to 13 days of no-production for its farm equipment factories following a 15% drop in tractor sales over the last 3 months, with tractor manufacturer Escorts also making plans to reduce inventory over the summer.
Mahindra & Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector (FES), a part of the USD 20.7 billion Mahindra Group today announced an investment of CHF 4.3 million (US$ 4.3 million) for an 11.25% stake in Switzerland based agri technology firm Gamaya SA.
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) plans to increase localization of its Scorpio pick-up at its factory in South Africa’s Durban, as it seeks to make deeper inroads into the adjoining African markets and get around trade barriers.
Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) VP spoke positively last month of the tractor market and M&M’s future growth, despite the company reporting a mixed fourth quarter ended March 31st. Net profit was reported at Rs 969 crore ($139,148,400) in the fourth quarter, down 16% from the same period last year.
Each monthly issue of Ag Equipment Intelligence is like getting one-on-one personal advice from the world's most trusted ag equipment industry experts. Advice that hasn't been watered down or distorted by outside influence, providing the latest and most insightful farm equipment analysis. AEI explores where the ag equipment industry is going — not just where it's been. No filler. No bias. No conflict of interest. You can access the PDF issue archive by clicking here.
In this episode of On the Record, brought to you by Associated Equipment Distributors, we take an initial look at the Dealer Business Outlook & Trends Report and what dealers are forecasting for 2025.