The Indian Kaleidoscope

Our trip was called The Indian Kaleidoscope, and it certainly lived up to its name: the sights, the smells, the culture, the friendliness of the people, the vastness of the country, and its hunger for development and growth were remarkable.
As older buildings came down, towering glass structures were rising up all around. New rail systems were being built both underground and above the city. Chennai was a hive of commercial activity and construction. India, overall, is considered the fastest-growing economy in the world, driven by domestic consumption, government initiatives, and a large skilled workforce.
So why were we there? We were guests for the week on a fact-finding mission with TAFE Tractors India, one of the largest tractor manufacturers in the world and the second largest in India. To put this into context, the Indian tractor market is the largest in the world, accounting for 40 per cent of global new tractor sales. The market is currently between 880,095 and 900,000 units per year, and by 2025 it is expected to exceed one million units. The average tractor horsepower in India is between 31hp-40hp, but there is growing demand in the 51hp-80hp range. This shift is being driven by increasing farm sizes, new cultivation practices, advances in technology, and the ever-growing demand for food.
India’s population stands at approximately 1.451 billion and continues to grow. For comparison, China has 1.409 billion people, the US has 340.1 million, the Republic of Ireland has 5.1 million, and Northern Ireland has 1.9 million.
Our hosts, TAFE, officially entered the European market at Agritechnica 2023. Since then, it has expanded its presence across Europe through a network of more than 200 dealers and partners in over 20 countries. Its European range currently runs from 18hp to 100hp and is still growing.
TAFE has also opened a centre of excellence and import business in Low Southwick, Sunderland, to serve the UK and Irish markets. Its strategy in Europe is to build a strong network for sales, service, and repair, offering tractors that provide value, reliability, and quality to the end user.
As I write this, the first TAFE tractors are already on their way to Ireland. From their small electric tractor, which has been shortlisted for the 2026 Tractor of the Year Awards, to their expanding higher horsepower range, we may soon see them in farmyards across the country. A full report will be in our December issue.

Until next month, farm safely and farm wisely.