Technology, social impact drives John Deere’s 25-year success in India

Mukul Varshney, Director – Corporate Affairs, PR, Media, and Communication, John Deere India said “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.”

“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 India, adding that “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.”

Jagtap said Deere remains committed to support 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 mechanisation journey have been immensely valued by our customers. We see pride in their families as we help women farmers skill themselves and become economically independent”

Over its 25 years, John Deere has shown significant commitment to investment in 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)

Jagtap said John Deere is also leading the way to bring technologies to tractors and farm equipment that lower the overall cost of farm operations by reducing the number of operations needed in the field and efficient use of fertilizers and chemicals. These are essential for additionally meeting sustainability goals and reduced emissions– both of which help meet Deere’s strategic ambitions to protect the environment.

For instance, he said, introduction of technologies such as a front PTO (power takeoff) and specially designed front farm implements have helped reduce the cost of some operations by more than 25 percent while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

John Deere’s Operations in India:

The John Deere Enterprise Technology Centre and Global IT Pune provide services and solutions which add value in areas of product engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, IT solutions and customer support services to various John Deere businesses globally. The engineers provide full stack capabilities from concept and design to product delivery. In addition, they cover areas such as cyber security, fintech solutions, smart connect factories, robotic process automation and customer facing solutions including smart connect machines and real time customer connectivity. The team has domain expertise in areas such as AI,/MLcloud computing, Data Science and Data Analytics

John Deere’s India Engineering Centre in Punehas responsibility worldwide for Deere’s design and innovation in utility tractors. Jagtap said product features such as perma-clutch, front PTO, power reverser, telematics and airconditioned cabin have been welcome features for customers. Adding ‘Green System’ farm implements and John Deere combine harvesters have created holistic farming solutions, he added.

Ramakant Garg, Director, 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 provides 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.

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.