editors picks

Read

New training programs and initiatives at TAFE’s PTC

Since 1963, TAFE’s Product Training Centre has been playing an integral part in supporting TAFE’s multi-fold growth over the decades by integrating learning and hands-on training modules for the service staff to provide its customers with quality after sales service.
With the needs of customers changing, staying ahead of times is crucial to stay relevant. Over the years, PTC has introduced several programs that facilitate knowledge sharing, ensuring that the technicians and service staff always have access to knowledge.
PTC recently launched a two-day refresher training program for aftermarket private tractor mechanics which aimed at educating the participants about the tractor – its parts like the common and special parts, and the procedure to remove and fit the same. They were also trained on some of the latest changes in the aggregates and adjustments. The training ensures that TAFE customers receive the best service from the technicians and around 338 private tractor mechanics have been trained so far and the training has been well received.
Additionally, TAFE has started training programs for tractor models MF 6028 and MF 2635 at their PTC centers, and also one for the field team dealing with the new IPTO (Independent Power Take Off).
A mechanic skill level competition was organized in Bihar and Jharkhand for PTC trained mechanics where their skill levels were evaluated to encourage them to improve their skills, which was marked by the attendance of about 35 mechanics. The competition comprised of objective-type questions based on repair and maintenance of tractors and the top three scorers were awarded and recognized.
335 dealership technicians from various dealerships across India have successfully completed the basic product training programs and new product training programs; and 593 TAFE personnel from across functions, technical and non-technical teams have successfully completed various training programs at PTC up to March 2018. Apart from this, various electrical models and wiring diagrams have also been introduced in the electrical section for easy understanding of the trainees.
The Product Training Centre is TAFE’s commitment to Cultivating the World and ensuring that customers get the best after sales service. With its expertise, training programs and evolving teaching methods, PTC is paving the way for a one of a kind customer satisfaction experience.

0 9068
The TAFE team at HAU's Agri-EPI Centre
 News | Spotlight

TAFE and HAU collaborate to develop sustainable agriculture solutions

Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited – TAFE has entered into a new international collaboration with UK based Harper Adams University (HAU) to develop advanced technological, agronomic and educational solutions for the delivery of sustainable food production around the world.

HAU is an agriculture university established in 1901 in the United Kingdom. HAU’s Agriculture Engineering Precision and Innovation – Agri-EPI Centre is one of the four national Centres for Agricultural Innovation created as part of the £17.7m UK government investment from UK’s Strategy for Agricultural Technologies to help provide engineering and precision agriculture solutions for the agri-food industry.

The collaboration with HAU’s Agri-EPI Centre will include joint research projects and programmes, joint publications and staff exchanges. The areas of research will focus on agriculture, engineering and technology development programmes on autonomous farming and energy efficient implements, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems and sensor technologies, and the Hands free hectare project to be implemented at JFarm India – TAFE’s adaptive agriculture research centre.

TAFE President & COO – Mr. T R Kesavan said, “TAFE’s collaboration with Harper Adams – Agri-EPI Centre is a reaffirmation of TAFE’s commitment to its vision of ‘Cultivating the World’ as it aims to combine integrated farming techniques with precision agriculture and engineering to develop sustainable farming models that work for both marginal and large farms. This collaboration will provide opportunities for developing a range of advanced training skills, learning and the promotion of international technology transfer and exchange.”

Engineers from TAFE have moved into the new Agri-EPI Centre on the Harper Adams University campus to work on the centre’s first major research and development project. On the team’s arrival, Harper Adams University engineering lecturer, Kit Franklin said, “We at Harper Adams have been building contacts with TAFE for the last 18 months. It’s great to now have this young and enthusiastic team of engineers from TAFE’s Centre of Excellence here in the UK where we’re about to start our first collaborative engineering project. Along with the completion of the project, I hope the team will get a flavour of British agriculture, helping them to return with fresh new ideas.”

Welcoming them to the Agri-EPI Centre, Lee Williams – Newport Centre Hub Manager said, “We’re extremely excited about the first major R&D project coming into the centre, but even more so as it’s a large global tractor manufacturer that’s working in collaboration with Harper Adams.”

0 4248
TAFE ‘Cultivating The World’ with learning
 News | Spotlight

TAFE ‘Cultivating The World’ with learning

At Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE), learning is an integral part of its ethos. As a learning organization, TAFE pioneered the development of its employees and channel partners through various training modules at the ‘Product Training Centre’ way back in the 1960’s, which was the first of its kind in the tractor industry. Over the years, TAFE’s commitment to learning has expanded and evolved, leveraging the latest technology to support and encourage its employees to constantly develop and upgrade themselves.

As part of this journey, TAFE was honoured at the 2018 India Innovation Awards by Skillsoft and SumTotal for ‘Creating an Impact in Leadership Development’ amidst HR, L&D industry stalwarts at its India Perspectives 2018 conference. This award honours an organization that develops and implements best-in-class integrated learning and/ or talent programs that demonstrate strong results. Programs feature innovation to overcome challenges and realize success.

Spearheaded by TAFE E-University and the Business Excellence team, the leadership development program -internally branded as LA CAFÉ, is offered as part of the Joy of Execution Excellence (JoEE) initiative. Considering the great need to develop CSF project leaders in the organization who are hard-pressed for time to attend a complete classroom based learning, TAFE partnered with Skillsoft to offer world class online programs, designed and delivered to meet various business needs in a blended learning mode.

The program focused on boosting the success rate of strategic projects by improving the competency levels of Critical Success Factor (CSF) project leaders within the organization. It aimed to develop the project management skills of CSF project leaders in the identified skill gap areas. The skill gaps were consolidated by in-person conversations with business leaders and surveys. The six modules from Skillsoft Leadership Advantage (SLA) to address the critical areas which were contributing to project success were: – Leading Effective Meetings, Problem Solving and Decision Making, Project Management, Managing Conflict, Influence and Persuasion, and Managing Upward Relationships.

The program followed a blended learning approach that provided the right mix of, self-paced learning for leaders to learn anytime anywhere, online webinars to value-add to the online content and motivate learners, café type workshops to encourage collaborative and social learning, business whatsapp conversations to engage and discuss key concepts, senior leader perspectives to align the learning with TAFE’s context, LA CAFÉ buddy for peer motivation to learn, and gamification to make learning fun and engaging. The program’s framework of ‘Learn – Apply – Share – Institutionalize’, supported learners to apply their learning to the projects they are leading, and also transfer best practices to organizational projects by means of horizontal deployment.

The recognition validates TAFE’s constant endeavour to build a continuous learning culture and encourage knowledge sharing. TAFE e-University and Business Excellence team are at an important juncture in the transformation journey, aligning business needs to learning and knowledge sharing, and thereby impacting the business’s bottom-line.

Congratulations to the TAFE E-University and Business Excellence team on this accolade and for ‘Cultivating The World’ with learning.

0 5048
A product demo in progress at TAFE Madurai for customers
 Read | Spotlight

TAFE’s MF Experience Centres redefine customer delight

TAFE as an organization has always strived to help the farming community through its products and services. For more than five decades, it has listened to its customers and their needs by providing superior products that are relevant to the times. TAFE has helped transform the lives of millions of farmers around the world, by powering farms in more than 100 countries.

In line with this, TAFE inaugurated MF Experience Centres at its Madurai and Doddaballapur facilities. It intends to provide TAFE customers with a unique brand experience through visits to the factory and the MF Tech Zone; multimedia presentations on brand heritage and Massey 4.0; and providing in-depth understanding of the technologies used through working prototype models of Massey Ferguson tractors.

The MF Experience Centre at TAFE Madurai has seen a steady flow of customers including over 1000 farmers visiting during the Pongal season. The MF Experience Centre at TAFE Doddaballapur was inaugurated recently, and has been visited by around 500 farmers. The farmers reviewed the tractors specific to Karnataka like, MF 7250 and MF 6028, among other heavy implements like the Hydraulic Reversible Mould Board Plough and an eight ft. Rotavator. These efforts resulted in several spot bookings. Additionally, the visitors were also given a health check-up and a portrait alongside the MF tractors as a souvenir of this experience.

TAFE in its journey of ‘Cultivating the World’ goes the extra mile to create a lasting relationship with its customers beyond the sale of products.

0 6717
TAFE recognized for its 'Be a #FarmDost' initiative
 News | Spotlight

TAFE’s ‘Be a #FarmDost’ digital movement recognized for highlighting the importance of farmers and the farming

The Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) – ‘Be a #FarmDost‘ – initiative has been at the forefront of highlighting the importance of farmers and, helping the urban society appreciate the hard work of farmers through various digital media communications and on-ground activities which has brought farmers and the urban population together. These efforts were validated with the ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative winning awards at the IAA Olive Crown Awards, PRCI’s Corporate Collaterals Award, ACEF’s 7th Global Customer Engagement Awards, the Rural Marketing Forum & Awards and, the Making of Developed India Awards.

TAFE was bestowed the Chanakya Award in the category ‘Communication Idea of the Year’ for its ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative by the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) during the 12th Global Communication Conclave held in Pune. The TAFE group was among the top winners, winning 15 awards across different categories.

At the prestigious IAA Olive Crown Awards 2018 hosted by International Advertising Association (IAA) India Chapter in Mumbai, TAFE was awarded the Silver Olive Crown in the Events category for its ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative’s, ‘National Farmers’ Day’ event for ‘Creative Excellence in Communicating Sustainability’. And at the Asia Pacific Customer Engagement Forum’s (ACEF) ‘7th Global Customer Engagement Awards’, TAFE’s ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative won two gold awards. One for its ‘National Farmers’ Day’ event for the ‘Successful use of CSR Activity’ in the Events & Promotions category, and one for its #ThankYouTohBol TV commercial for ‘Creativity’ in the Television category.

The ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative by TAFE was also recognized as the ‘Social Development Campaign of the Year’ by the Rural Marketing Forum & Awards. The award recognizes development and integrated marketing concepts which aim to bring about social change for the greater good. TAFE’s ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative was also awarded at the Making of Developed India Awards, in the ‘Best Marketing Campaign of the Year (Agriculture)’ category. The award recognizes the efforts of an organization/team to increase awareness for a particular product or service.

About the ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative:

Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE), the world’s third largest tractor manufacturer, launched the ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative with the aim to help the urban and semi-urban population understand the importance of a farmer in their lives. The initiative wants to raise empathy by encouraging people to step into the farmer’s shoes, even if for a small while. The idea stems from the thought that if people realize the effort it takes to cultivate a single crop, they would truly realize what the average farmer has to go through, day in and day out.

The ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative is simple, to show gratitude to the farmers who are responsible for sustaining and nourishing us. Launched in April 2015, the initiative is spearheaded by the Corporate Communications team of TAFE. In its first phase, TAFE encouraged the urban population to become farmers in a small way using the #FarmDost seed kit to cultivate crops at home, thereby realizing the effort that goes into the food they eat every day. People were also challenged to meet farmers and thank them for their hard work that nourishes and sustains the world. To support this mission, activities have been carried out throughout the country apart from the daily activity on all its online communities.

The ‘National Farmers’ Day’ by TAFE – Be a #FarmDost was held in December 2017 bringing together the urban residents of Bengaluru, and farmers from nearby regions, on a farm to live the farm life and celebrate ‘Farmers’ Day’ with the farmers. The event got urban residents to become farmers for a day, engage with them, and realize the effort and hard work put in by the farmer to cultivate the food that sustains and nourishes the world. The participants got the experience of, cultivating in a farm (teak, pomegranate or sandalwood sapling); tending to a farm by, harvesting red chilies and radish, and de-weeding the farm; making organic fertilizer; taking a tractor ride; and creating a mock farm in teams with the farmers, during the ‘Build-a-Farm’ challenge. The event channeled all the participants’ inner farmer by the activities, which they enjoyed – discovering the joys of farming.

The ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative is primarily driven online, building a global community of #FarmDosts, reaching out to them across media and platforms. The aim is to communicate with and bring like-minded people together who relate to the cause and bring the farmer back into social consciousness. Within a short span, the #FarmDost community grew to become 1 million strong on Facebook and is steadily growing. It also has a notable presence on other platforms like Linkedin, YouTube, Google Plus, Pinterest, and Instagram.

The ‘Be a #FarmDost’ initiative’s simple yet powerful message of gratitude and appreciation for the farmers and the profession of farming has resonated with society and is inspiring people to realize the true value of the invisible hero – the farmer.

0 9168
TAFE acquires IMT brand of tractors
 News | Spotlight

TAFE successfully acquires iconic IMT tractor brand

Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited – TAFE, the world’s third largest tractor manufacturer by volume, successfully acquired the renowned Serbian tractor and agriculture equipment brand IMT – Industrija Masinai Traktora.

TAFE’s has had a long association with IMT spanning many decades through business cooperation that involved the supply of components, aggregates and technical support. TAFE will support its local partner with supply of components and aggregates for the rollout of IMT tractors in Serbia and allied markets.

Ms. Mallika Srinivasan – Chairman & CEO, TAFE, speaking on this recent acquisition said, “TAFE and IMT have shared a long mutually beneficial cooperation. This acquisition will play a key role in TAFE’s strategic and growth plans for the future.”

Through this acquisition TAFE acquires the right to use the Brand and Intellectual Property Rights, including the Designs, Trademarks and Copyright (IPR) of IMT.

IMT, an iconic tractor brand is a pioneer in farm mechanization and tractor technology with a wide range of implements and tractors suitable for cultivating agricultural land, vineyards and orchards and infrastructure applications. The implements range includes ploughs, trailers, maize planters, seed drills, cultivators and loader forklifts.

Well known for its indigenous R&D, IMT produced a range of tractors between 35 hp and 220 hp and is a popular tractor brand in Eastern Europe, Northern Africa and the Balkans.

0 11034
A fleet of MF 6028 - premium compact utility tractors that were delivered to over 100 farmers in Nashik Maharashtra
 Watch | PHOTO STORIES

Mega Delivery of over 100 MF 6028 tractors brings cheer to orchard owners

A wave of red Massey Ferguson tractors dotted the green orchards of Nashik at Massey Ferguson’s Mega Tractor Delivery event where over 100 MF 6028 – premium compact multi-utility tractors were delivered to the farmers.

TAFE certified trainers organized field demonstrations to educate farmers about operating this tractor and multiple implements. Farmers were offered an interesting and futuristic technological experience of operating tractors through augmented reality and virtual reality. The event concluded with a ‘First Time’ display of 100 tractors and a lucky draw for the farmers, with one MF 6028 tractor as the grand prize.

The new Super Torque engine provides 540 PTO rpm at lower engine rpm that results in a lesser load on the engine with no engine over-heating, making it the preferred choice for uninterrupted orchard spraying. It ensures round-the-year utility in agriculture, haulage and infrastructure resulting in consistent income generation for tractor owners. Another unique feature is the Massey Min-Loss Powerline, which helps in minimizing transmission losses to deliver higher PTO hp required to generate ‘mist like’ spray for better crop protection.

The compact yet rugged tractor with international smart styling handles efficient operation of implements and attachments like sprayer, rotary tiller, plough, trolley, loader and backhoe. The MF 6028’s superior ergonomics makes it easy to use and offers greater comfort to the operator.

Mr. TR Kesavan – President and COO – TAFE said that, “MF 6028 – India’s first premium compact multi-utility tractor addresses the evolving needs of the horticulture farmers and their demand for a truly versatile and comfortable compact tractor which can improve farm productivity and returns round-the-year”.

0 11111
TAFE partners with CII as the event sponsor for CII Agri Tech South 2018 held in Telangana
 News | Events

TAFE to improve farm productivity and mechanization in Telangana

TAFE – Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, India’s second largest tractor manufacturer partnered with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the event sponsor for CII Agri Tech South 2018 held at Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) from February 9-11, 2018. TAFE, with its expertise in agriculture, aims to help farmers in Telangana increase farm productivity and farm output through farmer training, integrated farming practices, and popularizing cost effective soil and water management initiatives, and reducing cost of farm inputs through appropriate mechanization solutions.

Incorporated in 1960, TAFE has been at the forefront of agri-mechanization in India. Established with the aim to alleviate Indian farmers from subsistence to profitability, it has been TAFE’s corporate philosophy to go beyond the sale of products and add value to customers’lives by empowering them to become a vibrant, self-sustaining, and prosperous agri-community.

Mr. T. R. Kesavan, President & COO – Product Strategy & Corporate Relations, TAFE said, “TAFE’s mission is to empower farmers to build a sustainable livelihood by helping them become self-sufficient by increasing farm productivity. TAFE hopes to launch its ‘Farmer2Farmer’ initiative – a farmer community building initiative that encourages farmer-owned and operated services to promote farm mechanization among small and marginal, through a mobile app, to help farmers connect with each other, collaborate and network in improving farmer prosperity.”

He added that, “TAFE’s association with the farmers of Telangana stretches back to several decades and we strive to constantly improve their lives as they have placed their valuable trust in TAFE and its products. TAFE further hopes to strengthen its association with the Telangana government and improve agricultural productivity in the state”.

TAFE’s expertise goes beyond providing farm mechanization solutions with an established competency in providing integrated farm solutions via JFarm. JFarm was first established by TAFE in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in 1964 with an objective of improving the well-being of farmers by empowering them with advanced farm technologies to increase farm productivity and meet India’s growing food needs. TAFE’s Product Training Center trains farmers, dealer, dealer employees, mechanics and students in understanding and applying agriculture-mechanization at its best.

TAFE seeks to replicate the JFarm success story across India and is exploring opportunities of working with several states including Telengana to realize this objective.

0 4297
TAFE employees on a journey of constant learning
 News | Initiative

TAFE helps employees speak Hindi, promoting constant learning

Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) as an organization has learning imbibed in its DNA, supporting and encouraging its employees to constantly develop and upgrade themselves. With a strong commitment to nurture the lives of its people, TAFE has several initiatives that are a catalyst to its peoples growth.

TAFE regularly engages with its employees through workshops and discussions to understand their needs and requirements. Through L3 workshops and employee engagement sessions conducted across the organization with respective functional heads; requests for Hindi spoken classes emerged, as employees wanted to be able to fluently converse with teams all over India.

The HR team based on this request, partnered with Mrs. Vimala Radhakrishnan to design the language course curriculum. Mrs. Radhakrishnan was also the facilitator for these Hindi classes, which were scheduled over two months, comprising 40 hours of learning and spread across three days a week post office hours from 6 pm to 7 pm.

Mrs. Radhakrishnan is known for her unique approach to teaching Hindi, as she teaches the language using English and the native language – Tamil in this case. Her approach was to focus on pronunciation through sounds – Phonetics (Tamil and English), and consciously avoid grammar first, as it would not be applicable to learning spoken Hindi.

TAFE teams that have already been through the classes include, the IT and Finance teams based out of TAFE Head Office, and a few R&D teams from TAFE Sembiam.

0 4170
 Watch | PHOTO GALLERY

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.

0 5008