The
Amb plant of Sonlaika Group in the state of Himachal Pradesh has now turned
into a new high tech facility for advanced quality harvesters for the farming
sector at an investment of Rs 200 crore.
Incidentally, this is the same facility which once used to manufacture
the Rhino utility vehicles for the Indian passenger vehicle market.
The
Rhino vehicles project that was started by group company International Cars
& Motors Ltd (ICML) failed miserably as the product was not up to the mark
in terms of quality and performance. The Sonalika Group had to give up the
project and the ultra modern Amb plant was used initially for some contract
manufacturing and later for its own farming products.
Apparently,
the Group’s flagship company International Tractors Ltd (ITL) based in
Hoshiarpur in the state of Punjab is a leading manufacturer of tractors in the
country and is also a leading exporter of the product. The Sonalika plant at
Amb is spread across 29 acres and is designed with multi-stage CED (Cathode
Electric Deposition) paint process often seen at car manufacturing facilities.
Established with an investment of Rs 18 crores, the CED paint process involves
14-stage treatment process that ensures rust-free and longer period of
harvester’s performance.
Sonalika
has also launched the most advanced harvester available in India, the ‘Sonalika
Samrat’ at Rs. 25.5 lakh. The self-propelled harvester is fully equipped with
next-gen technologies that not just reduce the tedious labour tasks during the
harvesting season but also remains economical, thereby leading to quick savings
for farmers.
The
new combine harvester from Sonalika will maximise crop yield and avoid quality
deterioration as well as minimise any crop losses. The Sonalika Samrat
facilitates operations like reaping, threshing & winnowing. It is designed
for farmers to obtain maximum yield with ease and comfort in operations during
harvesting of wheat, paddy, barley, soybean, sunflower, mustard, green gram
along with black gram.
The
Sonalika Samrat combine harvester comes fully loaded with modern features such
as projector headlights, LED tail lamps, comfortable seating and adjustable
ergo steering to support longer working hours for farmers. Its power packed
diesel engine generates 101 HP power at 2,200 rpm and is coupled with 5-speed constant
mesh gearbox for smoother operations.
Fitted
with the longest feeder assembly having 4 feeder chain mechanisms for
stability, Sonalika Samrat is supported by heavy duty bearings for easy
maintenance. The combine harvester is also subjected to various quality
parameters such as speed, braking and performance on rigorous test track before
being dispatched. The Sonalika Samrat combine harvester will available in 2WD,
4WD options along with various attachments to suit farmer’s requirements.