CNH India, part of CNH Industrial, a global leader in agriculture and construction equipment, showcased a range of its advanced ‘Made-in-Pune’ farm mechanisation products at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Maharashtra. The launch highlighted company’s R&D, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, which design and produce world-class harvesting and crop-solution equipment for both Indian and international markets.
Spread across 280,000 square metres, the Pune facility manufactures combine harvesters, sugarcane harvesters, small square balers, tractors, headers, cabs and a range of implements. With advanced fabrication systems, automated paint lines, structured assembly processes and stringent testing protocols, the plant supports mechanisation across multiple crop types while also exporting machines to global markets.
Mr. Narinder Mittal, President & Managing Director, CNH India Region, said the Pune plant is central to the company’s India strategy. He emphasised that as India progresses towards becoming a developed economy, agricultural mechanisation will be critical in improving productivity, efficiency and sustainability. He added that CNH’s leadership in sugarcane harvesters, combine harvesters and balers is backed by machines engineered specifically for Indian soil and farming needs—fuel-efficient, reliable and technologically advanced.
In 2023, the Pune plant produced India’s first TREM-V compliant sugarcane harvester, even before the regulation was in place. The company currently holds more than 50% market share in both, he added.
CNH’s India Pivot
CNH Industrial is rapidly expanding its presence in India and positioning the country as a major base for manufacturing, research, and global sourcing. With a long-term strategy that combines domestic growth with international integration, the company sees India not just as a market, but as a global capability centre for its worldwide operations.
Strong Industrial Footprint
CNH already operates multiple plants across the country. Its Greater Noida facility manufactures tractors and engines and produced 60,000 tractors last year, with plans to scale up further. The Pune plant—its newest—builds combine harvesters, sugarcane harvesters and small square balers, and will begin localising fixed-chamber round balers in the next two years. The Pithampur plant near Indore handles construction equipment such as excavators, compactors, tractor backhoe loaders and skid-steer loaders. A fourth plant is also being planned as part of the company’s expansion strategy, which will envisage an investment of ₹ 1,000 crore, and operational in about two years.
Supporting these factories are four R&D centres located across India. Each is linked to the product lines manufactured at the respective plants, while the India Technology Center in Gurgaon designs global products and works with CNH teams worldwide.
Localisation, Capability Building
CNH’s India story dates back to 1969, when it entered the market through a partnership with Escorts under the Ford brand. Over the decades, it has steadily expanded its manufacturing footprint, introduced brands such as New Holland and Case, and localised key products. The company now exports a substantial share of its India-made equipment, including AC-cabin tractors for the US. Around 20% of its tractor production and 25% of its construction equipment is exported. Like many companies, it also faced setbacks in its exports due to increased tariffs by the US, he said, adding that the situation is now improving. “The next 20 years will be golden period for the company,” and the company is planning to leverage the emerging opportunities.
Rising Strategic Importance
It may be recalled that last year, the global company has carved out India as its fifth standalone global region, underlining the country’s growing importance. This strategy rests on four pillars:
• India for India – building scale in the domestic market
• India for Global – exporting made-in-India products to the world
• Global Capability Center – supporting worldwide R&D and functional needs
• Strategic Sourcing – exporting India-made components to CNH plants globally
Last year the Indian company exported components worth about $ 70 million and this calendar it hopes to export $200 million. Export revenues will exceed $500 million in the next 3–4 years, positioning India as a global component factory for the organisation.
Ambitious Market Goals
CNH aims to scale its tractor market share from the current 4.3% and sell one lakh tractors annually in India by 2030,against selling about 60,000 units last calendar. It already holds over 50% market share in sugarcane harvesters and small square balers. Its tractors range from 17 HP to 105 HP for the domestic market and go up to 120 HP for exports. The company also offers high-end models like the T7 for specialised applications. It imports certain specialised equipment such as big balers, precision planters and forage harvesters, depending on market needs.
Driving Mechanisation Movement
Despite being one of the world’s largest agricultural economies, India’s mechanisation levels remain low: less than 50% overall, and as low as 2–5% in key areas like crop residue management and sugarcane harvesting. CNH believes this gap presents a major opportunity for growth.
Mechanisation not only addresses labour shortages but also improves yields—for example, sugarcane harvesters can boost farm productivity by 6–7%.
The harvester cuts the cane right at ground level, unlike manual cutting where the last node — the part with the highest sugar content — is often left behind. Each left-over node carries about 70 grams of sugar, which adds up to nearly 2.8 tonnes of sugar lost per acre. These exposed nodes also attract bacteria and damage the new shoots that emerge. In contrast, when the harvester cuts at ground level, it buries the stem, preserves the nutrients and helps the new crop (that grows from the stubble or roots left behind after the main crop is harvested) grow stronger, resulting in a significantly better secondary harvest. Rising food demand, new policies around clean energy from crop residue, and investments in CBG (compressed biogas) plants by companies like Adani and Reliance are creating new demand for balers and harvesters, Mr. Mittal observed.
Strategic Sourcing
From manufacturing and R&D to exports and strategic sourcing, CNH Industrial is deepening its roots in India while contributing to the country’s journey towards modern, mechanised and sustainable agriculture. With new plants planned, product localisation underway and a strong export pipeline, India is fast becoming one of CNH’s most important growth engines globally.
Talking on the strategic sourcing and optimising resources, Mr. Mittal said, alongside its growing manufacturing footprint, the company is building the systems that keep a modern machinery business running—smart sourcing, greener operations, digital technology and sharp market forecasting. For exporting parts to CNH’s global operations, he said many components are now assembled and tested in-house, while others are sourced directly from suppliers based on CNH’s designs. The company is also nudging its supplier base towards more sustainable practices, supported by solar power adoption across its plants.
Technology is becoming the backbone of CNH’s equipment. Its newer tractors and balers come fitted with telematics that track performance, fuel levels, location and overall health. Alerts from the field flow into command centres in Noida and Pithampur, where teams can guide dealers and customers before issues turn into breakdowns.
Operating in India, however, means dealing with a market that moves with the seasons. Unlike the West, demand here swings with rainfall, festivals and crop cycles. To stay ahead, CNH uses a forecasting system that tracks everything from reservoir levels to commodity prices—helping it plan production with reasonable accuracy, even in an unpredictable market, he added.