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TAFE – ‘Be a #FarmDost’ organizes ‘Day at a Farm’ for the residents of Bengaluru

Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE), has been deeply committed to the well-being, prosperity, and success of farmers world over. It has undertaken several initiatives to ensure that the farmers and the profession of farming is respected and given its due credit. With an aim to help the urban and semi-urban population understand the importance of a farmer in their lives, TAFE launched the ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative in April 2015 to encourage people to empathize with farmers and step into their shoes, even if for just a few moments.

Within a short span, the #FarmDost community grew to become 1 million strong on Facebook and is steadily growing. For the past two years, the initiative has focused on encouraging the urban and semi-urban population to become farmers in a small way and activities were conducted throughout the country to introduce people to the profession of farming. Seed kits were distributed which the #FarmDosts could take home, plant and grow on a small patch of land which gave them a glimpse of the hard work farmers do in order to nourish and sustain the world.

Taking the initiative forward and to celebrate National Farmers’ Day, #TAFE – Be a #FarmDost organised ‘Day at the Farm’ on 17 December, 2017. Held in the outskirts of Bengaluru, the celebration was a unique opportunity for the residents of Bengaluru to interact with the farming community and get insights into their life by participating in farm activities and live the life of a farmer for a day.

The participants were selected on a first come, first served basis from in and around Bengaluru city and the day-long event which was completely free for the participants, aimed at giving them a taste of farming and the rural life. Farmers from the local community were also part of the event playing the lead role by sharing their insights about farming and inspiring the participants.

More than 100 participants of all ages were present, and were divided into different teams and engaged in activities like, planting of saplings, tractor ride, organic fertilizer making, farm tour, farm tending and ‘Build-a-farm’ challenge. Participants were taken to a farm and shown how to plant a sapling. Participants then got the opportunity to plant pomegranate, teak or sandalwood saplings in the farm. Participants then proceeded to the vegetable farm where some harvested radish plants, some harvested red chillies and some tended to the farm by de-weeding.

After the farm activities, participants were in for a tractor ride. Participants boarded a trailer hitched to the back of two tractors and were taken through the farm to the organic fertilizer making area. At the organic fertilizer making area, all participants were given a run through of how the fertilizer is mixed and made. They were also invited to join in making the organic fertilizer. From the organic fertilizer making area, the participants indulged in a farm walk on their way back to the main event area.

While the participants were engaging in all these activities, the farmers in attendance were engaged in a session with Dr. T N Shivananda on better farming practices to increase yield and productivity. Post lunch, Dr. Shivananda briefed all the participants on the ‘Build-a-Farm’ activity, where the farmers and participants were clubbed into different groups.

The ‘Build-a-farm’ contest required the teams to build their own miniature farm with the guidance of the farmers, keeping in mind the practicalities associated with setting up a real farm. It exposed the participants to farming challenges, the vagaries of nature and the intense planning and hard work involved. The teams were totally engrossed in strategic discussions with the farmers about the choice of crops to plant, combination of millets, grains, vegetable and fruits and inter-cropping suggestions. They planned their water sources, came up with solar panels to generate electricity and worked together to build mini mock farms that were based on realistic farm scenarios. The groups discussed amongst themselves and planned every detail of their farm from scratch; from irrigation to the boundary of the farm. They had to calculate the input cost and arrive at the annual earnings. The winning teams were then awarded, and the farmers were felicitated for joining the TAFE – Be a #FarmDost ‘Day on the farm’ event.

The event saw an eclectic mix of people – students, professionals working in IT, textile, banking, HR, construction and manufacturing. Children as young as 4 years gleefully participated in all the activities with ease. We had 4 spritely senior citizens who put the younger generation to shame by leaping off the tractor while alighting, planting saplings and harvesting vegetables like professional farmers.

All the activities of the day were planned such that the participants got a deeper understanding of the farmers’ life and hence, renewed respect for them and the profession of farming. Post the activities an interaction was held between the participants and farmers, where the guests spoke of their perception of farmers and farming – before they attended the event and after spending the day on the farm. The day ended with a performance by the Vasu Dixit Collective, who performed songs in Kannada with a rural appeal that had both the farmers and urban residents singing along.

One of the participants, Aishwarya – a student, along with her family decided to celebrate her birthday by participating in the #FarmDost event. She cheerfully remarked that it was the best birthday she ever celebrated and she’d remember this for a life time. Pawan, a young IT professional said that the #FarmDost event was beyond his expectations and said it made him realize how much the farmer is to our society and nation.

People who had come to spend a day on the farm from Bengaluru returned as #FarmDosts for life with a new found respect for the farmer and the profession of farming. They truly realised that the farmer is deserving of all our gratitude and admiration.

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Cultivating safety measures

Mr. Karunanithi M, the Chief Security Advisor at Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited – TAFE, is a retired police veteran with 39 years of experience. Apart from overseeing the security protocols for the TAFE Group, he plays a key role in raising awareness among employees about important security measures and vigilance  for all walks of life.

He has appeared in several leading regional television debate programs discussing pertinent issues regarding law & order, and society. He also actively engages with the student community delivering a lectures and being part of panel discussions raising awareness about the need for personal vigilance. He has written articles and columns for newspapers and magazines, with one of his latest articles appearing in the Dinamalar magazine from Tamil Nadu.

Actively engaged with the community on various safety issues, Mr. Karunanithi has shown tremendous spirit and zeal to educate people. We are proud of his efforts and hopes he continues to inspire people.

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TAFE Doddaballapur has a bumper vegetable harvest!

For over 50 decades, TAFE – Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited has been #CultivatingTheWorld, helping farming communities around the world prosper. It has been TAFE’s constant endeavor to provide innovative and relevant farm mechanization solutions to ensure sustainable farming becomes a common practice. A values driven organization, TAFE has always prided itself in being a responsible corporate citizen and being environment friendly and green conscious.

Taking a leaf off their customers’ daily life, the employees at TAFE’s Doddaballapur plant to encourage sustainable farming, inaugurated a kitchen garden on June 4, 2016, on the eve of World Environment Day. The employees participated with great fervour and began by planting saplings of Brinjal and Tomato. The small patch of land has since seen a harvest of about 1,329 kg of Brinjal, 206 kg of Tomato, 128 kg of Raddish, among others.

Kudos to TAFE’s Doddaballapur plant for making excellent use of a small patch of land by cultivating organic vegetables and reaping gold from green. This will serve as an inspiration to others to cultivate in their own small way and empathize with the farmers whose efforts sustain and nourish us.

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TAFE wins EEPC India - Southern Region Awards for the 21st consecutive year
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TAFE wins EEPC award for the 21st consecutive year

Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited – TAFE, is the third largest tractor manufacturer in the world and the second largest in India (by volumes), and has been powering farms in over 100 countries. In recognition of its outstanding contribution to engineering exports, TAFE has been awarded the ‘Star Performer – Large Enterprise (Agricultural Tractors)’ at the 40th Engineering Exports Promotion Council of India – Southern Region Awards – 2015-16. The award was presented by the Honorable Minister for Minister for Industries, Sports and Youth Affairs, Sri. A C Moideen, Government of Kerala on October 25, 2017 and received by Mr. N Sriram – Divisional Manager, Exports and Mr. N Anantharamakrishnan – Deputy Manager, Exports on behalf of TAFE.

TAFE is one of India’s leading tractor exporters. The awards were decided on the basis of FOB value of export of engineering goods in agricultural tractors. The award is a remarkable achievement for TAFE as it has won this prestigious award 21 years in a row. TAFE’s success can be attributed to many factors like the extensive range of products and features it offers to its customers and the synergy between TAFE & AGCO teams to take the brand forward. TAFE will continue to strive in its endeavor to provide the best farm mechanization equipment to farmers world over in its journey of #CultivatingTheWorld.

The EEPC India is a premier trade and investment promotion organization in India, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. It caters to the Indian engineering goods sector that also acts as an advisory body that actively contributes to the policies of the Indian government and works to provide liaison between the engineering industry and the Government. The institution serves over 12,000 members ranging from large corporate, trading houses, small and medium scale units and more.

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TAFE range of tractors showcase their prowess in Bangladesh
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TAFE tractors cultivating prosperity in Bangladesh

Tractors from Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited – TAFE  have been powering farms in over 100 countries, and have a predominant presence in several African and South Asian countries. TAFE tractors are a favourite in Bangladesh, and TAFE is proud to be a partner in the growth and prosperity of the nation.

According to a World Bank report, “Irrigation, high-yielding crop varieties, more efficient markets, and mechanization, enabled by policy reforms and investments in agriculture research, human capital, and roads have driven growth.”

Tractors from TAFE are versatile and have been engineered keeping in mind the varied soil conditions and requirements of any given task. Apart from agriculture, they are used for haulage in various industries like agriculture, mining, infrastructure, fisheries, construction etc. and have proven their mettle around the world.

Here is a photo story of TAFE tractors cultivating Bangladesh!

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Eicher Engines announces scratch card scheme
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Eicher Engines from TMTL announces scratch card scheme

The TMTL Engines division – a unit of TMTL (TAFE Motors and Tractors Limited – a wholly owned subsidiary of TAFE), is known for its diverse range of both air and water cooled engines. It has a varied portfolio in agro engines and genset engines, apart from being one of the fastest growing brands in energy solutions with two brands of silent gensets marketed under Eicher Engines (5 – 45 kVA) and TMTL Engines (62.5 kVA – 125 kVA) and a recently launched Solar business.

The agro engines marketed under Eicher Engines is a trusted brand, committed to encouraging agricultural entrepreneurship and customer satisfaction. Eicher Engines’ agro engines are known for their outstanding return on investment and are available in the 12 hp to 46 hp range. A favorite among farmers, the engines are, air-cooled thereby reducing maintenance, robust, and are economical due to their low fuel consumption. Eicher Engines from TMTL has undertaken initiatives to inform and educate farmers on the various applications of its agro engines, such as, mobile huller, oil expellers, brick kilns, stone crusher, etc. as an alternative means of income.

Recently, a scratch card scheme was announced by Eicher Engines for customers with a guaranteed prize of INR 1,000/- and possibly a maximum of INR 51,000/- on the purchase of every engine*. The scheme has attracted several customers who have been a part of this initiative. The scheme is valid till October 31, 2017 or till stocks last (whichever comes first). The first three winners who have won scratch card vouchers worth INR 5,000/- are, Mr. Raja Kumar Singh from Gopalganj, Bihar; Mr. Shatrudhan Kumar from Muzaffarpur, Bihar and Mr. Yadunandan Yadav from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.

The TMTL Engines Division has gone great lengths to ensure their customers get the best possible service and are completely satisfied with their engines.

*Terms and conditions apply. All rights reserved with TAFE Motors and Tractors Limited.

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Eicher Engines from TMTL at Amarnath
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TMTL Engines aids pilgrims reach Amarnath Temple

TMTL Engines Division, part of TAFE Motors and Tractors Limited (TMTL) the wholly owned subsidiary of Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) has installed its Eicher gensets for the comfort of pilgrims visiting the Amarnath temple located in Jammu and Kashmir at an altitude of 3,888 m above mean sea level.

Visited by over 600,000 pilgrims every year from across the world, TMTL Engines – Eicher Engines has proven that they always go the distance to meet the seamless power requirements of customers irrespective of the conditions, difficulty and challenging terrain.

Fully committed to ensuring customer satisfaction, TMTL Engine’s network is 68 service dealers and 621 technicians strong, strategically placed in various cities across India who ensure a 99.9% uptime for the gensets. Going a step further to fulfil their promise, the company has a dedicated 24×7 customer support number and also collects post service feedback.

With a strong customer base of over 1000,000 spread across various segments, TMTL has proven its reliability and lives up to their promise of “You can rely on us…”.

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TMTL Engines launch its Solar business
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TMTL Engines adds Solar energy to its portfolio

The TAFE Motors and Tractors Limited (TMTL) Engines Division is an established brand with decades of expertise, resulting from years of hard work and perseverance. As the fastest growing brand in the segment, TMTL Engines has entered the Solar Energy market adding a brand new business line to its portfolio. Equipped with an elite team and the latest technology and designs, TMTL Engines is ready to make its mark in the solar power category and become a complete power solutions brand.

TAFE has always believed in encouraging and using sustainable resources, and considering solar power is the future for developing countries like India, this new business line of TMTL Engines is a step in the right direction. Recently, TMTL Engines held a solar conference giving its long standing partners a unique opportunity to gain insights into its journey towards a more sustainable world. Some of the projects already executed are, a 60 kWp grid connected system at Modern Institute of Technology & Research Centre – Alwar, 10 kWp for JFarm – Chennai and a 60 kWp grid connected system at Varanasi.

Some of the projects undertaken include:
– 500 kWp grid connected system at TMTL’s Alwar operation
– 400 kWp grid connected system at Cochin, Kerala
– 200 kWp for JFarm, Rajasthan
– 60 kWp for Pinnacle Generators, Hyderabad
– 50 kWp at Jaycee Punching Solutions, Faridabad

The government of India has set a target of achieving 175 GW by 2022, and with a rich experience in successful delivery of power projects in the genset category, TMTL Engines will surely leave its mark in the solar power category as well.

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Mallika Srinivasan awarded Honorary Doctorate by TNAU

TAFE Chairman & CEO, Ms. Mallika Srinivasan was awarded the Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) today at Coimbatore. This was conferred in recognition of her contribution to global agriculture, machinery business and academia. She is the first lady from the Indian Tractor Industry to be conferred this honour at the 38th convocation ceremony of TNAU.

Ms. Mallika Srinivasan was awarded the Honoris Causa by the Chancellor of TNAU and Hon. Governor of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Vidyasagar Rao. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Mr. K. Ramasamy – Vice Chancellor of the University, Mr. R. Doraikkannu – Pro Chancellor of TNAU and the Agriculture Minister of Tamil Nadu, and the chief guest of the ceremony, Dr. C. D. Mayee – President, South Asia Biotechnology Centre along with the Professors and the new graduates of TNAU.

In her acceptance speech, Ms. Mallika Srinivasan, said, “I am immensely privileged to have been chosen to receive the degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) from this prestigious world renowned institute that has been serving the farming community for over a century. I extend my gratitude and thanks to the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) for bestowing this unique honour on me. This honour will, no doubt, be a great inspiration to me and my team at TAFE, as we continue to serve the farming community both in India and in other developing markets of the world.”

Personifying TAFE’s philosophy of ‘Cultivating the World’, Ms. Mallika Srinivasan has played a key role in the development of agriculture across the nation through initiatives that positively impact the lives of farmers. Taking forward the founder’s vision of empowering the Indian farmer, she has led the development of JFarm, TAFE’s adaptive agricultural research and training centre, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, established in 1964 by her father and TAFE’s first Chairman, Mr. A. Sivasailam. Under her leadership, JFarm has focused on developing an integrated farming model for small and marginal farmers, farm initiatives for soil, water and nutrient management to increase productivity through mechanisation. JFarm also advocates organic farming and its activities in developing a low cost modified hydroponics system have been widely appreciated.

Reacting to the news of her doctorate, Mr. Ravichandran a progressive farmer said, “I’m very pleased with this news. From the farmers point of view we don’t merely consider TAFE as yet another agricultural company. We consider it as the true friend of farmers. TAFE’s JFarm, has motivated many people to take up farming as their career including me. I’m sure under the able stewardship of Ms. Mallika Srinivasan and the dynamic management team and dedicated staff, we the farmers would continue to benefit from the century old group and farming gets transformed to an enviable profession. I truly believe ”TAFE is the pride of Indian Farmers” My very best wishes to the TAFE – CEO. She richly deserves such honor.”

Ms. Mallika Srinivasan has transformed agriculture in the Northern parts of India through the setting up of JFarm Rajasthan at Bhawanimandi, Dt. Jhalawer, which replicates the pioneering efforts of JFarm, TamilNadu, helping farmers of Rajasthan and subsequently those from nearby states.

Leading the way in global agriculture Mallika Srinivasan has also encouraged the extension of JFarm’s activities to other developing economies and TAFE is in the process of setting up such facilities aimed at improving farm productivity and sustainable farming, leveraging relevant mechanisation in association with several countries in Africa. It has established partnerships for skill training and development and piloting small farm sustainability programs in Malawi, Tanzania and Rwanda, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast and is involved in developing multipurpose farmer centers across the African continent.

Ms. Mallika Srinivasan, justifies the epithet ‘Tractor Queen of India’ transforming TAFE to become the world’s third largest tractor manufacturer and India’s largest exporter of farm equipment. A thought leader and a strategist, widely recognised for her business acumen, she has developed relevant technology to suit evolving needs of the farmers, optimised costs, and tapped global markets to establish TAFE as a quality mass manufacturer of tractors and a lean, resilient organisation that can weather the cyclicality of the business.

An excerpt from the citation read, “TAFE’s JFarm, located at Chennai and Rajasthan, established as a CSR initiative, engages in adaptive research and provides farm extension services, covering a variety of crops, as an advisory service to farmers to enhance yields and promotes among farmers, knowledge of cultivation practices and the latest technological advancements. It is this effort of many decades that has won her acclaim.

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University takes great pride in placing on record the exceptional achievements of Padma Shri Mallika Srinivasan and takes privilege in honouring her, in recognition of her contribution to global agriculture, machinery business and academia.”

She is one among the Board of Directors of AGCO Corporation, a global farm equipment major in the United States of America, Tata Steel Limited and Tata Global Beverages Limited. She is the first lady to have assumed the role of President of the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A member of the Executive Board of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, Ms. Srinivasan has held prestigious board positions at IIT Madras and the Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Trichy.

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GETs embark on their journey at TAFE
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Starting their journey of ‘Cultivating the world’

Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) is an international tractor manufacturer with a legacy of over 50 years. It played an instrumental role in ushering farm mechanization in India and is now powering farms in over 100 countries. India’s second largest and the world’s third largest tractor manufacturer (by volumes) – TAFE achieved this by staying true to the values and ethics laid down by its founding fathers and the dedication and hard work of the people at TAFE. Generations of employees have helped build TAFE to its present stature under a very able leadership.

One of TAFE’s core values is ‘People’ – the prosperity of its stakeholders, both internal and external. TAFE is a learning organization which has always striven to enrich and encourage knowledge seekers within its ranks or outside. It has established strong relationships with several well reputed educational institutions to promote the growth of its people and also attract the best talent – some of whom have spent their entire professional careers at TAFE.

At the core of everything TAFE does is its philosophy of ‘Cultivating the world’ and its steadfast commitment to help the farmers worldwide prosper. This can only be achieved when everyone associated with TAFE is instilled in ‘the TAFE way’ and imbibes its values, ethics and the hunger for innovation.

Recently, TAFE on boarded 25 Graduate Engineer Trainees (GET) from some of the best institutions in the country. In many cases TAFE has established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with some of these institutes. The induction of these GETs includes a comprehensive technical training, SWAGAT (organizational orientation), plant orientation and an out bound programme. They have already completed their 45 days of training at TAFE’s renowned Product Training Centre (PTC) in Chennai. Currently, the GETs are undergoing their second phase of technical training at Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF) at Bangalore on Manufacturing Engineering. The GETs have been recruited from renowned institutes like, GCT (Coimbatore), PSG (Coimbatore), IRTT (Erode), SVCE (Chennai), TCE (Madurai), Veltech (Chennai) and more!

TAFE congratulates these GETs on embarking on their journey of ‘Cultivating the world’ with TAFE and wishes them a fruitful career ahead!

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