Technology & Social Impact Drives John Deere’s 25-Year Success in India

To serve farmers in India and around the world, John Deere continues to innovate, invest, and leverage manufacturing, talent, and India's supply chain – all with the goal of increasing farm productivity through technologically advanced products and services.

The 5M series tractor and a production system approach that offers higher horsepower, advanced features, and precision technology aimed at lowering farming costs and increasing income levels are the most recent examples. These products and solutions are recent examples of Deere's continued efforts to provide farmers with a diverse range of technologically sophisticated farm solutions, such as tractors, harvesters, and high-tech implements.

Mukul Varshney, Director - Corporate Affairs, PR, Media, and Communication, welcomed media partners. “John Deere is the world’s leading manufacturer of Agriculture & Turf equipment, products & solutions also serving the construction and forestry industry. John Deere is uniquely positioned to deliver both economic and sustainable value for our customers through advanced technology and solutions. Our 25 years journey in India has witnessed a transformation in Indian Agriculture as well. At John Deere we are truly living our Higher Purpose – We run so life can leap forward.” he commented while sharing about the 187 years of legacy the company has.

“Our journey in India began 25 years ago with the introduction of advanced product features such as power steering, oil-immersed disk brakes, planetary reduction, force feed lubrication, high torque machines and value-add technologies such as front PTO, perma clutch, AutoTrac™, PowrReverser™ and JDLink™,” said Shailendra Jagtap, managing director. “John Deere continues to innovate and introduce these advanced features in India which are now becoming industry standard. The farmers ’outlook is progressive, and they adapt technologies when they see value and cost benefits,” he added.

Jagtap said Deere remains committed to supporting the food security mission of the country as well as the changing dietary requirements of the growing populations.  He additionally noted that Deere is proud to lead India from subsistence farming to Agri-entrepreneurship. “Our efforts for a holistic farm solution and inclusion of women farmers in the farm mechanization journey have been immensely valued by our customers. We see the pride in their families as we help women farmers skill themselves and become economically independent”

Over the past 25 years, John Deere has demonstrated a strong commitment to manufacturing and product development in India, including:

• Tractor manufacturing locations in Pune (Maharashtra) and Dewas (Madhya Pradesh)

• Electronics system manufacturing in Pune (Maharashtra).

• India Engineering Centre in Pune (Maharashtra).

• Enterprise Technology Centre in Pune (Maharashtra).

• Global IT Centre in Pune (Maharashtra) and Bengaluru (Karnataka).

• Parts Distribution Centre in Nagpur (Maharashtra) and Indore (Madhya Pradesh)

• John Deere Finance in Pune (Maharashtra)

• 1200 touch points under 580 channel partners across the country, 22 Branch Offices, and 4 Zonal Training centers

• Wirtgen Group – A John Deere Company Pune (Maharashtra)

According to Jagtap, John Deere is also leading the way in bringing technologies to tractors and farm equipment that lower the overall cost of farm operations by reducing the number of operations required in the field and utilizing fertilizers and chemicals more efficiently. These are critical for meeting additional sustainability goals and lowering emissions, both of which contribute to Deere's strategic ambitions to protect the environment

For example, he asserts that the introduction of technologies such as a front PTO (power takeoff) and specially designed front farm implements has reduced the cost of some operations by more than 25% while also lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

John Deere’s Operations in India:

The John Deere Enterprise Technology Centre and Global IT Pune provide services and solutions that add value to various John Deere businesses around the world in the areas of product engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, IT solutions, and customer support. From concept and design to product delivery, the engineers provide full-stack capabilities. They also cover cyber security, fintech solutions, smart connect factories, robotic process automation, and customer-facing solutions such as smart connect machines and real-time customer connectivity. The team possesses domain expertise in AI/ML cloud computing, Data Science, and Data Analytics.

John Deere's India Engineering Centre in Pune is responsible for Deere's utility tractor design and innovation worldwide. Customers have appreciated features such as a perma-clutch, front PTO, power reverser, telematics, and an air-conditioned cabin, according to Jagtap. He added that incorporating 'Green System' farm implements and John Deere combine harvesters resulted in holistic farming solutions.

Ramakant Garg, director, of sales, and marketing, said, “We provide John Deere products for a variety of agro-climatic conditions and crop types, and this has been key to our growth in India. Our product portfolio serves individual farmers, contract farmers, and entrepreneurs who are in the business of custom hiring. Our channel is well-positioned to serve the farmers through the product life cycle. We are number one in the country on customer satisfaction.”

Garg added that John Deere Financial services leverage digital platforms well and provide transparency, speed, and convenience which is an advantage for customers. “With a 5-year warranty and easy access to parts, prompt services, and inclusion of women in farming, our customers truly feel it’s their “Zindagi ka Best Decision,” he added.

Jagtap also explained Deere’s commitment to developing the entire agricultural industry for the long term. Deere leverages India supply chain, talent, and market well due to cost advantage, reliable and quality suppliers, and manufacturing ecosystem for serving farmers in more than 110 countries globally. 

Mukul Varshney, Region 1 director, Corporate Affairs, said, “The current environment and priorities of the central and state governments are to bring agricultural reforms and increase farmers’ income. Precision and advanced technologies in the agriculture crop value chain are critical. Industry, academia, and governments are coming together to have a far-reaching impact on productivity and farmer profitability. John Deere will continue to be a leader in these efforts and work on behalf of our farmers.”

Varshney added, Deere continues to advocate for policy reforms in Central and state governments for Agri-Tech, Public Private Partnership and skilling the rural youth that shall pave the way to migrate, conventional agricultural practices to modernized and aspirational farm practices. The usage of electronic and electronic components is increasing in tractors, the government has taken note of this, and the reforms are planned as needed for a well-integrated farm ecosystem.

One additional item that strengthens John Deere’s presence in India is the 2017 acquisition of the Wirtgen Group, which has a factory in Pune. The Wirtgen Group is the world’s largest road construction company.