Tractor Junction, one of the leading digital marketplaces for farmers, hosted the much-awaited 5th Edition of the prestigious 'Indian Tractor of the Year' (ITOTY) Awards, sponsored by CEAT Specialty at the TAJ Vivanta Dwarka in New Delhi on July 10, 2024 to honor innovation in the tractor and farm equipment sector. FADA and CRISIL serve as our institutional and agri-insight partners, respectively. The prestigious award recognizes the tractor’s outstanding performance, innovation, and contribution to the Indian agricultural sector. This year's ITOTY Awards featured 24 award categories, highlighting exceptional tractors and companies in various sectors.
The event began with a lamp-lighting ceremony by the jury members and other prominent industry figures. This was followed by addressed by Animesh Agarwal— Co-Founder and COO of Tractor Junction. The event featured keynotes, panel discussions, and awards recognizing excellence in the tractor and farm equipment sector.
Talking about the event's 5th edition, he said, “With the 5th ITOTY Awards, we continue our dedication to empowering farmers by recognizing excellence in Tractors, farm equipment and financiers. We received over 300 nominations across 36 categories. Choosing the winners wasn’t easy, but our jury, with over 200 years of combined experience, worked alongside public voters to make sure the process was fair and transparent. The final decision was 60% from the jury and 40% from public votes. Together, we've highlighted the true champions of the agricultural industry”.
In his keynote address, Dr. C.R. Mehta, Director of the ICAR-Central Institute of Agriculture Engineering, emphasized the crucial role of tractors and farm machinery in Indian agriculture. He also provided insightful information on the current status of Indian agriculture and its connection to farm mechanization.
“Indian agriculture employs 45 percent of the total workforce, yet it contributes only around 18-19 percent to the GDP. This discrepancy makes farming less profitable, leaving farmers dissatisfied with their earnings. Another significant issue is the small average landholding size compared to global standards. Small and marginal landholdings, which are less than 2 hectares, account for 86 percent of all landholdings. This situation underscores the need for custom hiring of farm machinery in India,” Mehta emphasized.
Following this awards ceremony, recognition began for the innovation and excellence driving the future of agriculture in India. Among several categories, here are the top categories along with respective winners:
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Indian Tractor of the Year: Swaraj 855 FE
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Best Design Tractor: Mahindra OJA
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Best Tractor for Agriculture: Farmtrac 50 Powermaxx
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Indian Tractor Manufacturer of the Year: International Tractors Limited
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Rotavator Of the Year: Maschio Gaspardo Virat Rotavator
'Best Tractor Under 20 HP' Category: Captain 200 DI LS
Captain 200 DI LS has emerged as the winner of 'Best Tractor Under 20 HP' at ITOTY 2024. This award recognizes the Captain 200 DI LS for its efficiency, power, and ability to excel on smaller farms. Ideal for a variety of tasks, it proves that big things can come in compact packages.
'Best Tractor between 21-30 HP' Category: VST Shakti MT 270
VST Shakti MT 270 tractor has become winner in 'Best Tractor between 21-30 HP' category. VST Shakti MT 270 tractor is a 4-wheel drive tractor from VST, with unmatched multitasking capability.
'Best Tractor in 31-40 HP' Category: Eicher Prima G3 333 Super Plus
Eicher Prima G3 333 Super Plus claims the top spot in 'Best Tractor in 31-40 HP' category at ITOTY Awards 2024!
'Best Tractor in 41 to 45 HP Range': Mahindra 475 DI XP Plus
Mahindra 475 DI XP Plus wins 'Best Tractor in 41 to 45 HP Range' at ITOTY Awards 2024. It is compatible with a variety of agricultural tools, including cultivators, disc ploughs, groundnut, and potato diggers, gyrovators, seed drills, harrows, threshers, MB ploughs, post hole diggers, water pumps, scrapers, gensets, and ridgers.
‘Best Tractor in the 46-50 HP Category’: New Holland 3630 TX Super Plus
New Holland 3630 TX Super Plus tops the ‘Best Tractor in the 46-50 HP Category’ at the CEAT Speciality presented ITOTY Awards 2024.
‘Best Tractor Between 51-60 HP Category’:FARMTRAC 6065 POWERMAXX
FARMTRAC 6065 POWERMAXX has won the title of CEAT Speciality presented ITOTY Awards 2024 in ‘Best Tractor Between 51-60 HP Category.’
‘Best Tractor Above 60 HP Category’: Sonalika Tiger 65 CRDS 4WD
Sonalika Tiger 65 CRDS 4WD has won the title of CEAT Speciality presented ITOTY Awards 2024 in ‘Best Tractor Above 60 HP Category’.
Jay Doshi, Head of Marketing for the OHT Business at CEAT, highlighted the company's recent achievements and product launches. He stated, "We prioritize quality-based management, continuous improvement, and a customer-first approach in everything we do."
The panel discussion "Evolving Needs of Farmers for the Tractors and Farm Equipment Industry" featured experts sharing valuable insights on the changing landscape of farm machinery customer needs and technological advancement.
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Ravi Mathur, VP Sales & Marketing at Shaktiman
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Rajeev Rellan, Chief of Sales & Marketing at Swaraj Tractors
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Anjaneya Prasad, CEO of IFFCO Kisan Finance
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Surajit Sinha - R&D - Domestic Market, CEAT Specialty
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Sujit Ghalsasi, Head of Vehicle Finance at RBL Bank
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C R Mehta, ITOTY Jury Chairman
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Pushan Sharma, Director at CRISIL Limited
Reversible Ploug of the Year: Fieldking Reversible Plough
The winner of 'Reversible Ploug of the Year' category is Fieldking Reversible Plough.
Reversible Ploug of the Year: Lemken Hydraulic Reversible MB Plough - OPAL 090 E
The winner of 'Reversible Ploug of the Year' category is Lemken Hydraulic Reversible MB Plough - OPAL 090 E
Smart Farm Machinery of The Year: Shaktiman Sugarcane Harvester 3737 Tejas Ultra
The winner of 'Smart Farm Machinery of The Year is Shaktiman Sugarcane Harvester 3737 Tejas Ultra
Smart Farm Machinery of The Year: Dasmesh Super Seeder- 711
The winner of 'Smart Farm Machinery of The Year' is Dasmesh Super Seeder- 711
Post Harvest Solution of The Year: Shaktiman Silage Baler 400 KG Bale Capacity
The winner of 'Post Harvest Solution of The Year' is Shaktiman Silage Baler 400 KG Bale Capacity
Rotavator of The Year: Maschio Gaspardo Virat Rotavator
The winner of 'Rotavator of The Year' is Maschio Gaspardo Virat Rotavator
Self-Propelled Machinery of the Year: New Holland TC5. 30 C4 (AC Cabin)
The winner of 'Self-Propelled Machinery of the Year' is New Holland TC5. 30 C4 (AC Cabin).
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Reversible Ploug of the Year: Fieldking Reversible Plough and Lemken Hydraulic Reversible MB Plough - OPAL 090 E
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Implement Launch of the Year: Maschio Gaspardo Rewind Reverse Forward Rotavator
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Smart Farm Machinery of The Year: Shaktiman Sugarcane Harvester 3737 Tejas Ultra and Dasmesh Super Seeder- 711
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Post Harvest Solution of The Year: Shaktiman Silage Baler 400 KG Bale Capacity
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Rotavator of The Year: Maschio Gaspardo Virat Rotavator
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Self-Propelled Machinery of the Year: New Holland TC5. 30 C4 (AC Cabin)
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Implement of the Year: Mitra Airotech turbo 600 ltr and Sonalika Mobile Shredder
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Implement Manufacturer of the Year: Tirth Agro Technology Pvt. Ltd
The event also included a speech from FADA and the presentation of the Financier Awards. The 5th Edition of the ITOTY introduced an additional award category for Banks and NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies).
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Best Digital Transformation in Tractor Finance: Chola Finance
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Best Tractor Finance Institution: HDB Financial Services Ltd.
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Fastest Growing Tractor Institution: IFFCO Kishan Finance Limited
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Innovative Tractor Financing Solution of the Year: RBL Bank Ltd
The next category award announcement began was CSR —a segment that honoured companies that made outstanding contributions to corporate social responsibility initiatives.
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Most Trusted Tractor Financier: Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services LTD
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Best Farm Equipment Financier: TVS Credit Services Limited
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Best Pre-Owned Tractor Financier: KOGTA Financial (India) Limited
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Best Pre-Owned Tractor Financier: SK Finance
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Best CSR Initiative- ACE & Swaraj, SDC (Mahindra), Sonalika (e-Gurukul), and some more
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Best 4WD Tractor of the Year: Kubota MU5502
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Best Design Tractor- Mahindra Tractor OJA
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Tractor Launch of the Year- Mahindra OJA
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Best Tractor for Commercial Application: Massey Ferguson 8055 Magnatrak 2WD
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Best Tractor for Agriculture- Farmtrac 50 Powermaxx
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Orchard Tractor of the Year: Massey Ferguson
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Tractor Manufacturer of the Year: Sonalika Tractors Ltd
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Tractor Exporter of the Year: Captain Tractors
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Lifetime Achievement Award: Rajiv Rellan from Swaraj
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Shining Star of India's Tractor Industry: Mahindra Tractors
'Indian Tractor of the Year'- SWARAJ 855 FE
The ‘SWARAJ 855 FE’ emerged victorious as "Indian Tractor of the Year" at ITOTY 2024. Its versatility and ability to handle a wide range of farming tasks with ease were key factors. This tractor's advanced features empower farmers to boost productivity and profitability, from plowing fields to hauling heavy loads.
The ITOTY Awards aren't just about recognizing excellence - they're about inspiring progress! This year's ceremony culminated with a powerful message from Jury Chair Dr. C.R. Mehta, emphasizing the importance of continuous innovation in tractor design. This segment featured contributions from YouTube influencers, Agri Insight Partner CRISIL, Institutional Partner FADA, Media Partners Krishi Jagran & News India, and the Jury Members. It was an evening of celebration and recognition of the best in the tractor and farm equipment industry.
