New Holland's plans

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MAY 31. New Holland, makers of Ford tractors, has chalked out aggressive entry and expansion strategy in the three southern States of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, which includes launch of the 30 hp and 35 hp tractors early next year, in addition to the ongoing launch of the 40 hp, Ford 3230, TC drive tractor.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday to announce the launch of the 40 hp tractor in the State, Mr. T. L. Palani Kumar, Managing Director, said the company was bullish on these southern States which offered a great market for the smaller hp tractors.

The 40 hp tractor was targeted at the paddy cultivators and was launched after extensive testing in Turkey, Italy and India. It has many first time features such as calculated ballast on rear wheels which allows optimum output in operations.

Their research and development centre was working on several new projects and the company was pursuing a rapid indigenisation programme to achieve more than 95 per cent localisation in the short term. The company has a Rs. 250 crore world-class tractor manufacturing and assembly facility at Greater Noida (U.P.), with an expandable capacity up to 35,000 tractors annually.

Mr. Kumar said the company registered a 120 per cent growth last year despite a 10 per cent drop in the tractor industry's growth in India. This year also the industry growth is expected to drop by 6 to 8 per cent, but New Holland has targeted a 50 per cent growth through its aggressive strategies.

Last year it sold 5,000 tractors. Of them 600 in the South, for a total turnover of Rs. 175 crores, and hopes to double the turnover this year. The company hopes to break-even by next year end.

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Section  : Business
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